We all know that eating a healthy diet can help lower the risk of diseases related to being overweight or obese, like certain cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes.

As part of a balanced diet, experts around the world recommend eating a variety of foods. For example, in the UK, the NHS (National Health Service) divides foods into categories: starchy carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, dairy or dairy alternatives, proteins, and fats.

To achieve a balanced diet, the NHS suggests we should aim to include certain amounts of food from each group.

Why Is Food Variety Important?

One reason for recommending food variety is that different foods contain different nutrients. Eating a variety of foods can improve our health by reducing the risk of malnutrition, which can lead to symptoms like muscle weakness, reduced activity levels, and difficulty breathing. However, the definition of "variety" in diet guidelines can often be confusing, and it's often oversimplified.

The variety suggested by diet guidelines is different from the variety that people usually think about. Studies have shown that, in addition to considering variety as part of an overall diet, we also need to measure the diversity within the diet itself, such as how many different dishes are on our plate and how much food comes from different categories.

What Does "Diversity" Really Mean?

It's important to note that food diversity means having foods with different characteristics like appearance, taste, texture, smell, and nutritional content. For example, eating chocolate cake and strawberry cake is a form of diversity because the taste is different, even though they have very similar nutritional content and belong to the same food group.

This suggests that both single foods and mixed dishes can offer a degree of diversity. In the UK's dietary guidelines, the overall diversity of food is left up to individuals to determine. But can consumers easily recognize the diversity of foods? To answer this, researchers wanted to find out whether people in the UK could identify food diversity and how they define it.

They asked participants to comment on photos showing different types of foods as part of an online survey. For instance, they looked at supermarket aisles displaying various food brands, meals with foods from different categories, and mixed dishes with different flavors, colors, and textures, like a salad made from mixed vegetables or pizza with various toppings.

How Do We Define Diversity?

While participants often recognized and discussed different types of diversity, they typically defined diversity as simply eating foods from different categories. This aligns with the definition used in the diet guidelines.

Research suggests that when trying to follow these guidelines and eat a healthy diet, people may not pay much attention to diversity within a single meal. For instance, if we just need to achieve an overall balance, we might think it's okay if there is less or more diversity in a single meal, as long as we make up for it in the next one.

Why Meal Diversity Matters

It's important to think about the diversity of foods in a single meal because research has shown that when meals and foods vary in appearance, taste, and texture, people are likely to eat more. Each new food characteristic keeps us interested in the meal longer and delays the feeling of fullness that usually signals us to stop eating.

In other words, these diverse features disrupt what's called “sensory-specific satiety,” a process that makes us feel full. This effect increases the risk of overeating. For this reason, consuming a variety of foods from different groups (except for fruits and vegetables) might be directly related to higher body weight and increased risk of diseases linked to being overweight or obese.

When Is Diversity Helpful in Our Diet?

Since dietary diversity encourages us to eat more, it's most beneficial when it comes to fruits and vegetables. This is because fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and packed with nutrients. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables can benefit our health.

However, when it comes to high-calorie foods, diversity might not be as helpful, and the risk of overeating becomes greater. For example, during dinner, we can make sure there are two or more different vegetables on our plate to increase our intake of vegetables. But when eating high-calorie foods, it's better to stick to simpler options, like pure chocolate, rather than those with added fillings.

The Need for Clearer Guidelines

To make dietary guidelines more useful, researchers need to clarify what food diversity means and how to measure it in a diet. While consuming foods from different categories helps us achieve a diet with various nutrients, we should also be aware that diversity can affect how much we eat. To strike the right balance, we should encourage diversity within certain food categories, like fruits and vegetables, but be more cautious when it comes to foods with higher calorie content.

By considering these points, we can better understand how to incorporate variety into our diets in a way that promotes overall health. So, Lykkers, let's start thinking about the diversity of our meals and how it can make our diet healthier and more satisfying!