“Variety’s the spice of life” has become one of the most hackneyed phrases in the English language. But taken literally, with food in mind, it takes on a very contemporary urgency.

Over 90% of American seed varieties available a century ago have gone extinct, according to @NatGeo. Both the number of varieties and the nutritional values of our foods are rapidly dwindling. At the same time, according to celiac.com, nearly 70% of the calories in every meal, snack and beverage that we consume come from wheat, dairy, soy & corn. Americans are eating fewer varieties of foods and over-indexing on a literal handful of common ones.

Why Is Variety Important?

Eating a wide range of diverse foods contributes to maintaining a healthy diet, which supplies the body with a host of essential nutrients and protects against chronic disease. Plus, it makes eating more fun!