Is it really that hard to eat healthy? Part 1

Last updated: May 2026

It is no secret that we are living in a time poor society where people believe it is hard to eat healthy. It is not hard to eat healthy, the issue lies with the fact that there are so many quick and easy food options. Food is now something that can easily be delivered to our door in the click of a button. It is not something that we think about as much, allowing us to shift focus towards different areas of our life.

As a result, eating healthy has become an after-thought for a lot of people.

Over three blog posts we will be exploring various issues that relate to the argument of eating healthy vs unhealthy.

Topics that will be discussed include:

Common excuses and reasons for not eating consistently healthy food
Simple tips to make nutrition easy without thinking about it all the time
Costs vs perceived costs of eating healthy
The stigma of food prep and how social media makes us feel bad unless we are absolute heroes

Please keep in mind that we are not doctors or nutritionists, we are simply reflecting on our combined 45+ years in the health and fitness industry and the learnings gained over that period.

So, Is It Really That Hard To Eat Healthy?

We have been doing a lot of thinking about this question recently because over the course of 2020 we had so many people say to us:

“I just don’t have the time to make all that”
“It just tastes boring and I will get sick of it”
“I eat what my kids eat and do not want to cook more meals”

Let’s examine these questions in a bit more detail and try to unpack them. We will see if, with a bit of perspective, we can view healthy eating as an enjoyable and easy process.

“I Just Don’t Have The Time To Make All That”

“There is no-one busy in this world, it is always just about priorities. You will always find time for the things you feel are important.”

This quote sums up the situation about not having enough time perfectly. We always find time for the things that are most important to us, for things higher up on the priority list.

There are no more hours in the day for the world’s most successful people than for the rest of us. They just use the time available to them more efficiently.

What we need to do is ensure that our priorities are in the right order.

Food is like nothing else in this world, we need it to survive. However, we will not die if we eat food that is unhealthy and nutrient deficient (in the short term at least).

Our body is incredibly good at adapting to the situation it is put in. As a result, it is often a direct reflection of how we are treating it.

For example:

A lot of people use time as an excuse to order takeaway food.

“I do not have enough time to cook so I will order takeaway.”

With all the advertising available about fast delivery times, we believe that takeaway is actually quicker than cooking. However, usually in the time it takes for takeaway to get delivered, you can cook a perfectly nutritious meal.

So what the lack of time excuse is really saying is:

“It is more of a priority to sit down on the couch than it is to cook a meal.”
“I cannot be bothered cooking.”

Don’t get us wrong, it happens to the best of us, but it can be eliminated.

Of course, there are always going to be exceptions where time is a genuine issue.

Fortunately, there are lots of different tactics that you can utilise to enable the right decisions when that occurs.

For example, having a few pre-cooked home meals in the freezer so you can defrost one if necessary.

You are only going to do this if eating correctly is a priority for you though.

Long story short, you have to make correct nutrition and healthy eating a priority. If it is, then it becomes much easier to eat well consistently.

This is one of the reasons people often struggle with long-term results and underestimate how long it takes to see progress from personal training.

“It Just Tastes Boring And I Will Get Sick Of It”

A recent study out of the universities of Bangor and Bristol in the United Kingdom focused on sugar preferences amongst obese, overweight and lean populations when consuming sugar-filled beverages.

Researchers found that overweight and obese people had a dulled sensitivity to sweetness and an enhanced subconscious liking for sweet foods. Even lean participants who consumed sugary drinks regularly quickly developed stronger preferences for sweet foods and drinks.

This study shows how powerful even small amounts of sugar can be in changing your perception of taste.

The impact that sugars have on the body is detrimental to its ability to function correctly.

If you go without sugar for an extended period of time, the next time you have it, everything tastes extremely sweet.

However, the more sugar you consume, the more your body dulls its response to it. As a result, you need to consume more to get the same feeling and taste as before.

This not only dulls the body to the taste of sugar, but makes healthier options taste bland and boring in comparison.

The same can be said about highly processed fast foods.

The more sugar and processed fats you consume, the more the body dulls its response and the more you crave them.

When this occurs, lower sugar and healthier options taste boring because your brain is craving the processed food it has become used to.

Tip: Cut out processed sugar and junk food for 10 days. After those 10 days, try a healthy meal again and notice how different your taste buds feel.

A lot of people trying to improve their nutrition also discover that personal training can work so well for weight loss because structure and accountability make it much easier to stay consistent.

“I Eat What My Kids Eat And Don’t Want To Cook More Meals”

Note: We do not have kids ourselves, and understand that when people without children give advice on this topic it can sometimes be viewed as out of touch. Again, we are simply reflecting on experiences and lessons gained over decades in the health and fitness industry.

These two statements are the ones we tend to find the most frustrating.

Children look up to their parents like superheroes. The formative years of a child’s life are incredibly important. They form impressions around all aspects of how a person should behave.

It is so important that your child eats a balanced, healthy and nutritious food plan. There is absolutely no reason why they cannot eat most of the foods that their parents eat.

What is it saying to your child when you eat a completely different meal to them or visibly dislike the same food they are eating?

One of the common responses we get is:

“My child is very picky.”
“My child will only eat nuggets or fish fingers.”

Children growing up will follow the lead of their parents.

They adapt and mimic behaviour as a way of learning.

What an incredible opportunity to create a healthy and nutritious atmosphere for your child to grow up in.

Get them actively involved in the cooking process, give them ownership and responsibility, and sit down together as a family to enjoy meals.

Turn dinner time into a positive experience where everyone eats together.

If they don’t like it, try again another time or present it differently.

If your child sees a healthy and tasty meal being created in front of their eyes, they are much more likely to engage with it.

It is about learning, growing and developing an appreciation of healthy food while also creating family connection in the process.

Building sustainable routines at home is also one of the reasons understanding how often you should train to see results is important, because long-term success comes from consistency rather than perfection.

These three questions are some of the biggest hurdles that people tell us stop them from eating consistently healthy and nutritious food.

Do you have to eat perfectly healthy all of the time?

Of course not.

We are all human. Things happen. We go out, we enjoy ourselves and we have the occasional bad meal.

What we can say however, is that it is much better for your body if you eat predominantly healthy and nutritious foods with the occasional indulgence, rather than predominantly poor food choices with the occasional healthy meal mixed in.

It really is not as hard to eat healthy as people think.

In the next blog we will discuss some simple tips to making nutrition easier, as well as practical food preparation strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do people find it hard to eat healthy?

Most people struggle with consistency, convenience, habits, stress and food environment rather than a lack of nutritional knowledge.

Does processed food change your cravings?

Yes. High sugar and highly processed foods can increase cravings and alter how your brain responds to taste and reward.

Is meal prep necessary for healthy eating?

Not always, but some level of preparation and planning usually makes healthy eating much easier and more sustainable.

Ready to make a change? We are here to help.

If you are struggling with nutrition, consistency or building healthier long-term habits, we can help.

At Authentic Personal Training in Crows Nest, we focus on creating realistic and sustainable lifestyle changes designed around your goals.

Start with our 3 sessions for $30 intro offer and let our experienced team help guide your health and fitness journey.