If we are not willing to settle for junk living, We certainly should not settle for junk food – Sally Edwards
Junk or fast food has gained extreme popularity globally in the 21st century.
There is no part of this world where one cannot find junk foods like pizzas, french fries, etc.
Yes, it looks appealing and is extremely tasty, but many are less aware of the fact that it provides less nutritional value than the healthy foods.
While some people can control their cravings for junk food, some can’t & if you seem to fall in the latter category, this “how to avoid eating junk food” guide is just for you.
Why is it so hard to stop eating junk food?
Some people find avoiding junk food extremely difficult because of a hormone inside our brain known as “Dopamine”. What this hormone does is force us to repeat a rewarding behavior. Eating certain types of food like bag of chips, chocolate bars, fast food, ice cream & microwave meals, which contain a very high amount of added sugar, salt, fat, trans fats and artificial flavors (intentionally added by food manufacturers to ignite the cycle of addiction) results in a release of a high level of dopamine in our brain, tempting you to continue eating them.
Is it possible to avoid junk food?
How to avoid junk food? Is it even possible? You might be asking yourself ! Yes, it is by training your mind to eat healthy, but do not expect the change to happen overnight! One can stop or cut junk food cravings over some time by making slight adjustments to their eating habits.
Just start eating natural foods containing high levels of protein and healthy fats like fish, chicken, brown rice, almonds, beets etc which means that you will be automatically consuming less amount of carbohydrates.
But don’t let this fool you. it might sound easy but believe us that it is not! It is difficult to get rid of the habit you have developed since a young age & that is why to make your life easier, we will be discussing on the topic “how to stop eating junk food” just by using the simple methods mentioned below.
How to avoid eating junk food using 10 simple steps
1. Get enough sleep
Getting enough sleep is one of the best ways to avoid junk food. According to a study, even a single sleepless night will increase your cravings for junk food. Whenever one is sleep deprived, metabolic changes occur inside the body, which one tends to compensate for by eating more unhealthy food.
So how can you avoid this? It is simple! All you need to do is have enough sleep, a minimum of 8 hours a day, so that whenever you wake up the next morning, you will feel less sleepy and more energetic. In addition, you will also feel less hungry, and your craving for salty and fatty food will also reduce.
Also, develop a habit of eating a few hours before going to sleep to avoid indigestion due to a full stomach.
Below is the chart showing recommended sleep by age group:
| Age Group | Recommended Hours of Sleep |
|---|---|
| Newborns (0-3 months) | 14-17 hours |
| Infants (4-11 months) | 12-15 hours |
| Toddlers (1-2 years) | 11-14 hours |
| Preschoolers (3-5 years) | 10-13 hours |
| School-age Children (6-13 years) | 9-11 hours |
| Teenagers (14-17 years) | 8-10 hours |
| Young Adults (18-25 years) | 7-9 hours |
| Adults (26-64 years) | 7-9 hours |
| Older Adults (65+ years) | 7-8 hours |
2. Drink plenty of water
Sometimes the brain tends to get confused between hunger and thirst, so the next time you feel like consuming junk food, drink a few cups of water instead of soft drinks and wait for a few minutes & you will notice that your cravings have just disappeared. It is because your body was not hungry but thirsty.
Even if you were hungry, drinking water would help you by reducing your hunger. Apart from that, it would also help in reducing your appetite and weight loss by making you feel full.
If in case drinking water does not help, try consuming healthy snacks instead.
recommended daily water intake based on gender and age:
| Age Group | Gender | Recommended Daily Water Intake |
|---|---|---|
| 0-6 months | Both | 0.7-0.8 L/day |
| 7-12 months | Both | 0.9-1.0 L/day |
| 1-3 years | Both | 1.0-1.3 L/day |
| 4-8 years | Both | 1.3-1.7 L/day |
| 9-13 years | Male | 2.4 L/day |
| 9-13 years | Female | 2.1 L/day |
| 14-18 years | Male | 3.3 L/day |
| 14-18 years | Female | 2.3 L/day |
| 19+ years | Male | 3.7 L/day |
| 19+ years | Female | 2.7 L/day |
3. Start consuming fresh fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals like potassium, vitamin c, and folate & also contain dietary fiber, which can help you avoid health issues like constipation, blood sugar and other digestive problems. It also helps prevent bowel cancer, maintain weight, and eliminate your cravings for junk food.
List of top 5 fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants and water.
Top 5 Fruits:
- Blueberries – high in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C
- Apples – rich in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C
- Kiwi – packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber
- Oranges – high in vitamin C, folate, and potassium
- Bananas – a good source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6
Top 5 Vegetables:
- Spinach – rich in iron, vitamin K, and antioxidants
- Broccoli – high in fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K
- Sweet potatoes – a good source of fiber, vitamin A, and potassium
- Brussels sprouts – packed with fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K
- Carrots – rich in beta-carotene, fiber, and vitamin K
4. Increase the consumption of home cooked meals
Consuming home-cooked meals has always been a better option; Why? Because we have complete control over the ingredients, we can add into it example: pulses, grains & other items which are a rich source of protein beneficial for both our body and mind. Junk food, on the other hand, is known to cause various health issues.
5. Make a habit of shopping wisely
So how can you shop wisely? Just by being organized and the best way of being organized is by making a shopping list beforehand, like fruits and vegetables, cereals and pulses, and meat and fish. It will stop you from reaching out to those shiny packaged food items and tempting killer treats.
Also, keep a keen eye on the food label to avoid buying items having a high amount of corn starch syrup, fructose, etc.
6. Start your day on a right note
Whenever starting your day, drink a glass of water or green tea and try to stay away from highly processed food as much as possible, especially in the morning, because starting your day off with processed food items can impact your memory, make you lose your face luster & make you prone to various digestive problems.
7. Distract yourself
The next time you feel like having junk food, try to distract yourself by doing other activities. Take a long shower, call your friend and talk with them, have a big glass of water, drink herbal tea, or try consuming items having zero calories.
8. learn stress management
People tend to opt for bad and unhealthy food whenever stressed, known as stress eating, forcing them to consume food with higher kilojoules but having fewer vitamins and minerals.
Here is where learning stress management becomes extremely important as it will help you understand and manage your daily stress resulting in better health and waistline.
Also, don’t hesitate to take help from your doctor or mental health professional if required.
9. Start chewing gums
According to Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Louisiana State University, chewing gum can drastically reduce people’s craving for junk food. People who chewed gums claimed to maintain their high energy levels throughout the day and even felt less drowsy.
10. Plan your meals
One of the easiest ways to avoid eating junk food is planning your meals, which will help you choose, purchase and prepare meals and snacks on regular basis. Junk food does not require planning & is something that people have easy access to. Planning meals will provide you with less scope to cheat yourself.
Let’s keep it simple. All you have to do is incorporate healthy meal and start innovating and developing healthy eating habits by practicing mindful eating, which will also lessen your chance of craving junk food.
Find simple meal plan chart below (Go for grocery shopping to get the needed ingredients for the items below.)
| Meal | Food item menu |
|---|---|
| Breakfast | Scrambled eggs with spinach, whole wheat toast, and sliced avocado |
| Snack | Apple slices with almond butter |
| Lunch | Grilled chicken salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and balsamic vinaigrette |
| Snack | Carrots and hummus |
| Dinner | Baked salmon with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli |
| Dessert | Greek yogurt with sliced strawberries and honey |
Conclusion
So there you go! We hope that this guide on “how to stop junk food cravings” proves helpful to the people, especially those who cannot eliminate their cravings for junk food. The methods mentioned above might work for some and might not for others. Try these out and let us know if it worked for you guys by commenting in the comments section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can a healthy person eat junk food?
Q2. How much junk food is ok?
Q3. How to eat junk food in healthy way?
Q4. How can i replace junk food?
1) Dark chocolate instead of candy bars
2) Homemade kale chips instead of packed potato chips
3) Coconut water instead of sugary drinks
4) Yogurt Popsicles instead of ice-creams
5) Steal cut oats instead of cereals
6) Nuts instead of candy
7) Low-sugar fruits instead of cookies
Q5. Which junk food is healthy?
References:
- Kris Gunnars; How Food Addiction Works (and What to Do About It). https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-food-addiction-works
- Elaine Maggie; Junk Food Facts. https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/junk-food-facts
- Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419133824.htm
- Christy Brissette; How much junk food can you ‘get away with’ and still be healthy?. https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/101912532/how-much-junk-food-can-you-get-away-with-and-still-be-healthy
- Henry Ford Health Staff; How To Give A Healthy Makeover To Your Favorite Junk Foods. https://www.henryford.com/blog/2021/05/junk-food-makeover
- Paulina Corvi; 7 Healthy Snacks to Replace Junk Food. https://www.eventsbypaulinacorvi.com/bridal-style-tips/7-healthy-snacks-to-replace-junk-food
- Sowmya Binu; Junk Food Vs Healthy Food: Advantages, Disadvantages And Healthier Food Choices. https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/junk-food-vs-healthy-food-advantages-disadvantages-and-healthier-food-choices
Also Read:
What are ill effects of junk food
