If I'm doing all of the work myself--meal prepping, grocery shopping, cooking--then yes, it's hard. Very hard. I'm a decent cook because my kids can't feed themselves, but I don't enjoy cooking. I don't have time to find or learn new recipes or shop twice per week for fresh fruits and veggies.

If someone else is doing all of that for me, it would be MUCH easier. I basically need a personal chef for my family.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a dietitian and yes, I think it's hard to eat healthy. The hard part is the shopping and preparing of food. If I had a chef or healthy meal delivery, it would be much easier.

Also, it's easy to eat healthy for myself, but when trying to make food for a whole family that they want to eat, it is a big chore.

This. I do find it harder now that I have kids, both because of how picky they are, and because I just have less free time after work and pickups and tend to choose spending an hour outside over spending an hour in front of the stove. We've been eating far more sandwiches and pasta than optimal this summer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eating 100% healthy all day every day is hard. Eating 80-90% healthy and indulging the rest, is easy. And much more sustainable.

I wish I could indulge a little. But I can’t. A little leads to a lot, every time.

Exactly this. Maybe moderate eating works for some people, but for those with an intense sugar addiction it just doesn’t work. I allow myself a few spoonfuls of maple syrup with peanut butter every day and cake only on birthdays. I need to be this strict to delay diabetes as I’m very high risk (had gestational diabetes twice and parents are both type 2).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I am shocked you were only 133 lbs eating all that junk (candy for an adult?).

DP, I am not even 133, and I eat candy. Yesterday, driving back from Ocean City, I ate a whole pack of Starburst candies after eating a huge lunch. Heck, I eat pies, pastries, and chips, too.

How old are you? And how tall?

Learn to cook then, it is not that hard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends.

If you like fruits and veggies and can afford to buy the ones you like, it's easy, IMO.

If you don't like fruits and veggies or you can't afford to buy the ones you like, it can be hard.

I have a brother who hates all veggies that aren't potatoes. He also only likes strawberries but only during strawberry season, not out of season. His distaste for fruits and veggies was fine in his younger years but now that he's in his mid-30s, keeping the weight off isn't easy like it used to be.

I have a 100% vegetarian, 75% vegan kid and that sh!t's expensive. Many vegan food items are especially expensive.

This is a brilliant answer right here.
Everyone read it again. 🎉🎉🎉🎉

People are missing the point, so really read it again, carefully.
Yes, we know you martha stewarts can shop and make delicious and healthy beans and rice.
There are so many people that can't and also don't like this food. There has to be a magical combination of accessible and they also like it and will eat it. So many people droning on: I grew up with these foods I like them it's easy.

There are people who will only eat limited vegetables (no zucchini! no eggplant) and beans don't agree with everyone. So just like those picky eater threads where it's a complicated answer, this one requires a complicated answer with a LOT of variables. The sooner we recognize that the better.

Right now, I am eating Ruffles, and I am not overweight at all.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I am shocked you were only 133 lbs eating all that junk (candy for an adult?).

DP, I am not even 133, and I eat candy. Yesterday, driving back from Ocean City, I ate a whole pack of Starburst candies after eating a huge lunch. Heck, I eat pies, pastries, and chips, too.

OP, I am shocked you were only 133 lbs eating all that junk (candy for an adult?).

It is hard but some tricks for me --
-eat at home
-learn to cook (!)
-opt for quality simple ingredients (this applies to portion control - buy a small amount of something very good)... a normal portion of food is actually very small. Savor it.
-Try not to snack.. especially at night.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t find it hard at all. I don’t like ultra processed food and junk- genuinely. BUT that makes socializing difficult. As many Americans do enjoy these foods and often serve them at gatherings. There is almost certainly going to be some Costco crap, junk appetizers, a lot of store bought stuff, and not a lot of homemade food. Same with restaurants except for high end. Mostly premade Sysco/GFS garbage.

I guess. I just don’t eat the food at those gatherings. If somebody says something, I just ignore them. And you gotta eat some junk every once in awhile anyways.

I don’t find it hard at all. I don’t like ultra processed food and junk- genuinely. BUT that makes socializing difficult. As many Americans do enjoy these foods and often serve them at gatherings. There is almost certainly going to be some Costco crap, junk appetizers, a lot of store bought stuff, and not a lot of homemade food. Same with restaurants except for high end. Mostly premade Sysco/GFS garbage.

Not for me, but I'm one of those weirdos who really likes things like salad, brown rice, fish, and legumes.

Ask the Cabbage Lady how to eat, then it is easy.
Oh, wait, lol! I am the Cabbage Lady, now even putting my name in Capitals as my head is as big as the cabbage.

Anonymous wrote:Eating 100% healthy all day every day is hard. Eating 80-90% healthy and indulging the rest, is easy. And much more sustainable.

I wish I could indulge a little. But I can’t. A little leads to a lot, every time.