What Is Stopping You from Eating Healthy Majority of The Time?

Tgb on 26/11/2019 - 19:14

Genuinely curious what are your biggest challenges stopping you from eating a healthy, nutritious, well-balanced diet? E.g. Time / Effort / Not knowing what to make/eat? Or others?

In the current environment of misinformation (conflicting fad diets, Netflix nutrition 'documentaries') I have started writing a Nutrition ebook, which I am aiming to make a concise, scientifically-backed and actionable information resource to help people make the right food choices to live happy, healthy lives.

Is there anything else you would like explained / investigated in the field of nutrition / healthy eating?

I will definitely run a special for OzBargainers once released.

Health & Beauty

Comments

  • vivviv10 on 26/11/2019 - 19:16
    +84

    Macca's November deals !

  • UserNameAlreadyTaken on 26/11/2019 - 19:19
    +5

    Any KFC deals?
    Seriously, I do eat healthy but one has to have something different from time to time.

  • loulou1 on 26/11/2019 - 19:24
    +39

    Taste. Life is too short to eat plain, boring food.

    • brad1-8tsi on 27/11/2019 - 07:45
      +22

      You just need a better cook book. I eat seriously tasty food and it's very healthy and nutritious.

      Beetroot Risotto, corn fritters, baked salmon, ratatouille, blah, blah, blah

      try Anna Jones "A Modern Way To Eat" it's very good.

      some samples here http://annajones.co.uk/recipes

      • 900dollaridoos on 28/11/2019 - 12:05
        +1

        What do you do for snacks though? I cook similar meals but my falling point is always the craving for something crunchy to gnaw on at my desk or when I get home from work. Nothing healthy really cuts it and forcing down a banana usually makes me crave something bad even more.
        Anf by something crunchy I mostly mean chips or biscuits/dip.

        • brad1-8tsi on 28/11/2019 - 12:32
          +11

          Depends. You don't have to be good all day. Your diet needs to be sustainable and satisfying.

          I eat healthy 80% of the time but don't eat Maccas, KFC, Oporto, etc. I do eat vegetarian Pizza (trying to avoid processed meats) and I go up the pub 3-4 times a month for fancy pub food plus I drink more than WHO guidelines.

          I don't keep chips, chocolate or icecream in the house because I'll eat them. I have a Woolies Metro 450m from home so i walk up there if I want a treat.

          I have hummus in the fridge and have either carrots or celery or lightly toasted rye bread or crispy flat bread or crackers.

          If I'm at the GFs she always has almonds or walnuts in the cupboard.

          If tomatoes are in season i pick them fresh off the vine and eat them while I water the garden.

          Last night i couldn't be bothered cooking so i had avocado on toast with a cob of corn (lunch was a huge home made pasta and spinach/tomato sauce).

          I think you just need to be aware of what's going down your cake-hole and make easy changes. No point being miserable.

          • djprima on 28/11/2019 - 13:42
            +1

            @brad1-8tsi: No offense, your description is what I personally categorise as 'boring' food ;)

            • brad1-8tsi on 28/11/2019 - 14:16
              +6

              @djprima: ones mans meat is another mans poison :-)

            • pantsparty on 30/11/2019 - 09:20

              @djprima: I definitely eat more towards what you consider boring but I do it hoping that when I am 50 or 60 that I will be in much better health than most people. Who knows right, life is a gamble!

              • brad1-8tsi on 02/12/2019 - 10:22
                +1

                @pantsparty: I'm 58, 167cm (which was average height among my peers but short by today's standards) and weigh 77kg. This isn't a great weight but I have been up to 92kg (2012-2015) which is the absolute pits. I'm a stocky build so anywhere below 74kg friends starting asking if I have an illness.

                Among friends of a similar age I'm one of the fitter ones and have less medical issues.

                As well as attempting to eat healthy I walk 6,000 - 14000 steps a day (up to 24,000), yoga once a week and other activities requiring bending, stretching, etc. I'll admit I'm playing catch-up on some unhealthy lifetsyle choices in the past.

                We had a cook-up on the weekend and made a large pot of baked beans with extra vegetables (mushrooms, celery, carrot) and a pot of palak paneer with tofu instead of paneer, so that's a few lunches organised.

                Saturday night was zucchini risotto. Saturday lunch was a Smoked Salmon Poke bowl.

                • pantsparty on 06/12/2019 - 09:27

                  @brad1-8tsi: That all sounds good to me. Feel free to make some extra serves for me! I am similar height and around 70kg so think I am doing ok? (Although per my BMI I am borderline overweight).

                  • brad1-8tsi on 06/12/2019 - 13:53

                    @pantsparty: It depends on your build. Do you feel healthy and reasonably fit? Is your shape "about right"? I think that's more important than the BMI chart

                • Croshema on 09/12/2019 - 19:59

                  @brad1-8tsi:

                  As well as attempting to eat healthy I walk 6,000 - 14000 steps a day (up to 24,000)

                  How long does this take you?

                  • brad1-8tsi on 09/12/2019 - 21:53
                    +1

                    @Croshema: 6k is easy. 200m to the station, 200m to the office and the same back, a few trips to the printer, kitchen, bathroom; up the road to get lunch and 2km (30 mins) home from the main station rather than get the connecting train plus whatever at home.

                    14k is all that plus getting out for 30mins walk at lunchtime, 1.5km to the station from my GFs in the morning and a bit more.

                    24k will be the weekend out walking the dogs plus all the other weekend stuff. If you go to a music festival and dance a lot then you'll do similar

          • AS2035 on 07/12/2019 - 20:29

            @brad1-8tsi: made humus today.. one jar is in the fridg, 2 are in the freezer.

            Tonights dinner is humus,avo and blanched broccoli and cauliflower from the farmers markets.

            warm tomatoes are the best.. my vine got fried last summer and didn't start again this year.. may be next.

        • AS2035 on 07/12/2019 - 20:26

          make ottolenghi olive oil crackers.. crunchy and add humus

      • fefris on 29/11/2019 - 21:32

        People have different tastes. Not one of the things you listed tastes good to me.

    • AS2035 on 27/11/2019 - 12:41
      +15

      There is nothing boring about eating vegetable used diet. It comes down to your cooking skills.

    • nomoneynoproblems on 27/11/2019 - 21:06
      +19

      Of course it's short when you're cutting years off your life eating crap.

      • gimme on 27/11/2019 - 23:25
        +15

        Funny thing is that if the only consequence of eating shit was just dropping dead early it would be ok. It generally involves years of poor health and a burden on the health system and support networks. Not to mention lower performance at work and life in general. People may be happy in the moment while eating but generally unhappy the rest of the time. Just like any other addiction

      • freakatronic on 28/11/2019 - 11:50
        -1

        Geez the sanctimony.

    • crentist on 27/11/2019 - 22:11
      +4

      You got that a bit mixed up. Unhealthy food can basically be summed up as any food with heaps of added fat and sugar. Which taste good, but becomes a crutch for bad cooks who realise that bland food tastes pretty good if they make it fatty. Same as adding MSG.

      Get a bunch of good ingredients and assemble them in any way without adding heaps of fat and sugar, and you've got a healthy meal. Whether you make it boring or not is up to you. Plenty of spices and natural flavours around to work with.

      • loulou1 on 27/11/2019 - 22:57

        Well, if I can have an apple or have an apple pie, apple pie wins hands down. I love the taste of sugar. The taste is what stops me from eating healthy the majority of the time.
        An apple is an apple, only way to make it tastier is to make it less healthy than its original form.

        • gimme on 27/11/2019 - 23:29
          +11

          Of course you do. That's how addicts react. People can be weaned off if they choose to.

        • crentist on 28/11/2019 - 00:01

          Okay, but that's not what I meant because you are comparing an ingredient with a dish, and a dessert to boot. That's like saying a capsicum doesn't taste as good as a pizza with capsicum on it.

          But even then, I'm sure you can make a decent apple pie that uses less butter and sugar than you'd find in most store-bought pies. It might be less rich, but you could make up for that by using apples that have a good flavour of their own, and fresh cinammon. If those flavours are right, then there's less need for the dish to lean as heavily on added richness.

          A while back I went on a very successful diet that mostly consisted of burgers and other junk food. But all homemade including sauces, cutting back on the added fat as much as I could.
          Lost a lot of weight by basically putting a bit less cheese on pizza, but making really good pizza sauce and bases from scratch.

          • loulou1 on 28/11/2019 - 06:55

            @crentist: It all comes down to taste though, which is what the OP asked.
            I do actually have quite a healthy diet full of fresh veg etc. The majority of times that I make unhealthy choices it is due to taste.

        • brad1-8tsi on 28/11/2019 - 12:39

          if I can have an apple or have an apple pie, apple pie wins hands down. I love the taste of sugar. The taste is what stops me from eating healthy the majority of the time.

          I don't see anything wrong with apple pie providing it's not daily. People whinge about Coca Cola being a bad thing but it was never intended that you drink 2x buddies a day, everyday.

          If you cook it yourself then you can have flavour without the sugar and bad fats.

          i made a Tarte Tatan last week and it was really easy and tasted great.

    • lltravel on 28/11/2019 - 12:01
      +4

      Your life will be even shorter when you eat junk.
      Healthy food isn't boring. You just don't know what you're doing.

      I hear this day in day out at my workplace. It's pathetic. Excuses made by people who have no education around nutrition

      • RocketSwitch on 29/11/2019 - 12:36
        +1

        Where are they going to get the time to get the education?

    • Ahbal on 28/11/2019 - 16:47
      +3

      Then you can't cook.

      Fast food tastes like shit compared to the healthy food I cook at home. Doesnt even come close.

    • funnysht on 28/11/2019 - 20:24
      +1

      prob even shorter if you always eat bad food

  • Cheeper on 26/11/2019 - 19:24
    +7

    Really cheap fast food!!

    • dimes on 28/11/2019 - 11:27
      +3

      This would be my main factor. I work an office job sitting in front of a computer all day, so it's not unusual to feel like a snack every now and then. But the problem is a mixed salad will cost $8-10 while a chocolate bar is only 85 cents. How can a chocolate bar, which has to be processed, packaged, and delivered, be sold at such a low price while naturally grown fruit which is just cut and served by so expensive??

      • brad1-8tsi on 28/11/2019 - 12:42
        +3

        salad has a 1 day shelf life. Chocolate bar is 1 year.

        My GF who earns crazy money (and knows how to spend it) still takes a home made salad and boiled egg to work. It's a habit she got into when she was a poor Uni student and hasn't stopped doing it.

  • AdosHouse on 26/11/2019 - 19:31
    +28

    Laziness

    • Kangal on 26/11/2019 - 23:21
      +9

      Exactly.
      1) Mental Effort to start
      2) Time to cook and clean
      3) The flavour (high salt, high sugar, high fats)
      4) Knowing what to cook
      5) Knowing how to cook
      6) Prep time to stock all ingredients

      I think the easiest way to improve your life, is to transition from "going with the flow" to instead "making your own fate".
      It can be summed into a few key life skills and decisions:
      - Knowing who you are/long-term visions and self-reflection/monitoring
      - Making a hourly/daily/monthly schedule
      - Improving your eating and cleaning
      - Improving your exercise and health
      - Choosing how to have fun to spend your free time/hobbies
      - Targeting progression in your work and finance
      - Figuring out where you want to live
      - Being wise when choosing your partner

      • vikvance on 27/11/2019 - 06:34
        +1

        It's easier to just have a set of general principles.

        Mine are:
        1) Avoid all sugar
        2) Minimise carbs (ideally below 100gms of carbs a day), by avoiding rice, pasta etc
        3) Eat lots of dairy, meat & butter

        They are based on the ideas of P.D. Mangan
        https://twitter.com/Mangan150?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcam…

        • dcep on 27/11/2019 - 11:32
          +2

          no greens ?

        • bobwokeup on 27/11/2019 - 19:52
          +1

          Yes same here except you're missing the greens, as mentioned by phunkydude, which I'm sure you do based off your comment.

          Our family eats healthy 90% of the time and we try to reduce the meat (especially red) intake for the environmental benefits.

        • Dienk on 28/11/2019 - 18:59
          +1

          Meat….lol

        • [Deactivated] on 29/11/2019 - 14:10
          +1

          simplified: Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.

    • ozbjunkie on 27/11/2019 - 20:12
      +7

      I'll see your laziness and raise you impulse control and some poor planning.

      • AdosHouse on 27/11/2019 - 23:13
        +1

        That is a strong card hand there mate.

        And spot on.

  • spackbace on 26/11/2019 - 19:32
    +34

    The lack of ebooks about healthy eating… It's really difficult to find any. Doesn't seem like anyone has written an ebook on healthy eating

    • Tgb on 26/11/2019 - 19:42

      Hahaha sensing the sarcasm here. There is a lot out there obviously, but I do honestly think there is a lack of concise, scientifically backed & actionable ebooks out there.

      • 7ekn00 on 26/11/2019 - 22:53
        +9

        Problem is, everything is claimed to be "scientifically backed".

        Ask a vegan, and they will spout epidemiology and claim it's a real "science"! But they neglect the fact that the same epidemiology in Asian countries show the complete opposite!

        Big financial companies do the same (ie Kellogs, Coke, etc etc)

        7

        • chudson on 29/11/2019 - 02:04
          +1

          veganism has zero to do with healthy eating.

          • trapper on 29/11/2019 - 11:14
            +1

            @chudson: You can confirm this just by looking at a few vegans.

            Most are either already malnourished or well on the way. It is not a healthy way to live.

            • [Deactivated] on 29/11/2019 - 14:12

              @trapper: You can say that about most non vegans, most are obese or well on their way, it's not a healthy way to live.

  • Blue Cat on 26/11/2019 - 19:34
    +2

    Time / Effort / Not knowing what to make/eat?

    Exactly this.
    If some "nutrition" or "military ration" bars that include all daily nutrition needed for the day were available for the public at cheap prices (and would take less than 10 minutes to prepare with minimum mess in the kitchen), I would be OK to live just eating that, with the exception of outings or special occasions where you can eat nice food at a restaurant.

    But for now, since my body has very high metabolism, I enjoy eating junk food and whatever food I want because I can't seem to gain weight anyway.
    Luckily my missus cooks healthy, normal food, so I get some good nutrition from time to time.

    • SlowCarSlow on 26/11/2019 - 21:15

      Thoughts on this? https://soylent.com/

      • Blue Cat on 26/11/2019 - 22:18

        Sorry, not going to touch or consume anything soy related.

        • SlowCarSlow on 26/11/2019 - 22:19

          What's wrong with soy?

          • vikvance on 27/11/2019 - 06:23

            @SlowCarSlow: It's a phyto- (plant-based) Estrogen

            • TheGiantTomato on 28/11/2019 - 15:12
              +1

              @vikvance: Is that a bad thing? What's wrong with phyto-estrogen?

              • sbot on 28/11/2019 - 18:08
                +5

                @TheGiantTomato: There's nothing wrong with phyto-estrogen, but there's a common misconception that because it contains the word estrogen, it has the same effect in the human body as estrogen, which is not true.

        • EDM on 28/11/2019 - 09:36

          Here is an alternative - https://www.completefoods.co/ for DIY soylent, much cheaper and you know what goes into it.

  • baebee on 26/11/2019 - 19:37
    +1

    Nothing.

  • Clear on 26/11/2019 - 19:41
    +1

    Convenience. It's so easy for me to rock up at the drive thru or get a park at a fast food joint. Meanwhile a lot of healthy places don't have that luxury or really long wait times as they prepare the food.

  • trex on 26/11/2019 - 19:41

    "one man's healthy food is another man's poison"

  • ozhunter on 26/11/2019 - 19:52

    scientifically-backed

    Aren't they all?

    • Tgb on 26/11/2019 - 19:58

      True… Should add to that reputable & peer-reviewed scientifically-backed

      • UserNameAlreadyTaken on 26/11/2019 - 20:06

        Peer-reviewed by whom?

        • kahn on 26/11/2019 - 20:14
          +11

          Peers.

        • abuch47 on 28/11/2019 - 21:21

          other similar professionals.

      • ozhunter on 26/11/2019 - 20:20

        There's none that exist?

        Would you mind just saying which diet you think is best.

        • AdosHouse on 26/11/2019 - 21:07
          +6

          I believe in the Seefood diet.

          • Kikkoman56 on 28/11/2019 - 09:50
            +1

            @AdosHouse: Classifying food as Hot Dog or Not Hot Dog?

            • AdosHouse on 28/11/2019 - 11:26

              @Kikkoman56: Yes. Because hot dogs are awesome.

              Goddammit now I have to go to Costco and get one.

  • Godric on 26/11/2019 - 19:53

    Convenience

  • The Wololo Wombat on 26/11/2019 - 20:07
    +4

    I eat a lot of processed and fatty foods.. but I avoid things with aqueous sugar… I'm pretty healthy. I think sugar is the killer… fat.. who cares.

    • UserNameAlreadyTaken on 26/11/2019 - 20:10
      +1

      Fat and sugar combined is mostly the big contributor of obesity in society today. You are pretty much spot on with your post.

      • ozbjunkie on 27/11/2019 - 20:13
        +2

        Yeah I'm pretty sure that the 3 macronutrients are responsible for the entirety of obesity if you want to think of it that way.

  • Some Human on 26/11/2019 - 20:09
    +2

    I eat reasonably healthy, until my man says something like "chips" or "pizza" then healthy eating goes right out the window.

    • jjjaar on 26/11/2019 - 20:11

      But that’s okay as long as it’s not every meal! What’s the point of living if you don’t get those chips or that pizza once a week!? You’ll just be sad. Eating healthy most of the time is a good start, but those “unhealthy” meals are actually so important for balance (and your happiness).

      See my comment below =)

    • JIMB0 on 26/11/2019 - 21:31

      Who says pizza isn't healthy.

      • Ozpit on 27/11/2019 - 09:34

        Yeah, but boiled seaweed is waaayyyyy healthier. Or so I’m told.

    • PurchaseAnxiety on 28/11/2019 - 13:34

      Yeah, relationships can make it hard to eat healthy when you're both fiends for junk food. One of you could have the very best intentions, but if the other isn't on the exact same page, it all comes crumbling down.

  • jjjaar on 26/11/2019 - 20:09
    +2

    I hope this book shares the concept that having a greasy burger or chocolate, or a couple of beers is okay as long as it’s not every meal. I hate “healthy eating” diets/fads where you can’t have the things you actually want and it’s just about buzz foods that, yes, are healthy, but are just depressing.

    Whatever the meal plan is, it needs to be a sustainable and it never will be if you cut out all the fun things. You’ll give up within two weeks and eat even worse.

    • fantombloo on 26/11/2019 - 20:52

      I know people who eat whole food (plant based) diets 99% of the time, have done for years, and they enjoy it and the benefits it brings them.

      I envy them I think more than they envy me and my Pringles and crap.

      • jjjaar on 26/11/2019 - 20:59

        The key is having the things you actually want. They have everything they want, and that’s awesome.

        But for others who want chocolate or pringles, it’s a proper mind game and you’ll waste time stressing over the fact that you’re “not healthy” if you have any at all, instead of just letting yourself have some guilt-free and maintaining an all round good intake of food.

        I agree, it would be great to not crave these things, but I do and damnit I’m gonna enjoy them and satisfy my cravings!

        • fantombloo on 26/11/2019 - 21:18

          I used to think the same about smoking. I couldn't imagine life without smokes. But then I stopped and realised it was completely unnecessary. Now I scoff at my previous habit.

          I know some WFPB eaters who have a similar relationship with their old eating patterns.

          All these things can be learnt if we really want to. I was once a massive meat eater, but I had a conviction and stopped it all completely and immediately. I don't miss it at all now. But I can't find a strong enough conviction yet to give up lots of junk foods.

        • crentist on 26/11/2019 - 23:37
          +3

          True. I lost a bunch of weight I lost a bunch of weight and have maintained it for a while, and the only real difference to my diet is that these days I can go to kfc and order only 1 or 2 pieces, without looking for the best coupon or 9 piece Tuesdays or anything. Hits the spot and isn't enough to be a lifestyle choice.
          Similarly, if I want chocolate I'll aim to get a fun size if possible, so I don't end up with an entire block tempting me to finish. The aim is to enjoy satisfying the craving in the moment, but avoid creating temptation later.

          Even the actual weight loss part, was mostly working with and around the bad habits, not against them.

      • ozhunter on 26/11/2019 - 22:19
        +1

        I envy them I think more than they envy me and my Pringles and crap.

        Agreed, I've tried a low carb diet with mostly unprocessed food for a while and it can change your relationship with food. The cravings went away for the most part.

      • ihbh on 28/11/2019 - 08:18
        +1

        I've been on a WFPB diet (with occasional seafood, negligible meat) for a few years - I identify with WFPB rather than vegan because I try to avoid processed food.

        To ditch the processed food you need to invest time (and devolop systems) shopping/cooking yourself.

  • Ughhh on 26/11/2019 - 20:10

    Laziness for me.

    which I am aiming to make a concise, scientifically-backed and actionable information resource to help people make the right food choices to live happy, healthy lives.

    I don't think people doubt that eat healthy can lead to a healthier happier life, but people only care about right now, the joy and convenience right now rather than 20 years later. Not sure if lazy people or time poor people will have the time or the right motivation to read a peer-reviewed scientifically-backed aka a boring book with big words for layman.

    • jjjaar on 26/11/2019 - 20:11
      +4

      Username checks out

  • sa-ozzie on 26/11/2019 - 20:16
    +3

    My partner combined with ozbargain food deals

    • ozhunter on 26/11/2019 - 20:21
      +1

      This. If I lived alone, I'd be much healthier :D

    • bazingaa on 29/11/2019 - 12:16

      Same here :D

  • HardlyCharly on 26/11/2019 - 20:30

    I don't have that problem. I would have to be quite a wealthy person to be able to afford to eat out regularly for prepared food (the healthy kind or not), or to afford frequent fresh ingredients and meat. But as it is I do fine, there's always room for improvement but there's only so much effort I'm willing to put in.

  • whooah1979 on 26/11/2019 - 21:09

    I got plenty of proteins, carbs and fat.

    Btw What is healthy food?

    • TEER3X on 26/11/2019 - 21:16

      Stuff you make at home

      • whooah1979 on 26/11/2019 - 21:19

        I eat the same at home as I do on the go.

    • waterbottled on 27/11/2019 - 07:59

      a mixed kebab snackpack with extra bbq and garlic sauce vs pan sizzled scallops with a side of oven roasted sweet potatos with some salt and pepper.

      you figure it out yourself.

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