How can we shake the "shake + bake" and fast food mentality in order to live healthier lives?

Question

It seems that so many people are using instant and pre-prepared foods and eating fast foods that contain preservatives, high fat values and low nutrient values.

How can we get people, men and women, to take the time to prepare healthier, more nutritional meals for themselves and their families?

I see a lot of people saying there is no time yet on my other question people are saying that time is not a problem. So What gives? Are we making excuses? Please see: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AraF0Zh0dVXvAMbpPni6R.bsy6IX?qid=20060710125036AAMTK6r

Answer 1

The problem here is time. We are living in such a fast paced society that shopping, cooking and meal planning is left to whatever we can grab and cook-mostly microwave. People try-they make salads etc. but it's hard to do with the schedules people are keeping. I say we need to slow down a bit and make time to plan meals better. Also, the healthy foods, (organic etc.) in the supermarket is quite expensive. I live in NJ, we grow a large part of the nations supply of blueberries here, and they are running at $5.99 a pint ON SALE!! Yikes! Money is also a constraint to eating better.

Answer 2

A good meal takes time, and who has time available these days? Everyone always rushing here, then rushing there. Food is a secondary thought at best and fewer and fewer people even know how to cook a proper meal. The only hope we have is finding those few places that can prepare good nutritious meals that fit our hectic schedules.

Short of that, you'll have to find a way to slow things down... Now, if you can come up with an idea that allows someone to prepare a meal while stuck in traffic... you may have a winner!

Answer 3

If people had less things to do and take care of (think walden pond : simplify, simplify, simplify) then we would have more time to dedicate to living well. The sad truth is that our possesions really possess us. Strange as it may sound, the more we acquire, the more things we have to take care of. And these things are being designed faster, to move faster and take us somewhere, faster.
Unfortunately, the world is taking a turn to moving faster and faster (high speed internet, faster cars, instant connections, instant meals)
If we could slow down the world, we could slow down our meals. Less to take care of means less to do. Less to do means more time, which can be spent with family and friends in a more meaningful way than just a cell phone text message.
In the very least, think global, act local. Slow down your own life, cut down on unnecessary material goods, and by example you may change someone else's life for the better.

Answer 4

I think that people need to have simpler, easier recipes to prepare. Some recipes take planning ahead and time to prepare that most people don't have. That causes people to turn to the less healthy foods. I make my own vinagrettes for salads and have shared the recipes with people who are busy and don't have time to make their own. They are quick ad easy and now these people make their own instead of buying them from the stores. That's why I think if healthy cooking could be fast and easy more people would be inclined to try to eat healthier.

Answer 5

We need to show them that they can prepare healthy, good tasting food fast. I have been trying to make my own meals now. I use a lot of Rachael Ray's recipes. I try not to eat at fast food restaurants as much as I used to. It's hard though when that's what your used to and that's what you did when you were growing up.

Answer 6

We need to get the FDA to do a better job labeling the bad contents of food, and not let food companies get away with things like labeling foods as "Trans fat free" just because they have small portions of hydrogenated oil.

Answer 7

Get in debt and have so little money left for food that you are forced to eat the healthy and inexpensive foods, so you can afford to pay your bills, LOL