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I have been actively working on losing weight for a couple of months now and been doing a good job via good old fashioned diet and intense exercise. It's going fine except for one problem: restaurants. Every time I go to a restaurant, my weight loss comes to a screeching halt, despite choosing healthier items on the menu and eating smaller quantities than before. I can't believe how unhealthy restaurant food is. Even so called "farm fresh" restaurants, like the menu link I enclosed are loaded with fat, calories, and sodium. It's no wonder Americans are so fat.
Going out just once a week to these places is enough to make us gain weight, and many busy Americans are dependent on restaurants to feed their families when they are in a time crunch. One of their "healthy" items is a shocking 1070 calories! And who knows how many calories the restaurant meals have that don't disclose their nutrition information. This restaurant is not unique either.
Convenience is a big factor. I was involved in a project related to this. People just make excuses so they can keep doing what is convenient.
When they said they don't have time to cook and were shown in how little time they could prepare nutritious meals, they came up with a different excuse.
When they said healthy food is too expensive, they found another excuse after they were shown that they were spending more per day on fast food and processed foods.
When they said that healthy foods don't taste good, they found another excuse even after they agreed that the healthy foods they were served were delicious and satisfying.
Many adults are set in these ways and spoiled by convenience. They have to be willing to use the knowledge they are given. A motivated person wanting to take charge of their health will seek the information like TT did.
Children are much easier to reach. The look on a child's face the first time he bites into a naturally ripened fruit is priceless. So THAT'S what it's supposed to taste like! Most have only known the tasteless fruit from supermarkets. Kids love to garden too.
All of these are only affordable to educated middle/upper middle class. I am pretty sure this population became healthier and less fat in the last 7 - 10 years. But that is a minority of US population. The rest are probably getting fatter.
In the "hip" farmer market in Manhattan's Union square, heirloom, organic tomatoes sell for $4.99 - $5.99 a pound. Who can afford that?
No one says you have to buy a farmers market tomato. There are supermarkets that sell tomatoes cheaper.
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Going out just once a week to these places is enough to make us gain weight, and many busy Americans are dependent on restaurants to feed their families when they are in a time crunch. One of their "healthy" items is a shocking 1070 calories! And who knows how many calories the restaurant meals have that don't disclose their nutrition information. This restaurant is not unique either.
Convenience is a big factor. I was involved in a project related to this. People just make excuses so they can keep doing what is convenient.
When they said they don't have time to cook and were shown in how little time they could prepare nutritious meals, they came up with a different excuse.
When they said healthy food is too expensive, they found another excuse after they were shown that they were spending more per day on fast food and processed foods.<snip>
Children are much easier to reach. <snip>
Agreed on both counts. DS told me that he, DDIL and their daughters, aged 2 and 5, spend $100 a week on groceries. DDIL is very pregnant so she needs extra. I'm not sure how they do it because that's what I spend and I eat very little meat, although they buy theirs in bulk and store it in a deep freeze. We both shop at Costco. I was doing shopping for myself with the granddaughters last week and when I threw in a bag of red, yellow and orange sweet peppers their eyes lit up. I threw in an extra bag for their family. That's what they wanted as a snack when they got home! I'm allowed to indulge them with the occasional empty calories (the little one just got her first Starbucks cake pop and it was a huge success) but they truly like fresh fruits and vegetables.
Children are much easier to reach. The look on a child's face the first time he bites into a naturally ripened fruit is priceless. So THAT'S what it's supposed to taste like! Most have only known the tasteless fruit from supermarkets. Kids love to garden too.
Yes, but you're not just talking fresh fruit from the store - you're going another step further and specifying something homegrown or at least from a farmer's market where what's grown are the old heirlooms rather than the newer hybrids bred to be easy to ship without blemishes and not necessarily flavorful.
How many times harder is it for people to jump to THAT level of "homegrown" diet? How many people can even grow their own tomatoes much less any kind of tree fruit or veggies?
We recently changed our eating habits and I will say eating fresh produce is a hassle. It does not keep long, so you have to go to the store constantly. Processed and packaged foods keep indefinitely. Further with processed foods you really do not have to make too many decisions, plan ahead o think a lot. Just look in the freezer or fridge, pick out the meal that looks good and nuke it. You are eating in less than half an hour from the time you open the fridge. Often less than 5 minutes. I can throw something in the microwave or oven and go do something else. No, healthy food is not that quick and convenient.
Healthy food is a PIA.
But then there is bacon. Quick, convenient, delicious and healthy.
Yes, the hydroponic tomatoes that are absolutely tasteless...
I totally agree. I was just offering an alternative. I don't eat tomatoes unless they are in season. Plus I grow my own.
People look for excuses to not eat healthy. Using a farmer's market tomato's expense is just another excuse.
Yes, but you're not just talking fresh fruit from the store - you're going another step further and specifying something homegrown or at least from a farmer's market where what's grown are the old heirlooms rather than the newer hybrids bred to be easy to ship without blemishes and not necessarily flavorful.
How many times harder is it for people to jump to THAT level of "homegrown" diet? How many people can even grow their own tomatoes much less any kind of tree fruit or veggies?
Great point. Very few people have the luxury of having farm fresh produce available to them, not to mention being able to afford it.
Baby steps. The so-so produce at a grocery store can still be eaten and is a much better alternative to eating something boxed or junky.
Heck, frozen fruit and veggies are another viable solution if one cannot get decent fresh produce.
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