Reasons for Unhealthy Diets

Many dieters are disillusioned. They may have believed Dr. Atkins and cut out the carbs only to put the pounds back on later. They may have gone to the South Beach Diet, and maybe that didn't stem the tide of the rebound of pounds either. The battle to eat healthy foods is something many struggle to win. There are five major reasons why many people continue to eat unhealthy diets.

Time

In our fast-food nation, many do not want to take the time to prepare a meal, cook the food in a healthy way and clean up afterward. Maybe we don't consider that the time we spend in the gym to burn off the extra fat we consumed could have been spent in the kitchen properly preparing healthy food. Work schedules and economic pressures often make meal planning and preparation a low priority.

Effort

Finding healthy options takes effort. Going to the grocery store takes more work than driving through the fast-food window. Choosing and preparing healthy fruits and vegetables requires some effort; if eating healthy were effortless, more people would do it. Cooking and washing dishes afterward is harder than throwing away the paper bag.

Cost

Many have the misconception that nutritious food costs more, but nutritional content must be factored in. If you took the money spent on a package of inexpensive, processed food, such as hot dogs, and spent it on produce, you might have several weeks' or a month's supply of life-sustaining nutrition. Also, factor in the high cost of health care for the myriad of conditions related to poor nutrition, and it's likely the "dollar menu" mentality does not make nutritional or economic sense.

Taste

Foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup and trans fats seem to taste better. Former President George H.W. Bush complained about the taste of broccoli. When you are thirsty, a soda may taste better than water to some. But there are healthier, lower-fat alternatives. Add lemon or other fruits to your water to improve taste without sugar and additives. Add flavor to your sandwich with mustard instead of mayonnaise or salad dressing.

Confusion

Sometimes foods sold as healthy choices are not so healthy, and other foods thought to be unhealthy are not so bad. Liver must be good for you because it tastes bad and mother made you eat it, but yet it can be high in cholesterol and fat. Pizza is often thought of as a junk food, but some of the ingredients are healthy. There is a general confusion about the healthfulness of many foods. Try researching your options, instead of just grabbing a bag of chips and a burger and hoping for the best.

Conclusions

Habits can be hard to break. Make the grocery store fruits and vegetable section your "fast-food restaurant" and buy fewer than 10 items. Get in, get out and get healthy.