I think I have to ponder this question everyday of my life since I'm forced to eat healthier than others around me due to having diabetes. But it is incredibly difficult to stick to such a limited, restricted diet plan whether you have to or not because the food gets boring to have so quickly. I have to keep asking myself what do these companies put in their junk food to make it taste so good and addictive vs what's put in healthy food that make you tire from it fast?
It can be hard when some junk food tastes good, but it is down to seasoning and mainly sugars. Once you don't have the taste for it you won't miss it though, very much like when you are ill with a cold and you can't taste your food. Diabetics do have some choices and as long as they eat no added sugar items it can still be a flavorsome diet. Eating healthier because you have to may seem a chore, but as long as you don't deprive yourself of foods you like you will be fine. Changing your mindset will help.
Another reason why eating healthy is hard for most people is because "healthy food" is more expensive. Compare the prices of organic groceries against those which aren't for example. Organic groceries cost more and though someone may desire to eat healthy by buying them organic groceries, if they don't have enough money they'll buy whatever they can afford.
It's addiction. Of course we want what tastes great and obviously they know this and all fight with each other to make their's taste the greatest. They know fat and salt and sugar are what we most love and they build their entire empires on them. Real food isn't naturally like that.. they've gone way beyond nature to transform our taste buds into little crack heads lol. I had a batch of strawberries the other day that were beautifully sweet.. just perfect.. my mother bit into one and she cringed. Too sour! lol. This is what the industries have done to you all.. my taste buds and body have adjusted back to what it should be. I love and appreciate natural foods and love creating new recipes and using others'.. there really is no excuse for starving on whole foods. OR getting bored lol. But this is why everyone fails when they switch.. first of all they try to starve themselves and second.. they don't wait out the adjustment. They also go into it thinking it's a terrible deprivation and "if you think you can or think you can't.. you're right".
I hear you and as I too am extremely restricted and very limited in what I can and can't eat - due to health issues and in fact even more so than a diabetic - I would just say - without meaning to sound unsympathetic - there really is no reason why eating a healthy diet consisting of a wide variety of natural foods should ever get boring - if you have the right mindset - along with a bit of creativity Speaking of which - I would just say - having the right mindset really is the key here - especially as I was given a wake up call on this one at a very early age - as it was only when my doctor very bluntly said to me - “as your life very clearly revolves around food and you seem to think that it would be worthless if you can't eat this or that - unless you start changing your way of thinking and stop complaining about what you can't eat - there really isn't much point in treating you any more - as you clearly have no wish to carry on living “ - that I started to look at food in a totally different way and began getting creative. So to put it simply - next time something that you can't eat looks tantalizingly tempting - instead of thinking negatively - start thinking of ways to replicate it - as although a little more time consuming - it can be done - as with a just a little imagination and substituting some of the ingredients with foods that you can eat - almost anything you fancy can be made from scratch - into something that tastes just as delicious - if not more so. Oh and I would just add that - although some think it is more expensive to eat healthily - it is in fact something I have found to be quite the opposite - particularly as - even though I eat a very varied extremely healthy diet consisting of totally unadulterated - natural nutrient dense foods - all prepared from scratch into healthy, non repetitive deliciously tasty meals - my grocery bills - are generally way, way less than those who buy processed foods.
Junk food tastes much better a lot of times than healthy food does, this is the biggest reason it is hard to eat healthy. I would much rather much on some potato chips than carrot sticks any day of the week, but you have to discipline yourself into making good food choices.
Although I agree with Denis Hard - in that many people do believe that in order to eat healthy - they must buy organic food - I'm more inclined to think that the main reason why people find it so hard - is because the media is so full of confusing, false and often misleading information issued by so called “ experts “ for the sole purpose of lining their pockets - many people are now so confused - that they actually don't know what healthy eating is. Particularly as many now believe that in order to eat a healthy diet - it means giving up everything that tastes good and resorting to eating boring bland foods or salads, spending hours in the kitchen and paying a small fortune for overly priced obscure and organically produced foods and especially the latter. When in actual fact - healthy eating is nothing more than eating a varied well balanced diet consisting of natural nutrient rich foods in place of junk or overly processed foods - in fact it doesn't even have to be expensive and nor do you have to buy expensive organic produce either. Especially as recent scientific research has found that - although organically produced foods carry significantly fewer pesticide residues than conventionally grown produce - there was absolutely no difference in nutrient content between the two to warrant the extra expense. Which in reality means - if buying purely for better nutrition - it would be way better to buy conventionally grown produce from a local supplier at a lower price - in order to get the required nutrients - than it would be to buy organic - simply because its way cheaper to reduce pesticide exposure - by washing all fruits and vegetables in a mixture of water and mild dish-washing detergent before eating - than it is to buy solely organic - especially as you would have to go through exactly the same process prior to eating organically grown foods too..
It's because they are artificially flavored, that's why they taste good. If they don't taste good then they won't make any profit off of it. Healthy food is all natural, so you are not eating anything that is artificially flavored.
I am also like this before. I hate the taste of fruits and vegetables compared to fast food and junk food. I would go for weeks without even one fruit on my system. Pregnancy changed me especially after giving birth to my son. Now, I eat more fruits and vegetables than ever. And you know what? I learned to appreciate the natural taste of fruits and vegetables. Especially fruits, their sweetness and sourness are really addicting! Once you get used to eating healthy, you will lose the cravings for the junk!
Fast/junk food is more delicious because it's heavily leaden with harmful fats, salt and sugars. Healthy food tends to be plain and bland. You really do need the discipline and focus to keep eating healthy. It's a lot easier to eat junk food.
Exactly! The thought process of most people going into healthful eating is usually all doom and gloom and "the things I do for weight loss!". I was the same at one point. Of course you will fail when you hate what you're doing and all you think about is the glorious disgusting food that makes your head spin with glee, but are now depriving yourself of in the name of skinny jeans. The moment I truly committed was when I took processed foods off the table. Some people will have "cheat days", but that's counter productive. If you want cheat days, that should come after you've fully adjusted and by then, you won't want them. Once you start seeing it for what it is.. an addiction that is quite literally ruining you in more ways than one, you will start treating it as such and when you start treating it like an addiction, you're less likely to feed the monster, so to speak. you start finding ways to settle those cravings with natural foods and in doing so, you create a whole new, amazing menu and suddenly, you're healthier than you've ever been and no longer need or want the foods that took you downhill. And I absolutely agree with everything else you've posted as well, Gata... I have to say, it's SO nice to finally see others posting in favour of health on here. I'm really enjoying your posts
My answer to the thread title is simple - healthy foods are not delicious, not delectable, and sometimes not palatable at all. What does seaweed taste? Blah. Admittedly, meat is more dlectable than vegetables. Come one, given a choice between a buttered broccoli and steak, which would you pick in terms of taste? Now, if they can make healthy foods more delicious, I guess it will be preferred by the public.
Depends who you ask. Someone that is used to eating like that would prefer the taste of buttered broccoli and steak. Most people would, I'm guessing. But if you ask people like me, who are very used to healthful eating now.. I wouldn't choose it if you paid me. The thought of it makes me gag actually.. butter on veggies.. why ruin the veggies??? lol. The answer is addiction and the complete lack of will power to push through.
It's all a matter of what you are used to. If you got accustomed to eating fresh, organic produce, you will notice a big difference when you have to buy the average fair in supermarkets. Eating healthy isn't difficult. In fact, I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't eat any processed foods, saturated with sugars, artificial additives and preservatives, GMO's, and God knows what else. One you start on your path of a simple, organic (or as organic as possible) diet you will never look at those taste enhanced products again. All you need is a little inspiration and imagination to prepare some delicious meals. Perhaps you might want to start looking at some vegetarian recipes to start off with.
Are. You. Kidding? Preparing food can be done in countless ways, and making something taste good while still keeping it healthy is quite easy. Healthy foods can be delicious, they can be delectable, and it's not that challenging to make tasty healthy meals across the board. The public prefers unhealthy foods because they're more convenient. It's that simple. You can make a healthy steak with a smaller portion and the right spices. You can do that with virtually anything.
I think convenience is a big part of it, as is price. It's easier and cheaper to run through a drive-thru, calling out something from the dollar menu, than it is to prepare a nice, balanced meal or even a really good salad. I'd actually prefer the salad, personally, but I've even been known to grab one of those from a drive thru at times as well. Fat, salt, sugar, and all of that can make food "seem" more appealing, even if it isn't really "good."
A lot of junk food is high in sodium, which makes you crave more. A lot of healthy food does not have elements which make a person crave more. However, the key is to make the healthy food taste good so that you want more. It depends on the type of diet you are doing, however I find a good quality cheese can help anything taste better.
Yep, exactly.. if you need a bunch of salt, sugar, breading, condiments, marinades (cheese too, sorry lol) then you don't like the food.. you like what you're smothering it in. So why not opt for the healthier food and smother it in what you actually like.. best of both worlds. You eventually won't need all that crap, you'll love the food on it's own. Great way to transition.
I used to think it was hard. Then I did some travelling. So many people only get to eat rice and beans all day. When I ask them how they eat the same thing day in and day out, they said they are just happy to have a meal. Changed my whole paradigm on the subject. I'm happy to have a good healthy meal.
Instead of succumbing to one or the other, many people like myself are finding relief in happy mediums, also known as substitutions. From what I understand, diabetic have to watch their glycemic levels so as to keep sugar spikes under control. Things like agave nectar, honey, and pure maple syrup are good substitutions, in most cases. If that doesn't work, stevia may be worth a try. There are also minor "junk food" changes that can be made without feeling much loss. Sweet potato fries have more nutrients that regular fries. Meals that are prepared at home are healthier than those eaten out because there is less sodium. Shows like Recipe Rehab are great for finding new ways to prepare popular dishes like burgers, wings and dessert.
