31 Foods

[marieandchris]

Originally Posted by yllek

I forgot to write about another little quote from Primal Feast that I just loved. Someone was writing about some centarians in Japan, asking what was their secret to their long lives. Their reply was something like, "Everyone knows you should eat 31 different foods everyday." I'm actually shooting for this. Although currently, I have cold and all I want is broth and orange juice.

Ever since this was posted in another thread, I've been wanting to start a new thread to see if we could do this as a challenge of sorts...an omnivore goal. 31 different kinds of foods per day... but what counts? What doesn't? Anyone want to do this with me?

So far, today's variety has been:

eggs
almond butter
raspberry preserves
rice crackers
pumpkin seeds
sweet potatoes
turnips
carrots
beets
parsnips
tomatoes
arugala
spinach
chard
endive
bread (nut based...sprouted)
feta cheese


That isn't nearly enough...mmmm...

If you count the whole food supplements I take... they would boost my count -- blueberry, turmeric, 3 or 4 different kinds of mushrooms, basil, and several other whole food based anti-oxidents. Does wine count? I'm drinking a glass of red wine right now with dinner (a salad with roasted root veggies...) The salad dressing has olive oil, balsamic, maple syrup, mustard and garlic in it... Do those count?

IF everything counts, then I'm up to 30 or 31. But, for those interested in this topic and wishing to encourage variety in our omnivorous diets, help me establish some ground rules and we can move forward from there.

Any takers?
Marie

[gardenmommy]

Hmmmm... interesting idea.

[memory maker]

Originally Posted by gardenmommy

Hmmmm... interesting idea.

Im gonna hang out and see too

[kallyn]

I've actually had this idea stuck in my head, too, since reading it! I've been secretly counting my foods to myself for about a week, lol. The most number of foods I've gotten in one day though is 25, and it's usually more like 18.

As for ground rules, what about things with more then one ingredient? Like I bought some pate that has duck, pork, pork fat, pheasant, rosemary, pork liver, duck liver, and some other stuff I can't remember...I suppose I would count all of those as separate foods instead of just as one food, "pate"? What about pork and pork fat - one food, or two?

I would also guess that salt and water don't count as foods. What about herbs and spices?

Ohh, this has me excited. Let me see what I have eaten so far today:

cookie : (flour, sugar, chocolate chips, butter, applesauce) 5
fermented sourdough bread (flour [already counted from cookie]) 0
pate (duck, pork, pork fat, pheasant, rosemary, pork liver, duck liver) 7
raw butter (cream) 1
beef stew (olive oil, beef, onion, garlic, chicken stock, worcestershire [maybe does not count?], carrot, potato, peas, parsley, arrowroot) 10
red wine 1
almonds 1

total: 25

[nicolelynn]

Hmm for fun let's give it a shot and see if I came close to measuring up today:

1. Oats
2. Butter
3. Coconut oil
4. Flaxseed
6. Grade B Maple syrup
7. Coffee (dunno if this counts, since it's a beverage)
8. Cream
9. Sprouted grain bread
10. Pasteured heirloom pig ham
11. Raw cheddar cheese
12. Mustard
13. Lettuce
14. Tomatoes
15. Apple
16. Lentils
17. Chicken stock
18. Carrots
19. Celery
20. Lotsa curry powder (if spices count)
21. Onions
22. Garlic
23. Yogurt
24. Creme Fraiche
25. Pumpkin (pumpkin pie)

Nope....6 to go. Well lets see if I add cod liver oil, cranberry juice to down it with, acerola cherry powder...do those count? Haha.

This is a fun challenge. I will try it.

[Mommay]

Cool thread. I didn't see the original post, but I've been thinking about the whole foraging thing and paleolithic eating. I was just thinking today how much of a variety ds and I get. Well, let me see if that's true...

eggs
butter
miso
nori
kefir
oj
kale
carrots
clo
brown rice
peas
beans
nori maki
(rice, nori, soy sauce, sugar)
dried anchovies
blueberries
kimchi
scallops
tomato
green pepper
onion
cashew butter
sprouted bread
tea
milk (in my tea)
chicken broth
apple
coffee (rare)
chocolate (rare)

Last two items was cause I didn't sleep all night and needed caffeine all day (had work). We're shy of the goal, but I think this was a pretty good day for us. Sometimes we don't have such good days, but I have to keep the number 31 in my head.

[yllek]

Hi Marie. What a great idea for a challenge. I've been quietly doing my 31 foods thing ever since I posted. I've been letting herbs and spices count (because so many of them have such wonderful properties). For me, healthy fats and beverages count. And some days, I've been letting things like liver and kefir count twice - just because I need the extra incentive.

I'll try to post a list tomorrow (I've got post-holiday jet-lag), but I wanted to drop by and sub. It's fun to see what everyone's eating.

[marieandchris]

Mmmmm, I'm seeing some ground rules appearing....

OK, so herbs & spices count...

Drinks that are good for you count.... wine, yes...water no...coffee, well, I want to say yes, but I'm not sure on the good-for-me part

Food with multiple ingredients count for each ingredient, unless the ingredients repeat...

I think supplements should count: CLO for instance, and those that contain whole foods in them (maybe those should count for 1/2 instead of
1...encouraging us to eat real food instead of supplements...what'cha think?)

Things like oils and vinegars count...

Also, would this be silly?...you should get ** or some added points for local and in season. For instance, my post yesterday... I helped my local CSA clear out the beds for winter and was able to glean all the greens, the beets, the sweet potatoes, the carrrots, the turnips and the parsnips. So those would be local and in season. So maybe our goal will be 31 different foods with as many ** as possible.

Oh, and right back at ya Kelly...You've really inspired me.

Marie

[Ruthla]

I think coffee should count- it's a traditional whole food, no?

Do wine and balsalmic vinegar count separately since they're both fermented from grapes?

If I have broth do I get to count all the ingredients in it?

So far today I've had 1 cup of postum with sugar and goat milk. Sugar cane is a food, right?

[marieandchris]

Originally Posted by Ruthla

I think coffee should count- it's a traditional whole food, no?

Maybe it should be up to the poster. I'm not going to count it for me.

Originally Posted by Ruthla

Do wine and balsalmic vinegar count separately since they're both fermented from grapes?

Good point!

Today, so far:

eggs
muesli, that has honey, rice, oats, sunflower seeds, raisens, dried cranberries, coconut, walnuts, dried apricots, brazil nuts, almonds, & pecans
almond milk

That makes 16 so far. Muesli is a number booster....

I'll post later with the rest of the day.

Lunch:
Brocchli *
beets *
sweet potatoes*
carrots *
turnips *
parsnips *

So far, 22... thinking up something with variety for dinner...


Dinner
portabello mushrooms
ground beef
basil
garlic
onions
sprouted wheat pasta
olive oil

Oh, and supplements, including CLO. I'm up around 31.

Gotta run...Sadie needs to be nursed down.
Marie

[Ruthla]

OK, so far today I've had:

hot breakfast drink:

postum (wheat bran, wheat, molasses, maltodextrin)
goat milk (1)
demara cane sugar (1)

egg sandwich:

bread (sprouted whole wheat berries, filtered water, organic dates, wheat gluten, sea salt, organic raisins, fresh yeast, soy based lecithin, cultured wheat) (3)
eggs (1)
butter (1)

CLO (1)
milk thistle herbal supplement (1)
beet kvass (1)

OK, I'm up to 10 after breakfast.

Lunch: (8)
chicken liver
coconut oil
black pepper
onion
ginger
garlic
hot pepper sauce
tamari

Daily Total at lunchtime: 18

Dinner: (4)
pasta (wheat)
broccolli (1)
cream sauce
(butter, goat milk, parsley, garlic, onion, salt, black pepper, turmeric, paprika

snack: (2)
leftovers from dinner
pasta in tomato sauce DS brought home from school lunch
(tomatoes, unknown veggie oil, unknown spices.)

This brings my grand daily total to 24. I'm short 7- but in even getting this many I've included some foods that I wouldn't normally consume. I don't think I'll be healthier if I make sure to include some corn, soy, and canola oil in my diet each day. I'd rather focus on quality foods, even if that means less variety. Also, if I'd made my own sourdough bread instead of using a prepackaged sprouted grain bread, there would have been fewer total ingredients and more cross-over with other foods in my diet, but no less total nutrition.

Oh, wait, I had a pickle. That's a cucumber fermented in brine with dill, garlic and spices. I had garlic with my liver today, so does the pickle count as one (cucumber) or two (cucumber and dill)? I guess that makes 25 or 26 today. Should I go eat 5 different spices to get my numbers up without overeating today?

Maybe I'd do better focusing on 31 different foods per WEEK instead of doing this daily.

OK, what foods did I eat yesterday that I didn't eat today?

quinoa
turkey
turkey gravy (turkey drippings and flour)
turkey soup
(turkey bone broth, carrots,celery,potatoes,ginger)

There. I'm up to 31, even if you count "turkey drippings" as the same thing as the bone broth, and don't count the turkey fat separate from the broth part.

[saratc]

Let's see, yesterday, I had:

Pear, scrambled eggs (eggs, butter), ham, chip beef (milk, beef, wheat flour), brown rice, green beans in black bean sauce (green beans, garlic, black beans, duck fat), grilled Skirt Steak (beef, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic), curried chickpeas (chickpeas, garlic, chile powder, turmeric, butter, tomatoes), Ezekiel sprouted grain tortilla (sprouted wheat, sesame seeds, sprouted soybeans, sprouted barley, sprouted millet, sprouted lentils, sprouted spelt), milk kefir, cucumbers, cabbage, falafel (chickpeas, onion, garlic, cumin, parsley, fried in duck fat), kim chi

Not counting any foods twice and counting milk and milk kefir as only one food, that makes 32 foods!

[HerthElde]

Neat challenge! Something to hold me accountable for providing variety. I'll update as I eat throughout the day
Breakfast
Squash muffin: spelt, butternut squash, yogurt, eggs, butter, sucanat = 6
Coffee = 1
Lunch
Sandwich: bread (wheat, sunflower seeds, flax seeds), butter (already counted), mustard, swiss chard, salami, swiss cheese = 7
Peas = 1
Supper
Chicken = 1
Rice = 1
Spinach = 1
Total = 18

[Vaquitita]

i'm up for the challenge! i could use some more variety in my diet.
let's see yesterday i ate:
chicken sausage (1)
sprouted english muffin- Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Millet, Organic Sprouted Whole Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Lentils, Organic Sprouted Whole Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Whole Spelt, Fresh Yeast, Sea Salt. (6)
raw butter (1)
nettle/rrl infusion (2)
kefir -water, rapadura, cherries (2)
cambodian ginger beef -beef, garlic, ginger, oyster sauce (4)
rice (1)
noum moin -chicken, green and purple cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, vermicelli, peanuts, lemongrass, mint (9)
tangerines (1)
chocolate (1)
kefir
chicken tacos -corn tortillas, chicken, onion, cilantro (4)
beef soup -coconut oil, onion, carrot, celery, broth, tomato, zucchini, yellow squash, garlic, basil, oregano, beef (10)
whole wheat sourdough

total= 42. wow, i would never have thought i got that much variety. the beef soup and the cambodian lunch definitely helped.

let's see so far today... pretty much like yesterday:
chicken sausage (1)
sprouted english muffin (6)
butter (1)
kefir (2)
nettle/rrl infusion (2)
cambodian ginger beef (4)
rice (1)
noum moin (9)
tangerines (1)
chocolate (1)

28 so far, will update later...

[kallyn]

Today:

beef stew again (olive oil, beef, onion, garlic, chicken stock, potato, carrots, peas, parsley, arrowroot) 10
fermented sourdough
raw butter
crispy almonds
pear
ginger
celery
fermented black beans
chili paste
coconut oil
szechuan peppercorns
sesame oil
bok choy
vegetable stock
garlic
kimchi
corn chips
pomegranate seeds

27. boo, haven't gotten to 31 yet and I am definitely done eating for the day (woo just had some pomegranate seeds before bedtime what can I say, they were lookin' at me funny)

[yllek]

Okay, even after a humungous lunch, this thread is making me hungry again. Everyone is eating yummy stuff.

Here's my list so far:
coffee
milk
pumpkin seeds
wheat
eggs
vanilla bean
blueberries
blackberries
raspberries
peas
carrot
celery
garlic
onion
cilantro
coriander
parsley
sweet potato
corn
red bell pepper
mushroom
chicken
cheese
butter
olive oil
lettuce
kombucha
apple
orange
grapefruit
pineapple
pear
mint

That's 33 so far.

As Vaquitita mentioned, soups definitely help the numbers. So do salads.

For anyone who is finding 31 foods to be an easy target, you can try counting only those foods that are different from the previous day.

[Ruthla]

Originally Posted by yllek

For anyone who is finding 31 foods to be an easy target, you can try counting only those foods that are different from the previous day.

How about counting 31 different foods per week for a more attainable goal? Or aiming for 20 different foods per day?

31 per day is a toughie for me unless it's a "let's clean out the fridge and eat all the leftovers" day!

[Mommay]

Re ground rules: I think supplements should count as 1 if they're whole foods. Coffee should count imo. I think there are negatives to it, but some people believe it's a good source of antioxidants. Anyway, if sugar counts, coffee should count.

I am so impressed by people's variety. And I thought I was good!

Here's my list today. Everything is pasture fed, organic, wild caught.

eggs
butter
miso
nori
anchovy/garlic broth
dried anchovies
oj (conventional)
fresh carrot juice
fresh kale Juice
clo
nori maki (rice, nori, soy sauce, sugar)
raw kale leaves
coconut oil
pecans
almonds
strawberries
blueberries
spinach
sesame seed oil
brown rice
maple syrup
cinnamon
tea
milk
sprouted bread
beef
raw milk cheese
scallops
cilantro
green pepper
onion
lime juice
salt
kimchi
kefir
elderberry

38

I did pretty good today too. I think it helps that we eat a dozen or more on the list just for breakfast. We have eggs, miso soup,tea (just me), kefir and juice with juices of kale, carrots, conventional oj, and clo. Ds is really into raw greens. He's 3 1/2. Weird, right? I eat an extra meal after ds goes to sleep, so I think that helps to expand the list.

[saratc]

Okay, so today, I had:
Pear, brown rice, green beans in black bean sauce (green beans, garlic, black beans, duck fat), chopped liver (livers, onions, bacon), lettuce, carrots, escarole, chicken mexican egg roll (flour, chicken, tomatoes, spices, sour cream), hard boiled egg, stir fried noodles (cabbage, flour, egg), grilled steak (beef, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, chile powder), mashed yams (yams, eggs, pecans, sucanat, butter, maple syrup), sauteed spinach (spinach, onions, bacon, garlic), water kefir, milk, cranberry relish (cranberries, orange, sucanat).

Not counting any duplicates, the total today is 33.

[yllek]

saratc and Mommay, your lists sound yum!

I forgot to add clo, pumpkin, garbanzo beans, chicken stock, curry spices to my earlier post. That's 38.

So, to finish up my day (not counting duplicate foods):
brown rice
black beans
tomatoes
beef
Swiss chard
chocolate

So I got 44 yesterday. I think this is my personal best since I've started counting a couple weeks back.

Ruth, 31 a day does get easier after a while. You just start thinking about adding a salad here, a smoothie there, trying some different veggies.