Prior to this journey convenience was the driving force in my food decisions. Convenience is the state of being able to proceed with something with little effort or difficulty. The definition example could not have been more applicable :0 “the museum has a cafeteria for your convenience”.
- It was convenient to pick up dinner on the way home from work
- It was convenient to eat whatever lunch was ordered at the meeting
- It was convenient to eat at airports
- It was convenient to choose what was available to the highway exit
It was not convenient to:
- Prep and plan ahead meals for busy nights
- Pack my lunch for work
- Bring my own food to the airport
- Plot the trusted grocery store on the road trip
Previously, I gave my autonomy to convenience rather than owning the only variable I can control…… me! If I’m honest, convenience was one of my food values. However, I don’t think if you asked me at the time I would’ve identifed convinience as a food value. It’s only been with clear intention I’ve identified it’s presence.
Barriers to Healthy Eating
Recently, I read an infographic from the USDA regarding barriers to healthy eating. I was intrigued by barriers to eating a healthy diet. I’ll name a few here and raise your hand if they apply:
- I don’t have enough time to prepare meals from scratch
- I have low knowledge about healthy foods
- My cooking skills are minimal
I could go on and on from this list but I’m sure we all could list our woes here. What’s most important is that you understand what those barriers truly are. One of the exercises I walked through with my Registered Dietician was what were my actual barriers to healthy eating. When we really did the work here’s what we found…
| Perceived Barrier | Actual Barrier | Why? |
| Time– I don’t have enough time to meal plan or prep food. | Intention– was I willing to trade time spent doing something else for prepping, planning healthy eating. | At the time I valued time spent on other activities than prepping or planning out my food choices |
| Cost– I had a mindset that high quality healthy food cost “too much” | Education– once my RDN taught me the concept of nutrient-dense food I better understood it was not out of reach. | Be gentle– I didn’t judge the fact that before our time together I didn’t have the food knowledge to have made different decisions. |
Once I obtained more knowledge, I began to change my mindset on food consumption. I began treating a trip to the grocery store like an adventurous experience.
My Mom Inspired Me
When I asked my Mom this year what she wants for Mothers Day she said “a grocery store gift card”. At first I was taken aback like really? WOW, I never thought I would hear something like that for a holiday?!?!? But what I realized is healthy eating has become a value for my Mom. She explained to me over the last couple years her values around food have changed. As prices rise, she seeks to maintain her values by making healthy choices. Her request allows her to continue a journey she deeply believes in. What better gift is that?!?!?!?!
I encourage you to recreate the tool above, perhaps with your partner or family members. Identify what food values you all hold dear and add those to your grocery list.
In peace,
J
References: USDA food plans