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Plant seeds in his mind to sprout more consciousness about eating.
By Nancy Lee Bentley
Last updated on Feb 28, 2024
Food has an undeniable impact on our moods, as well as our health. Even though some men might claim they are "tougher," guys are still highly affected by what they eat. It shows up in their mood, energy, attractiveness, and how you interact as a couple. It can be disturbing and upsetting when the man you love doesn't have healthy eating habits.
You know the quality of food and nutrition counts, but he doesn't. Or doesn't care. He relishes indulging in junk food. As infuriating as this may be, you have choices on getting him to eat healthier and how you will deal with this.
You probably have a greater impact on his eating habits than you think. What are some specific things you can do to support your man's less-than-stellar eating habits and health for sharing a long life?
Here are nine little ways to get a man to eat better
1. Understand you can't make him do anything.
However, you can inspire him to be the best he can be. There's a big difference, especially with men. We're all driven and deeply affected by our hormones, more than we've realized. Author John Gray in Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice, says men live for the appreciation and reinforcement they get from their spouses, which stimulates healthy testosterone levels.
2. Lead by example.
Set a precedent and stick with it. Committing to eating healthy is probably the single most effective way to influence your mate's eating — and your future family's health — for the better. We influence our partner's eating habits, for better and for worse. Taking responsibility for yourself and making a conscious commitment to healthy lifelong eating is a powerful step you can make as a woman, paying big dividends for the long haul.
3. Nurture, don't pester.
Most men are problem solvers who feel competent and powerful, according to John Gray, but respond poorly to criticism. Praising and showing your appreciation for his healthy eating choices is likely to be 100 percent more fruitful than making him feel wrong by pointing out his bad ones.
After you've asked yourself why you want him to change, you can share with him from the heart how you feel, how you want the best for him, and how you're concerned about his health and happiness. And then ask him, directly and plainly, what you want him to do. "Men respond best to this," says author John Gray. "If I support your health by buying good food and making it taste good, will you eat it so we can be healthier and live longer together?" You might share this article with him or have him read Venus on Fire, and Mars on Ice — it's a huge eye-opener.
4. Let the fruit be sweet enough.
I recently made a new friend of my hairdresser's 5-year-old when I intercepted his whining for sweets with a question: "You know sugar's a fooler, right?" He looked at me wide-eyed. Jokingly, I pursued, "Oh, but I'm sure you don't get all hyper from candy or all cranky after you eat it, do you? Oh yeah, it tastes so good, but then it sneaks up on you and smacks you right in the head. Bam!"
"Yeah," was the reluctant response.
"Apples are sweet though, and they're really good for you," I added.
He smiled and said, "Mom, can I have an apple? Can we talk some more?"
5. Let him see how he feels.
Even 5-year-olds know when they eat junk, it makes them feel terrible. So if (or more probably when) he indulges, you can get your guy to acknowledge how lousy he feels from eating all those processed snacks or drive-through take-out, you've planted a seed that can sprout into more of his consciousness about eating.
6. Stock healthy foods, even snacks.
Skip center-of-the-store processed and shop around-the-perimeter real food. Buy quantities of raw nuts, seeds, unsweetened coconut, and dried fruit at a wholesale store or through mail order, then make up large batches of trail mix in a large mixing bowl or pot. Divide up by cupfuls into small, re-closable baggies. Load up the freezer door so he can reach in and grab one for himself on the way out the door. They are tasty, satisfying, and nutritious for both of you.
7. Buy healthier versions of the foods you both love.
If it works for you, buy organic. If it's not in the soil, it won't be in the food. Organic food has more minerals, thus more flavor.
Homemade pizza made with whole wheat flour, roasted vegetables, and organic cheese is so much tastier and more satisfying than that cardboardy, metallic-tasting stuff from the freezer or take-out. Using more nutrient-rich, fresh, organic vegetables in salads and stir-fries, with some added protein, equals satisfying one-dish meals in any season, even for a guy. More nutrient density equals feeling nourished with less food.
8. Become a sneaky cook.
There are a ton of clever, sleight-of-hand strategies you can use to create versions of his favorite foods that are delicious and healthier. For example, substituting whole wheat pasta or gradually increasing amounts of whole grain flour in breads or pancakes is hardly perceptible to most guys.
You can boost the fiber by adding canned beans and other vegetables like finely chopped carrots and celery to sloppy Joe or chili. Colorful greens like spinach or kale cut into fine strips called chiffonade more easily slip unnoticed into salads or stir-fries.
9. Get a garden going, or go direct.
Now's the time to start pouring through seed catalogs and making plans for creating your little garden this year, even a small patch of herbs or vegetables in a window box. Or pots or stackable towers on your porch or patio. Grabbing some fresh lettuce, zucchini, or parsley right outside your backdoor or front yard is a delicious and nutritious treat. It's much more satisfying and revitalizing than store-bought. Or join a local vegetable CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) project and get a fresh box or basket of fresh-picked organic vegetables every week. Make acquiring healthy food a part of your weekly or weekend activities, maybe visiting a farmer's market or local seasonal store.
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Nancy Lee Bentley is a dynamic holistic health Expert, visionary new thought leader, professional speaker, author, and coach. A champion of sustainability, she has been sowing the seeds of personal and planetary health, making connections, and building the “soil-to-spirit” bridge for over three decades.