“From Frustration to Freedom: How One Woman’s Bold Decision Transformed Her Kitchen Chaos into Serenity”
Eating the same three meals on rotation is unlikely to give you all the nutrients you need. Although it does depend on the ingredients of those meals. According to the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025“, the core elements of a healthy diet include fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy (lactose-free versions or fortified soy beverages as alternatives), protein and oils. “A healthy dietary pattern doesn’t have much room for extra added sugars, saturated fat, or sodium—or for alcoholic beverages,” reads the guideline.
Scientists say our genes play a part in how fussy we are when it comes to food
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
It turns out that picky eating is a result of differences in DNA. “Food fussiness is not something that arises from parenting. It really does come down to the genetic differences between us,” said behavioral geneticist at UCL, Dr Zeynep Nas. Nas was part of a research team that looked into the reasons children refuse to eat certain foods.
The team recently compared the eating habits of identical twins and non-identical twins. Identical twins share 100% of their genes, while non-identical twins share only half. They found that fussy eating habits were more similar among identical twins than non-identical twins.
It wasn’t the first study to blame genetics for food fussiness. In 2022, an Italian research institute led a study into the genetics of food preferences. “Although flavour is the first driver of food choices, genetic differences are more likely to determine how the brain responds to them,” said lead researcher, Dr Nicola Pirastu.