5 Reason People Avoid Healthy Eating

In my experience, these are the top 5 reasons people avoid eating a healthy diet. I should note that to me, a healthy diet and clean eating are synonymous. Please feel free to comment if there are other reasons you avoid it.

1. It is too expensive.

While it is true that a grilled chicken breast from your own backyard is more expensive than a chicken sandwich off the dollar menu, you can still eat a healthy diet on a budget. Follow these simple tips:

*In a previous post I mentioned having a garden. I will devote an entire post to a home vegetable garden at a later date. For now, just know that it is both cost effective and promotes a healthy diet.

* Reduce the amount of meat you eat in a week, and stock up when meat is on sale. You really only need to be eating meat a few times a week. Red meat should really be only eaten once a week, with chicken, pork and fish making up the rest of the diet. Leaner cuts of meat are more expensive, but are much better for you.

*Pay attention to portion size. Americans are out of control on our portion size. I have a Swiss sister in law, and she is continually surprised at how much we pile on our plate. You can reduce your grocery bill by watching your portion size.

*Make a menu and a specific grocery list, and stick to it. This not only helps with your budget, but with your time management.

* Get creative with leftovers. If you grill chicken one night, grill a few extra pieces to throw on a salad the next day.

2. It takes too long to prepare.

Get organized and make as much of the meal as you can ahead of time. Washing and cutting veggies as soon as you bring them home, makes the dinner prep go a lot quicker.

3. It tastes bad.

There are many ways to flavor food without adding a ton of salt or fat. Experiment with seasonings and different methods of cooking. It may be a matter of adapting to the new tastes.

4. I'm still hungry when I'm done eating.

Eat snacks in between meals that are high in protein. A handful of nuts, hard boiled eggs, cottage cheese and tomatoes or greek yogurt are all great sources of protein.

5. I don't know where to start.

Baby steps. If you are a huge fan of pizza, maybe make it homemade with lots of veggies instead of buying the frozen kind from the store. If you love soda, start weening yourself off of it and increase your water intake instead. Once you run out of something that is loaded with preservatives, just don't buy it again. Think of a clean eating alternative.