The average person might read a recipe for healthy eating: more vegetables and fruit, less pork and processed foods. It seems easy enough. Yet Americans still struggle to follow a healthy food plan.
Heart disease stays the leading reason for death, and obesity rates have increased from 30.5% in 2000 to 42.4% in 2018. A healthy food plan might help combat each, but only an estimated 22% of Americans follow the American Heart Association’s dietary recommendations.
So, if we all know easy methods to eat healthy, why doesn’t everyone do it? Part of the issue lies in people’s misguided assumptions. Many people still see healthy eating as too restrictive – low fat, low calorie, low sugar. Then there are perceptions that healthy foods are expensive and recipes are complicated.
Making changes
How are you able to dispel these misconceptions about healthy eating? First, review your usual eating habits. For every week, write down what you eat for every meal and snack, including the quantity and time. “An honest review can give you a clear idea of where you need to improve,” says Fung. Then, make some small changes that might help fill within the gaps and enhance your existing good eating habits. Here are some suggestions.
Don’t be too ambitious. You needn’t make several significant dietary changes without delay to reap the health advantages. “Change one thing in your diet for three to four weeks,” says Fung. “Once it becomes a staple of your diet, move to another area and repeat the process.” For example, in case you drink soda three or 4 times every week, cut it to twice every week, and drink a combination of seltzer water and juice on other days. Finally, drink a soda once every week, after which attempt to do nothing.
Adopt a vegetarian day. Once every week, go vegetarian all day and eat nothing but fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (perhaps with low-fat dairy or eggs), and no processed foods. “This can help you recognize the types and amounts of food you need to eat without feeling overwhelmed to eat all the time,” Fung says. You may find that the vegetarian options are more appetizing than you expected. As you develop into more comfortable, increase it to twice every week, or much more often.
Develop good habits. For example, in case you eat whole grains daily, swap them out for something less healthy and add yet another to your each day food plan. This helps make selecting healthy foods feel more automatic and fewer of a chore.
Cook something recent. If tackling recipes, ingredients and cooking feels daunting, deal with making only one recent meal per week, which might help make meal prep less overwhelming. “There are a lot of easy, healthy recipes on the Internet,” says Fung. “Find something that uses ingredients you love that requires just a few steps or minimal cooking skills.”
List your pals and family. Everyone has a favourite dish, so ask around for suggestions. “This can help with the boredom of eating the same foods,” Fung says.
Try recent foods. On your next trip to the food market, buy something you rarely, if ever, eat. When at a restaurant, order a dish prepared with new-for-you ingredients. Also try more global cuisines like Greek and Indian. “The more you experiment, the more you can expand your palate and give yourself opportunities to eat healthier,” says Fung.
And at all times remember to approach healthy eating with a daring spirit. “Eating healthy is not a one-day thing,” says Fung. “Make it an exciting part of your life, where you’re willing to try new foods, ingredients and recipes, all of which can make healthy eating fun.”
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