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I am concerned about what I eat, and would love to eat healthy food, if only it wasn’t so tasteless and monotonous!

This is perhaps one of the most common complaints one hears about eating healthy. Yet, the fact remains that most food that appeals to our taste buds may not be good for our health and well-being. Let’s take soft drinks for instance. A regular can of cola contains 10 teaspoons of added sugar on average. Contrast this with the World Health Organization (WHO) who cautions against consuming anything more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day. This implies that one single serving of cola a day puts you far beyond the danger line. Junk and fast food do not fare any better in terms of negative impacts on health. They cause several lifestyle diseases including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and even cancer.

A fast-paced lifestyle has necessitated devoting more time to one’s professional obligations and other areas, leaving little time to take care of one’s health. This has also brought about the trend of ‘grabbing a bite on the go’. Thus, quality has taken a backseat and we only consider it necessary to curb our hunger pangs while satisfying our taste buds.  There is also the perceived lack of options and taste which is held against ‘healthy foods.’ A common example is that of green tea. Given that Indians love their tea with milk, despite being a healthier alternative, green tea is definitely not very popular.

However, fret not, A change is happening!

Today, most mid-to-upmarket restaurants and food-courts have now started offering a healthy food menu alongside their regular offerings. There are options like multiple varieties of fresh fruit or veggie salads, sandwiches, natural drinks or dishes rich in nutritious ingredients to choose from. These not only cater to our taste-buds but also our nutritional and health needs. However, there may be times when going to an eatery that offers healthy options becomes next to impossible and on such occasions, nutrition remains a major concern.

To bridge this gap, brands have started offering healthy food and beverage options that provide the required daily dose of nutrients, minerals and vitamins. For instance, Growfit is a brand that works towards designing foods that offer balanced nutrition while using only the finest natural ingredients. All this while ensuring that everything is absolutely delicious! At an individual level too, one can try substituting ingredients or changing the way they are used to make it tastier. For instance, if you do not like eating avocado, then it may be a good idea to make an avocado toast to suit your taste buds.  In this way, you’re making this fruit which is heart healthy and rich in fibre, potassium and antioxidants much more palatable2.

Thus, to say that non-availability of tasty, healthy food is a hindrance to a better lifestyle may not be entirely true. With the plethora of options available today and greater awareness, sacrificing taste in the quest for health is a thing of the past!  

References:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/297600.php

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-benefits-of-avocado#section3

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