How to Stop Making Excuses and Just Eat Better

Have you sworn to eat healthier, but ended up caving while you were out with your girlfriends? Did you try to improve your family’s eating habits, but they just didn’t share your enthusiasm? Have you wondered how to eat healthier, but have a limited budget? According to a recent survey of over 1,000 American women, these are common barriers women have for not making healthier food choices.

The survey, whose purpose was to examine the eating habits of women, revealed that while most women (73 percent) attempt to eat healthy by reading nutritional labels and purchasing healthier items, several common excuses keep them from making healthy choices consistently.

Although the survey polled American women, the results are relevant to Canadians as well, as we’ve also seen a rise in obesity rates over the past few decades. The following are the survey’s top excuses for not eating healthy foods.

The cost of healthy food is too high
A whopping 57 percent said this was the main reason for not eating healthier; however, this is a myth that’s been floating around for far too long, and it’s time to debunk it for good. Not only is a lot of healthy food cheap (for example, dried legumes, brown rice, and local produce), but also fast food prices are rising. News sources report that it costs approximately $28 to feed a family of four at McDonald’s, whereas you can feed the same family for half that price with a roasted chicken with vegetables and a salad.

To learn more tips for cutting costs while living a healthy lifestyle, check out our article “Healthy Living on a Budget.”

I can’t help myself when I’m out with friends
Survey results showed that 44 percent of women were more likely to eat poorly when dining with friends and in other social situations. Working on eating more mindfully may help with this problem, as it encourages us to connect with our food and ask ourselves, “Am I really hungry?”  And if bellinis are your weakness, check our article “A Toast to the Holidays,” for tips and strategies for drinking responsibly for your health and well-being.

My family doesn’t want to change their eating habits
It’s hard to follow a healthy lifestyle when not everyone in your household is on board. To inspire your family make healthy food choices and to encourage them to be more active, check out the following articles.

• “Lead by Example”
• “Balancing Act”
• “ABCs of a Healthy Lifestyle”

Also, check out these articles featuring kid-friendly recipes. They’re so tasty the kids won’t even guess that they’re packed with nutrition.

• “Cheese Please”
• “Family Dinner on the Run”
• “Homemade and Wholesome Pizza”
• “Kid-friendly Breakfasts”

Sometimes I just get a craving
I think we’ve all fallen victim to this excuse at one point or another (63 percent of respondents reported having regular cravings). Whether they’re from stress, boredom, or hormones, cravings can bump us off our path faster than you can say “chocolate-covered almonds.” The following articles will help you overcome cravings.

• “Cast Out Those Cravings”
• “Kiss Cravings Goodbye”
• “Food and Mood”
• “Staving Off Cravings”