Why Is It So Hard To Eat Healthy?

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For the most part, I eat pretty healthy.  Sure, I have my ups and downs, as a lot of people do, but overall, I try to incorporate the four food groups into my diet every day.  I do have a serious sweet tooth though, and that is my downfall.  So today I want to cover this question, why is it so hard to eat healthy?

why is it so hard to eat healthy
Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

We all know that we should be eating healthy food, but actually doing it is another story.  It is not always easy or convenient to eat healthy. In this post, I want to discuss some of the challenges that come with healthy eating.

Junk food tastes so good

Yes, it’s true, and it can be addictive as well.  Junk food rewards your brain in a more powerful way than other foods that are good for you.  I don’t know all of the science behind this phenomenon, but I can tell you that when I crave potato chips, and pizza, but never a banana.

The problem I have in particular is that junk food is just tastier than spinach, I mean come on.  Why does it have to be that way?  Of course, there are good for me foods that taste good too, but junk food takes the cake.

Stress

When I get stressed, I don’t usually reach for a tub of kale, I go straight for chocolate, or kettle cooked potato chips.  Stress sometimes make me want to eat, and I don’t hold back, junk food all the way.  Thankfully I am not stressed all the time, or I would have some serious problems.

I know I am not alone here, a lot of people turn to food when they are stressed.  This is a habit that I am aware of, but have a tough time breaking. Maybe after reading my own content, I can have a chat with myself and make some changes!

People are busy

Believe it or not, people are really busy, and I can relate.  Working full-time, transporting kids from place to place for practices, and other events.  By the time we got home and settled for the night, it’s time to go to bed and do it all over again.

I get it; all this busyness can make it tough to eat healthy meals.  When you are eating on the go, or have very little time to prepare, eating healthy is not always tops on the list.

Healthy meal planning

No doubt, planning meals is difficult.  I know in our family everybody has different likes and dislikes, so it’s tough to plan meals that everyone will enjoy.  I am talking to you, teenagers!  My wife takes the lead on this, mostly because if she didn’t, we wouldn’t eat.  Planning meals is one of her least favorite duties during the week.

Planning meals involves taking the time to find good meals, a trip to the store to buy the ingredients and then actually carving out time in the hustle and bustle after school to actually prepare a meal.  Now try to make this as healthy as possible, and that is just too much for some people.  I get it, it’s just so much easier to hit the drive-thru.

Shopping for healthy food

I touched on this earlier, but making a list, checking it twice, and getting to the grocery store to buy food requires precious time that many people don’t have.  Sure, it’s easy to go and buy cereal, chips and all the other yummy junk food, but picking up a healthy option requires some thought.  Healthy food doesn’t always last forever like processed and packaged food, so shopping requires more forethought.

Finicky eaters

Here we go kids, I am talking to you. My wife and I have different tastes for sure, but I eat whatever she puts in front of me.  Not so for other members of the family.  It can be hard to convince your teenage son to eat broccoli or Brussel sprouts. We know these are good for us, but why eat that when there is a bag of chips in the pantry.  Yes, cooking healthy can be a challenge with finicky eaters, our family is living proof of that.

Healthy eating is more expensive

It can be more expensive to buy fresh fruits and veggies than stuff.  For crying out loud, you can feed a family of four for $10 with one Costco pizza.  I understand when we go to the grocery store and spend $100 on just a few bags of groceries.  So yes, eating healthy can be cost-prohibitive for some.

Healthy options are popping up

Thankfully, there are some healthier drive-thru options popping up at least in our area.  There are drive-thru salad places that are really good.  Again, the problem with some of these places is the cost.  But if that is not an obstacle for you, then that is great.

Conclusion: Why is it so hard to eat healthy?

These are just some of the ideas I have come up with based on my experience.  I am sure there are a lot of other reasons that people choose not to eat healthy food.

I think that time and effort are some of the biggest obstacles when it comes to eating healthy. We are so busy these days that preparing meals at home is often an afterthought for a lot of people. Thankfully, there are more healthy options available than I the past.

The whole process of planning, shopping, and preparing tough, so a lot of people go for convenience and hit the drive-thru on the way home.

I would love to hear, what keeps you from eating a healthier diet?

If you are interested in a program that will help you eat and live a healthier lifestyle, check out my review of the Mayo Clinic Diet.

 

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