Are you a healthy eater? As we age, giving our bodies the fuel needed to run optimally becomes increasingly important. A 2014 Gallup poll reveals that in 2008, about 66% of Americans polled (500+ people) reported that they “ate healthy all day yesterday.” In 2010, our healthy eating apparently peaked, with nearly 68% reporting the same.
But by 2013, only 63.8% were reporting that yesterday was a good food day. Eating healthily included having five or more servings of fruits and vegetables that day. Along with a drop in the commitment to daily healthy eating, U.S. obesity rates hit an all-time high of 27.1% in 2013.
Drought was cited as a possible contributor to the decrease – reduced access and higher prices led some respondents to indicate they didn’t have enough money to buy as many of the healthy foods they knew they should eat.
If you find yourself in the “I did not eat healthy all day yesterday” group, and you are interested in keeping the highest possible quality of life, consider these tips to boost your health-quotient:
- If you eat meals with a dining service or at restaurants, ask if you can replace French fries or high-fat side dishes with a vegetable or fruit cup. Even frozen or canned options beat the nutritional value of the not-so-healthy sides.
- If you have an outdoor patio, balcony or yard, try a few potted vegetable plants or even a hanging vegetable planter for fresh tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers or beans in the summer months.
- Choose a piece of fruit, plain popcorn, or a small serving of nuts as snacks over the cookies, cakes and packaged junk. Even if you aren’t cooking at home, these staples can be easily kept in your home to enjoy.
To find more interesting statistics about healthy lifestyles and more, the Gallup website always has something new to say.
