A "monomeal" is a meal that consists of just one type of food. Usually raw fruit or veg.
Like a load of orange slices.
Or a pile of bananas.
Or half a watermelon.
There's also a thing called "banana island" where you eat nothing but bananas for days.
It's huge on Instagram. Thousands of photos tagged #monomeal have been uploaded.
So what's the justification for monomeals? Some people think eating a meal with more than one food in it overtaxes the digestive system by making it multitask.
And that this can cause something called "leaky gut syndrome". (The NHS says there is "little evidence" for leaky gut syndrome and it is not a recognised medical diagnosis.)
But there's no reason to think monomeals are better for you than a varied diet. So why should you not base your diet entirely on fruit?
1. Well, fruit contains quite a bit of sugar.
2. The sugar in fruit is released when you blend it into a smoothie or juice, so drinking too many smoothies or juices is bad for your teeth.
Apart from breastmilk, no single food contains all the essential nutrients the body needs to be healthy and function efficiently. [...] A healthy diet is likely to include a large number or variety of foods, from each of the food groups, as this allows us to get all the nutrients that we need.
4. Eating different foods together can help you absorb some nutrients better.
5. You should also base your meals on starchy foods.
6. Protein is essential for growth and repair of the body.
7. And, really, your gut does not get tired or have trouble digesting different types of food eaten all at once.
