More Food for Thought: Bad Habits Are Hard to Break

I recently heard the following statement (or something pretty close to it) in the middle of a story on NPR's Morning Edition: "For some people it’s just as hard to stop eating badly as it is to quit smoking."

I'd never really thought of the problem that way: bad eating habits are just as hard to break as smoking. Most good habits are learned when we’re children, and healthy eating is no different. If kids are raised on junk food, they’re going to eat junk food as teens and adults too, partly because it's what they know and partly because it's what their bodies crave. If you typically eat high-sugar, high-fat, high-sodium foods, meals and snacks that are low in sugar and sodium are going to taste bad simply because your body isn't used to them.

You’re going to eat what you have in the pantry or the fridge, so if you buy junk, you’re going to eat junk. But if you don’t buy it, it won’t be in the house to snack on when the munchies hit. For example, if you spontaneously grab a bag of chips and a box of cookies at the store, that's what you'll eat at home when you're hungry. But if you buy carrots, bananas, yogurt & honey, apples & peanut butter, avocados, or trail mix (dried fruit & mixed nuts) instead, then that's what you'll have on hand and that's what you'll eat.

(Confession: I hardly ever drink soda, unless I'm eating pizza. But last Friday my husband bought a six-pack of Coke for a guys' movie night at our house. A few bottles were left over, so I grabbed one on my way out the door yesterday morning and drank it on the way to work. Why? Because it was there.)

So don’t get distracted at the grocery store. Plan ahead: how many nights this week are you going to be home for dinner? Choose a healthy meal for each night you’re going to eat at home, and make a list of the ingredients needed for those meals. Do the same for lunches and snacks. When you get to the grocery store, stick to the list.

And keep a food diary. Initially, this might sound a little obsessive, but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to calculate calories or grams of fat & carbs (unless you want to); just write down what you eat. Every once in a while, look over it. Are you eating enough servings of fruits & veggies? Are you drinking too much, caffeine, or alcohol? Are you drinking enough water? How often do you eat dessert? How often do you eat, period?

There are a limited number of people in the USA, and each of us can consume only so many food calories per day, week, or year. Thus, we usually spend a (relatively) set amount of money each week, month, or year on groceries. (For more on this, check out Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma.) Food marketers are literally fighting for us to spend our money & calories on their products, which results in some not-so-honest advertising and packaging. We get duped into thinking that some things are healthy (or at least not unhealthy) when that’s far from the truth.

It's best to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store: not only is there less packaging (aka distractions), but the foods are usually fresher, less processed, and more nutritious.

Further Reading:
"Americans Are Flunking Easy Goals for Healthier Eating" from NPR's Health Blog (Sept 2010) - the article that inspired this post
"CDC: Americans' diets still short on fruits and vegetables" from USA Today (Sept 2010)
"Low-carb Diets May Negatively Affect Health" from HSPH (Sept 2010)

"The bottom line is that not all low-carbohydrate diets are created equal,” said Frank B. Hu, a professor of nutrition at the School of Public Health and the study’s principal investigator. “The original Atkins diet, which was loaded with animal fats, is certainly not ideal. Versions of low-carbohydrate diets that are high in vegetable protein and fats are significantly healthier.”

"Controlling the American Appetite" from NPR's On Point (July 2009)