Half of Brits struggle to keep up their New Year’s diet because they find healthy food boring.
Do you find healthy food boring? It seems many Brits do as three in ten found the idea of eating healthily dull. New research found from Tilda discovered that healthy food would stop them from carrying on with their New Year diets past the second or third day. It also emerged that even those who are determined to keep a healthy diet will revert back to old ways in less than three months, with a third giving up before the end of January.
Of those who enjoy eating healthy foods, 47 per cent revealed that food commonly known for being good for your body is bland on the senses.
One third miss the smell of unhealthy meals when they are in the midst of a health kick, and one in eight thinks junk food has a better texture than any leafy greens. Many of those trying to reduce their waistline also feel that fruit and veg reduce the enjoyment they get out of eating.
The study found that to ensure they get more of an enjoyable eating experience, Brits turn to sugary, fatty foods over healthier alternatives. Over a third of those surveyed said the allure of something covered in chocolate or the crunch of a crisp is enough for them to ditch the diet for good.
“The perceptions around food boredom is a key factor for diet fatigue and the reason why many dieters quickly revert back to old eating habits,” said Rob Hobson, registered nutritionist and cookery writer who has partnered with Tilda. “It’s clear from the research findings that our senses have a huge role to play in the food choices we make. We seek great tasting flavour, appearance, smell and texture in our food.”
Hobson continued: ”But it is clear we reach to unhealthy foods such as the flavour of chocolate and the crunch of crisps to satisfy these needs as the perception of healthy dishes hitting a multi-sensory note is more difficult to achieve.
“Convenience and ease of preparation are also highlighted as reasons why people find it difficult to stick to a healthy diet, with 44 per cent of dieters of the view that they would eat meals that are better for them if they were easier to prepare and more readily accessible. If you combine this with all the other misconceptions around healthy food this creates a huge barrier to eating well.”
When asked to consider the factors which might convince them to stick to their diet for longer 54 per cent thought a visible improvement in their appearance would help to spur them on to keep living their healthy lifestyle.
A resounding 95 per cent of dieters can name a specific dish that would tempt them away from their healthy eating habits, which deliver the multi-sensory hit they are craving. These include pizza, curry, chips and the sizzle of bacon cooking.
However, three in ten think eating unhealthily is more convenient than a greener plate, according to the study by OnePoll.
A spokesperson for Tilda added: “The notion of multi-sensory eating has previously been considered the territory of Michelin starred chefs. It’s time to ditch your misconceptions around healthy eating and do your diet a favour by exploring the multi-sensory world of healthy eating.
“Understanding how to combine multi-sensory foods to create simple tasty dishes that stimulate all of the senses will help to change your perception of what it means to eat well and improve your enjoyment of healthy food.”
Top 10 foods most likely to end a diet
- Chocolate / sweets
- Crisps
- Fish and chips
- Pizza
- Bacon butty
- Cheese
- Cake
- Cookies / biscuits
- Curry
- Burger
