Why it’s so Hard to “Eat Your Vegetables”
Why it’s so Hard to “Eat Your Vegetables”
Humans are hardwired to crave the highest-calorie foods in their environment- a survival trait that has been essential throughout most of human history. For thousands of years, food scarcity was the norm, and every meal was uncertain. Our ancestors relied on their innate drive to seek out calorie-dense foods to store energy for times of famine. This instinct ensured survival in a world where finding enough to eat was a daily challenge.
Times have changed. Like, really changed.
Humans have spent 299,900 out of 300,000 years in some level of food scarcity. Only in the last 0.03% of our existence have we lived in a world where food abundance is common.
Fast forward to today, thankfully most of us no longer struggle with finding enough food—in fact, we have the opposite problem. We’re surrounded by food everywhere we go, and highly processed, hyper-palatable options are more accessible than ever.
Your Brain is Running on Outdated Software
The challenge is that while our food environment has dramatically changed, our biology hasn’t caught up. Our brains are still wired to seek out the richest, most calorie-dense foods because, historically, that meant survival.
When you eat foods packed with sugar, fat, and salt—like a brownie or a slice of pizza- your brain rewards you with a flood of feel-good chemicals, like dopamine. That’s why eating these foods quite literally feels good. It’s not just a lack of willpower—it’s biology.
Can You Actually Learn to Love Healthier Foods?
This is all fine and good unless the foods you regularly eat don’t align with your health and weight goals. A lot of people feel they could never give up certain junk foods or animal products because they assume their meals would become boring and unsatisfying.
But here’s a fun experiment: Imagine a baby carrot. Picture the taste and texture in your mind. Now, imagine biting into a piece of carrot cake. You can probably feel the difference, right? That’s the power of food reward at play.
Here’s the good news- while carrots will never be as exciting as carrot cake, your taste buds can adapt. Over time, as you eat more whole plant foods, your preferences shift, and you start to genuinely enjoy them. I’ve experienced this myself. There was a time when the list of vegetables I didn’t like was way longer than the ones I did. But after years of eating this way, I now truly crave my veggies, to the point where I don’t enjoy a meal without them.
"With time, everything changes."
If you had told me years ago that I’d crave steamed kale as much as I once craved Cheetos, I would have thought you were out of your mind!
Change Feels Uncomfortable- But It’s Worth It
We tend to adapt to whatever our “normal” way of eating is, and straying too far from it can feel uncomfortable- even scary. Food is more than just fuel; it’s comfort, entertainment, and stress relief for many of us. So it’s no surprise that making changes to your diet can feel like turning your world upside down.
But here’s the truth: while stepping outside your comfort zone may feel difficult at first, the long-term benefits are absolutely worth it. Increasing the amount of whole plant foods in your diet is one of the best things you can do for your health. And the best part? You don’t have to do it all at once.
How to Get Started (Without Overhauling Your Diet Overnight)
The easiest way to start is to simply add more whole plant foods to your existing meals. You don’t have to swap out everything at once or force yourself to eat salads all day.
Here are some simple ways to ease into it:
Add extra vegetables to meals you already enjoy.
Start with veggies you know you like, then slowly experiment with new ones.
Revisit foods you didn’t like as a kid- you might be surprised! (Taste buds change over time.)
Try different cooking methods- roasted, sautéed, or blended into soups-because preparation makes a big difference.
At the end of the day, eating should be both enjoyable and supportive of your health goals. And the more open you are to change, the more your tastes will naturally evolve. Eventually, you’ll find that you truly love a diet rich in fresh, vibrant plant foods- so much so that you could never go back.
