Overcoming barriers to healthy eating
Changing your eating habits can be challenging. But the benefits of keeping your blood sugar levels in balance and reducing your risk for diabetes-related health problems make your meal-planning efforts well worth it.
You may face some barriers when you first start to change your way of eating. This is perfectly normal. If you prepare for the obstacles that may get in your way, you are less likely to be discouraged. There are steps you can take to get past your meal plan barriers.
Some general tips
- Start small. Don’t try to change everything at once. Eating regularly and balancing the amount of carbohydrates you eat during the day should be your top priorities. Then you might try to cut down on the amount of fat you eat. After that, you can take a look at your portion sizes and try to use less salt. But you don’t have to make all of these changes right now. Focus on one or two at a time. Once you’ve made those changes a routine part of your meal plan, then you’ll be ready to move on to the next round of changes
- Ask for support. Everyone benefits from healthy eating, not just people who have diabetes. So if you live with others, try to get your family or housemates to make meal plan changes with you. When everyone is following a healthy meal plan, you can support each other
- If you slip, get right back on track. No one can follow a healthy meal plan all of the time. So don’t expect to be perfect. But if you give in to temptation, get back on track as quickly as you can
- Notice the benefits. Make a point of noticing when you start seeing the benefits of following your meal plan. Note the changes in your blood sugar levels in response to what you eat each day. As you start to see the results of healthy eating, you will want to stick with it
Overcoming specific barriers
This table outlines some of the barriers that people who have diabetes may face when trying to make changes in their eating habits. It also includes suggestions for overcoming these barriers. You can use it as a guide in your efforts to change your eating habits.
| Possible Barriers | Suggested Solutions |
|---|---|
Healthy foods cost more. |
Healthy eating can be healthy for your wallet too! A healthy diet is rich in whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. You can save money when you substitute these healthy items for expensive meats, processed or prepared foods, and sugary or salty snacks. |
You would miss your favorite foods and the foods you grew up with. |
Following your meal plan doesn’t have to mean giving up your favorite foods. You can often make minor changes in how you prepare them or substitute low-fat ingredients. Or maybe you just need to eat a smaller portion of your favorite dish. Check your bookstore or library for cookbooks that focus on recipes for people with diabetes. Check out the Changing Life With Diabetes online menu planner for recipe ideas. |
You feel like meal planning would be too hard for your family or housemates. |
Talk with your loved ones about the changes you are trying to make in your way of eating. Explain how these changes will help you manage your diabetes. Ask for their support and patience. |
You worry you would have to avoid eating out at restaurants or others’ homes. |
The best approach to eating out is to plan for it. If you are dining at a friend’s home, try to find out in advance when the meal will be served. You may need to eat a snack before you leave home. If you take insulin, you may need to adjust the time of your pre-meal injection. As for restaurants, many have healthy choices available. However, portion sizes in restaurants tend to be large. So you may need to leave some food on your plate or bring it home for later. Sharing a meal is another good way to avoid overeating. |
You feel that following a meal plan would take the pleasure out of eating. |
Most people find that as they eat healthy foods, they develop a taste for them. From time to time you may still crave snack foods, and it’s okay to have them occasionally. But over time you may start to choose healthy foods because you actually prefer them, especially as you realize how much better you feel when you eat them. A diabetes cookbook can help you learn to prepare healthy foods. You can also check out the Changing Life With Diabetes online menu planner where you’ll find more than 68 diabetes-friendly recipes. |
You don’t want to give up all of your favorite foods. |
You don’t need to exclude any foods from your meal plan. But you may need to adjust how much and when you eat them based on their effect on your blood sugar. So if you love home-baked cookies, for example, talk with your diabetes educator or dietitian. He or she can give you ideas on how to incorporate them into your meal plan. |
You think that following a meal plan is too much work. |
Try to pay attention to how you feel during each day. When you don’t follow your meal plan, you may feel tired or lack energy. If you skip meals, your blood sugar levels may drop and you may have symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). In the end, taking the time to follow your meal plan will help you manage your blood sugar, which will help you feel better. And you’re likely to find that feeling better is worth any extra work. |
You don’t think that following a meal plan will help you. |
Following a healthy meal plan can help you in several ways to:
|
You’ve tried dieting before and you haven’t felt successful. |
Most adults have tried a “diet” of some kind at some time in their lives. It seems like every few months a new diet promises “quick weight loss.” Most people find that these diets simply don’t work. People may lose some weight for a while – a few weeks, even a few months. But they usually gain it back (plus a few pounds). Meal planning is a key part of diabetes management. It is very different from dieting. Dieting is a short-term practice with a short-term goal – rapid weight loss. Diet “success” is measured in lost pounds. Meal planning is a way of life with a long-term goal – managing your diabetes. |
With or without diabetes, eating healthy is a daily challenge for everyone. When you have diabetes, following your meal plan will help you look and feel your best, manage your blood sugar levels, and reduce your risk of diabetes-related health problems.
