We are sure you already understand the importance of eating healthily. Balanced meals that contain the necessary nutrients we need for good health can improve our life chances.
However, there are those of us that tend to eat foods that are less than healthy. There are all kinds of reasons why this is the case and we have listed some of them below.
Can you relate to any of these common excuses people use for not eating healthily?
#1: I don't have time to prepare healthy foods
If you're always on the move, it might be easier for you to eat a ready meal or a takeaway food, instead of something more substantial. The advertising for these foods can certainly sway us into eating them. The promise of "fast food" or something that is "ready in five minutes" can be appealing if our lifestyles are overly busy.
But here's the thing. These foods are rarely good for us and this is because they are often overloaded with sugar, unhealthy fats, and chemicals that add flavour. We do our bodies no favour when we consume these, especially if they make up our diets in the long term.
If you're relating to this excuse, consider how you could improve things for yourself.
For starters, you might want to consider your daily routine. Could you get up a little earlier to prepare a healthy meal for your slow cooker? Could you create a window to make and freeze healthy meals for later consumption? With a little bit of meal planning, you could set time aside to focus on the week ahead and prepare all kinds of things in advance. It's just that you need to prioritize this, perhaps by limiting the time you spend doing things that don't add a lot of value to your life.
You should also consider those healthy foods don't take long to prepare. Making a salad or scrambling eggs doesn't take long at all, and there are many other foods you could make within a very short time frame. These weeknight meals can be made in 30 minutes, for example.
Of course, if you really are pushed for time or too tired to cook after a very busy day, don't assume you have to eat fatty takeout food. Look for healthy takeout places in your area and choose them over the venues that have no healthy meal options.
#2: I don't like healthy foods
As kids, many of us learned which foods we liked and which foods we didn't. Invariably, the foods we didn't like were often those that were good for us. A bar of chocolate, a burger and fries, and a bag of popcorn may have seemed far more attractive to you than an apple, a plate of green vegetables, and the other foods that make up a nutritious rainbow diet.
However, we do change as we get older as lots of us begin to like foods we hated as kids. This is partly because of changes to our food palettes. And some of us force ourselves to eat previously loathed foods too, and this is because we know the importance of healthy eating.
But if you're still making the excuse that you don't like healthy foods, it's time for a change. For starters, it's probably worth trying those foods you didn't like a long time ago. That stick of celery may have been your idea of food hell all those years back but it might be that your food tastes have changed in the meantime!
It's also possible to transform foods that you might hate. By learning a few recipes, you may be able to eat such foods but disguise their taste with sauces and other ingredients. You could also make vegetable or fruit smoothies or make healthy soups using the vegetables that you otherwise hesitate to eat.
If you are missing the important vitamins and minerals your body needs because of your dislike of healthy foods, you can still get your quota via the assorted wellness supplements that can be bought at your local health store or online. However, you should still make the effort to eat healthily, so consider the other suggestions we have given here.
#3: It's hard to eat healthily with my kids around
If the younger members of your household turn up their noses at healthy food, then you may be inclined to make life easier by cooking less than healthy meals. After all, this might seem like the better option than cooking a meal for them and a separate meal for yourself.
However, it's important to note that your kids shouldn't be your reason for not eating healthily. In fact, considering the rise in obesity in both adults and children alike, your mission should be to change their diet for the good of their health.
This is easier said than done, of course, especially if they're prone to temper tantrums every time they see a sprout! However, it's not impossible, and there are plenty of tips online to help you, including this advice on catering to picky eaters.
You can also control the food that comes into your house. So, when you're at the supermarket, don't overload your baskets with sweets, chocolates, and other sugary items that you and your children may be prone to. If you buy healthy snacks instead, your kids will have no choice but to eat healthily when they want something to munch on during the day. And you won't have any less-than-healthy alternatives to turn to either.
Finally
These are just some of the excuses that many of us make and it might be that you have related to them too. You might also be prone to other excuses, such as:
- I deserve a treat day
- I'll start eating healthily tomorrow
- One cake won't hurt
And so on and so on.
Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with eating the occasional sweet item, of course. The world won't explode if we eat the occasional burger. But when these things become the norm, problems will arise in areas surrounding our health. So, cut back on anything that is unhealthy. Curb your common excuses. And make the effort to improve your diet, for both your short and your long-term health.