I've been eating cereal for breakfast and tuna fish for lunch every day. Is that okay?

"Sometimes eating the same foods every day has to do with convenience, especially for breakfast and during a hectic workday," says Susan Adams, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA). "But if you look at the basis for nutritional recommendations, the real premise is eating a wide variety of foods." By narrowing your food choices, she says, you miss out on essential nutrients. "There are also some natural toxins in food," adds ADA spokesperson Jo Ann Hattner, R.D. "You don't want to eat the same toxins every day—they build up in your body."
Another risk you run is getting bored with the food you're eating and possibly overeating to compensate for tired tastebuds. To put yourself on the right track, start altering the composition of your meal. "If you have certain staples you like, slowly build some variety into that," Adams says. She suggests topping cereal with bananas or swapping the white bread with whole wheat. Slowly but surely, you can change your eating habits—and you may find putting an end to your food rut ultimately more pleasing to the palate.