Pros and Cons of Eating The Same Meal Every Day

To simplify grocery shopping and meal planning you might be tempted to eat the same meal every day. This is especially true when you find a nutrition-aligned meal that you truly enjoy. Even if the meal is nutrient-dense and delicious, there are a few downsides to repeating meals.

Is It Ok to Eat the Same Meal Every Day?

Maybe. If you eat the same snack daily or identify a fast and easy breakfast, it’s not likely to be of concern. Or if you’re single and you save time by cooking in bulk, you may have the same thing for lunch or dinner for a few days in a row. Where your nutrition can suffer is if you eliminate the variety in your dietary choices, never or rarely mixing things up.

Different fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and proteins contain different micronutrients and macronutrients. So, if your meal is always the same, you run the risk of nutrient deficiency—even if your diet consists primarily of whole foods.

Nutrients and Gut Microbiome

In addition to nutrient deficiency, different vitamins and minerals feed and fuel different gut bacteria. There are between 300 to 500 different strains of bacteria that make up your microbiome. So, if you repeat the same 5 fruits and vegetables each day, there’s not enough variety to maintain a healthy microbiome.

Your microbiome plays a vital role in whole-body health, including helping to regulate:

• Digestion

•  Nutrient absorption

•  Immunity

•  Hormonal balance

•  Stress response

•  Metabolism

•  Mood

•  Memory

•  And more

The Same Meals Get Boring

Another downside of eating the same meal every day is the monotony. Your goal may be to develop a routine, but repeating what you eat can lead to boredom. Even if it’s a meal you truly enjoy, it will get old.

This can leave you abandoning your meal plan because you’re craving something new—and the “new” is less likely to be healthy.

Can You Lose Weight by Eating the Same Meal Every Day?

Maybe, but again, the risks above apply. Eating the same meal daily for weight loss is a staple of both fad diets and toxic diet culture. These diets often support extreme and unhealthy caloric deprivation, building their meal plans around a limited food range.

An added risk of this method is that you may lose weight quickly, but your results aren’t sustainable. Also, if calories are too low and all meals are repetitive, the risk for nutrient deprivation, decreased immunity, irritability, and other health concerns increases.

That said, if you eat one meal that’s the same every day and your overall meal plan is tailored to your nutritional needs—you can sustainably lose weight.

The Benefits of Eating The Same Meal Every Day

If one meal a day is consistently the same, be diligent about nutrient diversity in your snacks and other meals.

Repeating meals daily or weekly is beneficial because:

• Meal planning is minimized.

•  You always know what to buy.

•  Food waste is often minimized.

•  You’ve mastered preparation.

•  It develops a new healthy habit.

•  You’re confident in your meal choice.

Easy Ways to Mix Up Your Meal Plan

•  If you eat oatmeal or whole grain cereal for breakfast, switch up the fruit and

  toppings.

•  If you make a stir-fry or sheet pan meal for dinner, use different vegetables.

•  If you have nuts or seeds and yogurt for a snack, eat different nuts and seeds.

•  If you enjoy whole grains as a side dish, mix different grains and add legumes.

•  Continually experiment with different spices, dried herbs, and fresh herbs.

•  Add more fermented foods to your diet including olives, pickles, and kimchee.

•  Stock up on frozen vegetables and canned beans for easy food prep.

•  Cook soups and other easy-to-freeze recipes in bulk to defrost and eat later.

•  Try at least one new nutrient-aligned recipe a week so that you have more

  options to add to the mix.

Need Help Building Your Weekly Meal Plan?

One of the many services I offer is custom-tailored monthly meal plans. Your meals are tailored to your unique nutritional needs, food preferences, and health goals. Plans include recipes and grocery shopping lists to simplify meal preparation.

The current rate of NNV meal plans is $21 per month*.

*Prices are subject to change.