Junk food is not good for your diet, it has very little, if any, nutritional value, but that doesn't stop us from craving it.
It's hard to resist when you're tired and hungry, or even when you just want to binge on things that are bad for you - come on everyone does it. But it's important that you try to kick the bad habit of eating crappy foods or you'll be stuck in a never-ending cycle.
Fighting temptation will get easier over time, so follow these four tips to see if you can overcome the need for junk food in your diet.
Table of Contents
Identify the craving
The chances are when the temptation of junk food makes an appearance; your body is actually craving something completely different. A particular food craving could mean that there is something lacking from your diet, so when you next crave something sweet or savoury, try one of these alternatives and see if it makes a difference.
Chocolate – Magnesium could be in fact what your body needs. During menstruation your magnesium levels tend to drop, making you crave chocolate, so instead snack on natural fruits or nuts or take a vitamin/mineral supplement.
Sweets – Your body is most likely to be lacking in chromium, carbon phosphorous, sulphur or tryptophan and you can get this from grapes, cheese, chicken, eggs, diary or nuts.
Bread – You need to eat more nitrogen which you’ll find in high protein foods like fish, chicken, nuts and beans.
Fizzy drinks – Calcium levels could be dipping in your body. So try eating more mustard, broccoli, kale, legumes, dairy and sesame.
Can you turn away from cakes and treats?
Plan ahead
It’s easy to be caught out when you’re rushing round all day; when you’re short of time you’re more likely to reach for fast food that’s devoid of nutrients, so planning ahead is always best.
Whether you keep healthy snacks in your handbag every day, plan your meals for the week, or now the healthier options available to pick up on-the-go, these will all help you to avoid the unhealthy options that are available to you.
Remember how you last felt when you ate it
The chances are you didn’t feel good the last time you caved into the temptation of junk food. It leaves you feeling sluggish, can have adverse effects on your skin and can leave your stomach feeling a little off. Try your best to visualise these feelings and when you do you’re likely not to want to eat the Chinese takeaway or pizza – a healthier alternative is much more appealing for that good feeling afterwards.
Find an alternative
The internet is awash with healthy food alternatives that we love, cauliflower pizza crusts, cauliflower rice, courgettes in place of pasta, mushrooms in place of a burger bun - it's all about taking the time to plan your meals, know what you want and thinking of how to make it healthier. It can be done, and you'll feel much more satisfied eating a healthy, delicious meal that you've been craving and haven't caved in the wrong way.
Get more for your calories with nutritionally dense fruits