Barriers to a Healthy Diet

When trying to meet the Prostate 8 dietary guidelines, you may have found difficulties with incorporating or removing foods from your diet. If you’ve eaten the same way for years, it can be hard to make a change. Here, we’ve outlined some of the common barriers to eating a healthy diet and some possible solutions. We talked to UCSF dietician Greta Macaire for advice.

I don’t have the time or the energy to cook.

In the morning, you may be rushing out the door with little time to eat a healthy breakfast or to pack a lunch. And after a day at work, you might dread the thought of standing in front of the stove. But with a bit of creativity, you can minimize the time you spend cooking and still eat well.  Taking just few hours each week for grocery shopping and meal planning saves time, energy and money during the week ahead. Look for recipes that can be prepared in advance, or freeze foods to be eaten at a later date. Salad ingredients can be cleaned and prepped in bulk on the weekend so that you have everything you need to quickly prepare a salad for lunch or dinner. You could also make a larger quantity of food one day and use it for leftovers later in the week. A slow cooker or crock pot is a great way to make homemade food with little effort. The slow cooker works by simmering food and gradually cooking it over the course of a few hours. This means that you can turn on the cooker in the morning and have a completed meal by the time you return home in the evening.

I don’t have the willpower to avoid unhealthy foods.

Do you often feel tempted to reach for your favorite junk food? It can be difficult to change your eating habits if there are always tasty-but-unhealthy options nearby. Try out a tool like MyFitnessPal, an app that helps you track your nutrition and calorie counts, or fill out the Prostate 8 food planner to track the foods recommended for the study. By logging what you eat, you can clearly see when you are doing well and when you need to improve.

Building a new habit can take time. If you’re thinking of eating something unhealthy, remind yourself why you are changing your diet and that it will pay off in the long run. You don’t need to completely deprive yourself of junk food – if eaten in moderation, it won’t cancel out all of your hard work.

I am not sure which foods are linked with improved prostate outcomes.

You’ve probably heard many different tips for a healthy diet, not all of which are supported by science. Try to stick with the Prostate 8 guidelines, which are evidence-based. In general, you should aim to increase consumption of cooked tomatoes, fish, vegetable fats (such as olive oil and avocado), and cruciferous vegetables (leafy green vegetables). You should decrease consumption of processed meat (such as cold cuts and bacon). The Prostate 8 website has details about each of these guidelines.

Need recipes for these foods? On the Prostate 8 website, click “Eat Well” and then “Recipes” has plenty of simple, tasty ways to prepare them.

My family does not want to change their diet.

Your family can motivate you to succeed with your diet – however, some members of the household, especially more selective eaters, might be resistant to change. To get your family to help you, make sure to clearly explain the guidelines of your diet and the goals you have set for yourself.  Asking for their help in shopping for healthy foods, finding new recipes, or modifying old family favorites will likely make them more accepting of the changes you are making.  

The Prostate 8 guidelines improve overall health as well as prostate health, so your whole family may benefit from following them. Cruciferous vegetables are high in Vitamin C and fiber; fish contains omega-3 fatty acids for heart and brain health; vegetable fats may reduce the risk of heart disease.