Healthy eating involves time to plan, shop, prepare food, and keep yourself motivated. When you have committed to healthy eating the time spent on this commitment becomes, by definition, important. When an activity is accepted as an essential part of your schedule the stresses of feeling like time is wasted are removed, and you can give yourself permission to actually enjoy the time.
In the 1970s, as the potential for new technologies to improve worker productivity were becoming a reality, social scientists speculated that people in the 21st century would be challenged with how to spend an overabundance of leisure time.
Things haven’t exactly turned out that way. Ironically, the years since then have seen the appearance of convenience stores, fast food restaurants, ATMs, and all sorts of technologies and services marketed to save time (for some reason mobile dog grooming comes to mind).
Because time is limited to 24 hours each day you choose how you spend the time you have. It may seem like there aren’t choices involved, but how you spend time represents how you prioritize time. Setting priorities always involves choices, and making a commitment to your future health may include reprioritizing how you spend some of your time.
Healthy eating can be special family time or an adventure. You don’t have to be a chef to learn to love cooking.
Wondering where you’ll find the time? Get out your pad and pen. It’s always revealing to write down where all of that time goes, and even more interesting to see what could be “adjusted” without missing anything. When you consider the importance of a healthy lifestyle to yourself and your family it will not be difficult finding a few minutes to improve your eating habits.