Why Healthy Choices Often Seem Impossible

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How do you decide what to eat?

We asked 17 adults in a regional centre of Victoria about how they decide what food to eat, when, and how much, and what prevents them from making healthier choices.

It’s not just about taste and healthiness

We found that, although such decisions were determined in part by taste preferences and health considerations, they were heavily influenced by a host of other factors, many of which are outside the person’s control. These included other household members’ food preferences, family activities, workplace and time constraints, convenience and price.

Research shows that children are often more receptive to new foods than their parents think. However, introducing new dishes takes additional time and planning.

An 18- to 24-year-old woman discussed the role of time constraints, her partner’s activities, and price in influencing what and when she eats:

“My partner plays pool on a Monday and Wednesday night, so we always have tea a lot earlier then and cook the simple things that don’t take as long, so he can have dinner before he goes rather than buying pub meals which cost more money.”

Simply educating people about what they should eat won’t necessarily result in healthier eating. People want to eat healthier, or at least know they should eat healthier, but other things get in the way.

A key to improving people’s eating behaviours is to make it easy to eat more healthily.

So how can you make healthier food choices easier?

Here are five tips for making healthy choices easier in your household:

1. If certain days of the week are particularly busy, with little time to prepare fresh food, plan to cook in bulk on days when you have more time. Store the extra food in the fridge or freezer for quick preparation.

2. If you’re often pressed for time during the day and just grab whatever food is handy, have healthy snacks readily available and accessible. This could mean a fruit bowl in the middle of the kitchen counter, or wholegrain crackers and unsalted nuts within easy reach.

3. Discuss food preferences with your family and come up with some healthy meals everyone likes. For younger children, try serving only a small amount of the new food, and serve new foods alongside foods they already like eating and are familiar with.

4. If you rely a lot on take-away meals or meal delivery services, try making a list ahead of time of restaurants and meals you like that are also healthier. You might consider choosing lean meat, chicken, or fish that has been grilled, baked or poached (rather than fried), and looking for meals with plenty of vegetables or salad.

5. Remember, fruit and vegetables taste better and are often cheaper when they are in season. Frozen or canned vegetables are a healthy and quick alternative.

Conclusion

A healthy diet means consuming a balanced diet rich in nutrients, including a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats, while limiting processed foods, added sugars and excessive salt. Healthy eating also includes how we eat and how we think about food and eating, such as having a positive relationship with food.

FAQs

Q: Why is it so hard to make healthy food choices?
A: Many factors influence our food choices, including other household members’ food preferences, family activities, workplace and time constraints, convenience and price.

Q: How can I make healthier food choices easier?
A: Try planning meals in advance, having healthy snacks readily available, discussing food preferences with your family, making a list of healthier restaurants and meals, and choosing seasonal fruit and vegetables.

Q: Will educating people about healthy eating necessarily result in healthier eating?
A: No, other factors often get in the way. A key to improving people’s eating behaviours is to make it easy to eat more healthily.