I think that eating healthy is more about just bottom-line cost. If you live near a Walmart or Aldi or other more discounted store I believe you can buy healthy food at a very reasonable price but if you only live near Price Chopper or Dollar General, everything there is a lot more expensive (at least in the area of New York I am in). So beyond the actual cost, prep time, shelf life and taste are also major factors. I have bought plenty of fruits and vegetables with the intent to use them before they go bad but somehow still find myself having to waste more than I’d like to. Convenience is so important to families nowadays so buying quick easy food is going to be the go to more than buying food you have to prepare. I know that not everyone has access to newer appliances like an air fryer but with something like that is just as easy to cook fresh vegetables as it is to throw in something frozen, but the vegetables are probably not going to be as satisfying and yummy as whatever frozen food you’re making. I am fully guilty of this! I have no reason to not eat healthier. I understand what I should be eating and I have the means to buy and prepare my own food, but it’s often not what I am ‘craving’ so instead I eat something full of flavor.
As far as the policy that they mentioned in the reading, I feel that it would be very unfair to tax unhealthy food without finding ways to reduce the price of healthier food. I understand the concept but I don’t agree with trying to deter someone from a certain kind of food while not providing them with better options for the other kind.
There are countless factors to consider when providing nutritional education to patients, such as age, health state, culture, socio-economic status, lifestyle, literacy level, access to food and the degree of willingness to even make a change. You are what you eat and making time to incorporate nutritional education can really serve patients in a multitude of ways. A key concept to consider is assessing what the needs of the individual are thus leading to appropriate and quality nutritional education. For example, I would not educate on the importance of drinking 60 oz of filtered water a day to someone who already meets that recommendation. Although the importance of water consumption is vital to the human body, I would spend my time making other nutritional recommendations based on the needs of that individual patient. For example, if someone is low income or struggling financially, I would educate on the importance of using a variety of fresh foods rather than those with a longer shelf life, then go into what the nutritional difference is between the two and, also solutions on where to navigate as well as maintain this kind of change in the diet. Providing education, that includes why a change needs to occur, and how to carry that change out in their own life and current situation are equally important.