"I Don't Have Time to Eat Healthy," She Says (And the Bullshit Meter Goes Crazy)

There’s a widely held belief in this country that it’s difficult to eat healthy if you’re busy. This is not only untrue, it’s damaging to our health, because we have accepted poorer and poorer quality food in our diets.

But where did this notion come from? From the moneymen in the food industry, of course. Their advertisements have hammered into our heads the same idea, over and over: you’re busy, you don’t have time to cook, you don’t have time to prepare healthy food without our help. Watch TV around mealtime and you’re bound to see several commercials trying to sell you a “quick and easy” family dinner that claims to be healthy “while saving you time,” or a gas station pizza, or fast food.

Bullshit. I don’t buy it -- neither the concept nor the products they’re selling.

One of my two younger brothers, a senior in high school, has a rigorous schedule. He takes three college classes while keeping a part-time job, participating in band and cross country, and making time for his girlfriend. My mom works as a teacher and, for about 10 months out of the year, puts in 16- 18-hour days when you factor in her duties at church, with the 4-H club my brothers are members of, and at home.

You could say these two are perfect candidates for the quick, crappy meals, fast food, and the like. And yes, unfortunately, they do eat them sometimes, despite my gentle nudges to get them away from that kind of crap. They say it’s because they just don’t have time to get anything else ready.

But consider this. Today my brother and I ate lunch at the same time. While he ate chips, a processed chicken patty on a “honey wheat” bun (translation: full of preservatives and tree pulp, no joke), a glass of over-processed milk, and a few carrots, I opted for a plum, some raw almonds and spinach leaves, and a piece of raw pepper. Guess whose meal was quicker? His took about 4-5 minutes to be ready to eat; mine took less than 2. Perhaps just as curious is that my much healthier meal was far more portable than his -- all I would have needed to take it in the car with me was a single plastic bag and a paper towel.

Granted, there are times when eating healthy does take more time. For example, chopping up a bunch of vegetables for a rice-and-bean stir fry would take longer than microwaving a hot pocket. But remember, just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it requires too much of your time. And even when it does, don’t you think that you’re valuable enough to treat with self-respect? I think so.

For more information on eating healthy and unraveling the truth about the food you're eating, check out “NakedFood” on Facebook, or friend its founder, the lovely Jaqui Karr. (I will be mentioning Jaqui again in future posts.)