How to Break the Junk Food Habit

Junk food has its appeal because it’s quick to prepare. For busy office workers, this is a godsend. They don’t have time to worry about preparing meals while they are burning the midnight oil before deadlines.

However, it becomes just as easy to get into the junk food habit at home. You come home from work, and your spouse arrives right after you. Both of you are tired, so preparing a meal is out of the question. One of you suggests to the other to order take out.

While it is okay to eat junk food on occasion, it should not be the main staple of your diet. It drags you down and packs on the pounds. Over time, it will lead to heart disease which could kill you. Not eating junk food is a challenge, because eating junk food is an easy way to fix a meal after a long working day.

To reduce your junk food intake, consider preparing several meals on your day off. Place these meals in the freezer, and you can take them to work with you. Most companies have a microwave oven, so it is simply a matter of putting the meal in the microwave and turning it on for a minute or two.

Of course, the meals you prepare should be as healthy as possible. People often pass off bringing their meals from home as eating healthy. While this is possible, it’s not a given. If you are planning on bringing your meals into work frequently, you may want to consult with a qualified dietician. Most people don’t know what is healthy and what is not. The average person does not know how to determine what is healthy.

Learn how to count calories or hire a dietician. Either will enable you to see just how high in calories junk food is. You should be able to look up the calories of a Big Mac from McDonald’s. Since most of McDonald’s food comes in standard sizes, these should not fluctuate too much from one to the next.

You should be able to find the appropriate information online. However, if you don’t feel the numbers reported are correct, feel free to call the company directly. Most will be willing to answer any questions you have, regarding the foods you eat.

For junk food that isn’t standard (like the Big Mac), try to guess if no data is available. For instance, if you buy a hamburger at an unknown fast food restaurant, use the Big Mac as a baseline. How much bigger is the hamburger compared to the Big Mac, etc.

A good way to replace bad habits is to reward yourself when you make healthy choices. For instance, set a goal for the week to reduce your junk food by a specific percentage and replace with healthy fruit or vegetable choices and when you do, choose something you’ve been wanting to buy, like a new set of earrings, a cool pair of shorts or tennies, or even a great jacket or dress.

Remember, less junk and more whole, organic foods straight from nature will keep you on the road to great health.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *