Many of us know that eating less processed food and more natural food is good for our health. Despite this, we continue to eat junk food. Why is it that we continue to struggle to eat healthy food?
There are a few different reasons. Below are some of the common excuses and how you can convince yourself to stop using these excuses.
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Reasons You Struggle To Eat Healthy Food
1. It Tastes Bland
Processed unhealthy foods are packed full of added salt, sugar, and fats. We get so used to these excess ingredients that natural foods can taste flavorless in comparison. This problem results in an apple tasting dull compared to a bag of candy.
Getting used to the taste of healthy foods requires reprogramming your brain to appreciate natural levels of sugar, salt, and fat. By starving yourself of candy and only eating fruit, you can eventually satisfy your sugar craving from fruit alone.
Alternatively, you can make healthier foods taste better by not just eating sole ingredients. Processed foods often contain a vast mix of ingredients which helps them to taste so good. By mixing lots of ingredients, you can recreate that explosion of flavors. Try to experiment with forms of seasoning beyond salt and sugar – oregano, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, chili powder, garlic, pepper, and rosemary will bring foods like vegetables alive. You can also try creating your sauces, or you could try mixing ingredients into soups, stews, curries, stir-fries, and omelets.
2. It Takes too Much Time to Prepare
Another reason many of us struggle to eat healthily is that healthy meals typically take more time to prepare. It’s easier to shove something in the microwave for five minutes than it is to chop up vegetables and alternate between pots and pans.
Of course, not every healthy meal has to be a mission to prepare. There are many fun, easy recipes out there that won’t feel like a chore. These options include recipes that you can cook in one pot or recipes that involve only a handful of ingredients.
Embracing shortcuts can often make preparing healthy meals easier and quicker. Shortcuts could include buying pre-chopped vegetables as part of kits or using tools like blenders and mandoline slicers to slice ingredients. You don’t have to cut ingredients manually.
3. It’s too Expensive
A lot of people refuse to eat healthy because eating healthy seems to be more expensive. In most cases, it isn’t more expensive – it all comes down to preparing meals in advance and being savvy with ingredients. By planning, you can make sure that no ingredients go to waste. You can use a bag of onions across multiple meals (instead of using one onion and then throwing away the rest because you don’t use them before they reach their sell-by date). Start creating meal plan diaries so that you know what you’re eating each day and so that you can make the most of ingredients.
Why You Struggle To Eat Healthy Food
It can be a struggle to switch to healthier options when you’re used to eating junk food. These tips can help you make the change, though, promoting health and wellness.
