We both have busy jobs and are always doing too many things at once — cooking, trying to remember if anyone fed the dog, and diplomat-level toddler negotiations, to name a few.
Amidst all that, we’re supposed to be eating healthy foods, exercising, getting enough sleep, and practicing self-care. Who has time for all that?
These days, my biggest healthy eating challenge is finding the time and energy to plan balanced meals for myself and our family. Increasingly, we can do it together in a way that we couldn’t when the twins were babies (I’m not even sure what we ate for the first two years of their lives, to be honest). They like to go grocery shopping and eat the foods they see us eating. I’m excited to keep moving in this direction together.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Toddler food whims change daily, and sometimes they just don’t want to eat anything. Evenings for me usually end up the same way — with two kids on the counter or one in my arms, spending time together and “helping” me cook dinner.
My healthy eating journey
I am not a poster child for healthy eating. I will say I’ve trended better in that direction as an adult, but I used to follow what I now understand was a poorly planned vegetarian diet.
I was a vegetarian from childhood through my mid-twenties, mostly existing on fruit, yogurt, cheese, bread, and pasta. My partner still likes to tease me about being a “milk-tarian.”
What I didn’t understand then is that any diet, especially one that removes certain foods, requires planning and balance. I started planning more balanced meals that included a variety of food groups when I moved to Iceland in 2015. I also started eating fish, which is fresh and plentiful here. For me, this was a life-changing decision, and I’ve enjoyed exploring the culinary opportunities a more flexible diet has provided.
These are my preferences, and a mostly pescatarian diet is what works for me.
However, that doesn’t make it the right diet or eating pattern for you. Healthy eating is a journey — one that changes over time — and you have the power to determine which foods and eating pattern make you feel your best.
The challenge of healthy eating
We know healthy eating can be challenging. It can be tough to know where to start, we’re surrounded by nutrition misinformation, and healthy foods can be expensive or hard to find.
Nevertheless, healthy eating is an important wellness goal for many people.
In a study conducted by Healthline Media, 72% of respondents said that “eating healthy and nutritious foods” was their most important health or wellness goal.
In another study we conducted, two-thirds of participants said they were interested in nutrition content. However, only one-third said they eat “very or extremely healthfully.” The rest reported their eating habits were either not at all, a little, or somewhat healthy.
This really stood out to us, as it means the majority of these people wanted to eat well, yet fewer than one-third actually did so.
So, what’s standing in the way?
Change is hard, and life is busy. People want more than information and need actionable steps to get started, as well as support along their journey.
This is our healthy eating reality. What’s yours?
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