No matter how hard you try, you can not get that person in your life, who scoffs at healthy foods to eat healthier. As a millennial, I embrace health food trends, but I wish those I care about would do the same. The tables have turned in my household – now I’m the one that has to tell my parents to eat their vegetables so they will grow up big and strong.
It is definitely not easy to convince people to eat healthily. So why not play naughty? You heard me: use practical jokes for something actually practical. These tips should do the trick.
Blend It
Photo by Aakanksha Joshi
Take some hippie-esque superfood and hide it your favorite smoothie. Superfood seeds turn your basic fruit smoothie into a balanced breakfast by adding protein and heart healthy fats to sip away that lingering hangriness. When blended well, the seeds will never be detected.
Smoothies are also a great way to sneak in a vegetables. Just throw some spinach or kale into your favorite strawberry banana smoothie. The greens will be tasteless…but that glowing green hue might scare some people away. Be one step ahead by adding dark colored ingredients such as acai, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, or cocoa powder to that green smoothie. There is no way of sensing any greens under those rich berry or chocolate hues.
Be Sweet
Photo by Sydney Segal
Life is short, so eat dessert without regret. Meals can end on a sweet note and still be healthy. It is possible to have a delicious treat with the filling macronutrients of complex carbohydrates, complete proteins, and plant-based fats.
Bake desserts using ingredients so healthy that that they can be eaten for a filling breakfast or snack. Desserts made with nutrient-dense and lower-sugar ingredients will prevent the midday slump and a quality night’s sleep is guaranteed.
Presentation is Key
Photo courtesy of @thefoodiephysician on Instagram
If it is pretty and Instagram-worthy, it is edible. Taste may be 80 percent smell, but you taste with your eyes first. Who willingly eats a pile of slop? The presentation is everything, so make the meal look nice.
A naked bowl of oatmeal will not get the double-tap on Instagram; use a variety of colors. ROYGBIV attracts people of all ages. I would have never jumped on the smoothie bowl bandwagon if they were not so pretty and Instaworthy. Can you say #foodporn?
Try Sneaky Substitutes
Photo courtesy of runningonrealfood.com
As a vegetarian, I get great joy from bamboozling people into eating meat substitutes. I get that meat is an excellent source of protein but faux-meats are a great way to get fiber and protein. Plants and other healthy sources of nutrients can also be used to substitute high-calorie ingredients in your favorite comfort foods. You get the same great sinful taste, just deceivingly healthy. And in my honest opinion, sometimes better tasting.
Use Your Powers of Persuasion
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Instead of playing a trick and saying soy nuggets are actually chicken, persuasion will get the outcome you desire. When having someone try health food, tell them why it is healthy. Be genuine. Show that you deeply care about that person’s health. Say something like, “I notice that you have been feeling drained lately and I really think that adjusting your diet a little might help.”
Make sure that any evidence you use is current and reliable. People will appreciate the effort you’re making and be more inclined to pay more attention to their diet in the future.