People often avoid healthy food choices mainly because of the perception that these foods are normally very bland tasting and rather boring. However, with some careful thought and efforts such perceptions can be changed for the better.
Remember when you were a kid? Maybe there were certain healthier foods, like vegetables, that you just didn’t want any part of. Your parents probably went a little crazy trying to make sure you ate healthy. Preparing the healthier food to look and taste better would be the first way to encourage its consumption.
Making a conscious decision to reach for healthier options when the opportunity presents itself is a discipline that should be advocated as much as possible. For the more innovative food preparation style there are some who go a step further to actually package the healthier foods to look and feel similar to the unhealthy food choice, an example of which would be presenting celery and carrot sticks in the packaging used to present French fries.
There are also some that package carrot sticks in cigarette boxes and berries in candy packaging. All these are conscious efforts made to play on the mental and visual effects of the individual, in the hope of encouraging the healthier choice being made.
Making other changes gradually such as consuming brown rice and whole-wheat products instead of white products is also another option to look into when making food choices. Having a couple of days dedicated to no meat consumption a week is another good start to make, and this can eventually progress to at least four days a week without meat, but this should not be done in succession as meat consumption is important to the body’s needs. Adding more grains and nuts to the diet plan is also another healthy choice to make.
It’s important to know that balance is everything. You don’t need to eat exclusively healthy food at all times – sure, it would be better for you – but if you go all in too quickly you are more likely to abandon the ship so to speak and revert to more unhealthy choices.
Hopefully you feel inspired to switch up your choices!