Mothbeans, Beerwurst and Mouse Nuts

For my latest consulting project, I get to read through every food item in the USDA Food Database. It's a massive database and full of useful information for every consumer (because, uh, WE ALL EAT!).

Among the thousands of food entries, I've discovered many new foods... and that's just from today's research. Mothbeans (actually, more commonly known as Matki, which is famous in Maharastrian cuisine), Beerwurst, Caribou Bone Marrow (yes, you read that right) and Mouse nuts are just a few of the new foods I've come across. A little gross maybe, but indicative of the wide array of foods we have available in our food supply.

All these crazy foods reminded me of something I often preach, but yet, occasionally fail to practice. VARIETY. Variety in our food selection is what brings us the most nutritional bang for our buck. If we could master "variety", we'd rarely need dietary supplements. I know how easy it is to get stuck in a food rut and eat the same thing day after day... but the bottom line is simple, and hard to ignore: we get more nutrition when we try to eat different foods each day.

It's just a little reminder to try something new... not everyday, but maybe once a week. Walk through the produce aisles and try a new fruit, veggie, or even a new grain (like Millet, Quinoa, Barely, Bulgar, etc).

It'll be an adventure ;)