AARP recently surveyed 1,541 adults about their eating habits. The research found that while most adults over 40 say they know how to eat healthy, following through on that knowledge is often more difficult. Only 9 percent said maintaining a healthy diet is “very easy.” We explored what gets in the way of healthy eating in 15 Mistakes That Are Keeping You From Healthy Eating.
What sabotages your healthy diet? Let me know at betsy@aarp.org and we may publish your stories.
The recent AARP survey on healthy eating found that 40 percent of respondents said they were trying to eat a healthy diet and want to do more. Only 9 percent said they didn’t focus on healthy eating and were fine with that. Interestingly, those 65 and older ranked their eating habits higher than adults ages 40 to 65.
Here are the main things older adults say are getting in the way of maintaining a healthy diet:
• 39% of respondents said consistently eating healthy is too costly • 16% said healthy food is not convenient to get • 13% said they are not a healthy foods type of person • 12% said healthy eating is too restrictive
• 12% said they can’t eat healthy because they have cravings for unhealthy foods • 11% said they don’t like the taste of healthy foods • 11% said cooking healthy food is too complicated • 10% said they didn’t know which foods are the best to eat • 10% said they didn’t know how to cook healthy food
After years of reporting and writing about healthy eating, I think I’m pretty good at sticking to a healthy diet, but I do crave a sweet every day at 3 p.m. when my energy drops, so I have to agree with that 12 percent who said they crave unhealthy foods. What gets in the way of healthy eating for you? Let me know at betsy@aarp.org and we may publish your stories.
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