The Atlantic

Letters: ‘I Have Not Fallen Out of Love With My Cabbage’

Readers share what they eat for lunch—and why.
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The People Who Eat the Same Meal Every Day

The Atlantic staff writer Joe Pinsker eats the same bean-and-cheese soft tacos every day for lunch. Curious as to what drives others who share his proclivity for routine, Pinsker talked to a handful of people who also eat the same meal every day. One source found solace in the regularity; another liked that it makes grocery shopping simpler. And, one historian explained, many people around the world aren’t repeating their meals voluntarily.


My cousin is a dietitian and sent me “The People Who Eat the Same Meal Every Day,” asking why you didn’t interview me. The joke about me with friends and co-workers is that I’ve eaten the same thing for lunch for almost 30 years. I am very outgoing, high energy, and entertaining, but when it comes to food, I’m boring. I like my weekday tradition of brown rice, vegetables, and tofu! I will admit that I’ve switched it up the past few years with organic rice and tofu. In addition, I now skip the tofu for half the week and go wild with beans (garbanzo are my favorite, but sometimes I even do cannellini). This five-day-a-week lunch keeps me lean and regular, fills my belly, and increases

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