If you were stuck on an island for the rest of your life with only five foods….
What would they be?
Don’t anwser this question lightly! Take a second to really think about it.
Consider your nutrient balance, your current eating habits (do you snack or only eat meals?) and how practical & sustainable your choices would be as you would have to eat these foods for the rest of your life.
It may seem shallow on the surface, but I believe this is a very useful reflective exercise that will actually reveal a lot about your dietary tendencies.
I will share my 5 selections and explain why from a personal and professional perspective that these foods need to be my list.
5 Foods For The Rest of My Life
Bananas: I hope you all also have at least one fruit on your list! Anyone who has been following me on social media knows that, when it comes to fruit, bananas are my absolute favourites. I generally eat 3 a day for breakfast, and I am comfortable with doing that for the rest of my life.
Avocados: I am a 3-meal a day type of guy, and I generally enjoy either avocados or sunflower seeds with my bananas in the morning. Choosing avocado over sunflower seeds is an easy choice for me, as I’ve only started eating avocados this year and it will be hard for me to get sick of them. Not to mention that avocados are an excellent source of healthy fats.
Kale: Once again, this would be an easy guess for anyone who knows me. If you are only eating five foods for the rest of your life, I’d sincerely hope at least one leafy green vegetable made the list. I eat raw kale on a daily basis and I would not think twice about comitting to doing it for the rest of my life.
Sweet Potatoes: I would need at least one high quality source of starchy carbohydrate in my five. For me, it would be a toss up between brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal and sweet potatoes (as these are my staples). In the end, sweet potatoes would have to be my choice because they extremely nutritious and hold a deliciousness edge over my other selection.
Rainbow Trout: A protein source is a must, and I would love to say that tofu was my honest choice…. but as much as I’ve grown to love it, I would probably opt for Rainbow Trout… I’m on an island after all so I should be able to catch a bunch? One of the only dietary sources of vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids and my protein choice of source to round out my list.
I’m not saying it would be fun, but I could actually maintain a pretty strong diet with these five foods and I believe I could pull it off too!
Can you say the same about your 5?
I hope you guys will put some serious thought in and take part in this fun, reflective and educational exercise.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Andy De Santis RD MPH