Tips Stop Junk Food: एJunk food is a term commonly used to describe ultra-processed foods and beverages such as fast food, soda, candy, cookies, and salty snack foods. These foods make up a large portion of most people's diets. In fact, some study findings suggest that junk food accounts for nearly 50% of the average American's daily calorie intake.

For example, a diet high in junk food is linked to conditions such as obesity, fatty liver, high blood sugar, depression, heart disease and some cancers.

Here are three additional tips, with detailed explanations, to reduce your junk food intake:

1. Cook more meals at home:

Making an effort to cook more meals at home is one of the best ways to cut down on junk food. Often, when people are on the go and have no other meal or snack options, they opt for convenience foods like sweetened coffee drinks, donuts, and fast food.

Cooking more meals at home, including meal preparation, can help reduce your reliance on convenience foods and ensure you always have a healthy meal or snack available. Several studies have shown that people who cook more have better quality diets, including higher intakes of fruits and vegetables and lower intakes of fast food, as well as lower rates of obesity than those who eat out frequently. Plus, they spend less money on food.

If you're not used to cooking meals at home, start slow by preparing one or two meals a week at home and then increase your home meal preparation from there.

2. Eat more protein:

Protein is the most satiating nutrient and has a powerful effect on your food intake and food choices. Studies show that increasing protein intake is an effective way to reduce snacking and prevent overeating, which can help you reduce your junk food intake.

Some research suggests that cutting down on carbs and replacing carbs with sources of fat and protein may help reduce food cravings as well as overall calorie intake. A small 2019 study involving 19 people found that following a high-protein, low-carb diet that consisted of 14% carbs, 58% fat, and 28% protein for four weeks significantly reduced food cravings, including cravings for sweets and fast food.

Ways to increase protein intake:

Include a source of protein at each meal.
Choose lean meats like chicken, turkey or fish.
Include eggs or egg whites in your breakfast.
Snack on nuts and seeds.
Include Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
Use protein powder in smoothies.
Add legumes such as beans, lentils or chickpeas to salads and soups.

3. Fuel your body regularly:

Depriving your body of calories or extreme restrictions on your food intake may seem like an effective way to promote weight loss or curb junk food intake, but it can actually have the opposite effect.

Although the relationship between calorie restriction's effects on cravings and calorie intake is complex, some research suggests that skipping meals and depriving your body of certain foods may increase cravings and snacking.

For example, a 2020 review found that interventions that involved completely avoiding certain foods increased cravings for the foods that were off-limits. Additionally, some studies suggest that skipping meals such as breakfast may increase cravings for carb-rich foods at night.

4. Eat more filling meals

If you're struggling with your diet and food choices, learning more about how certain foods affect your body and hunger levels can help you develop a healthy eating plan and cut down on your junk food intake.

Instead of eating junk food like a donut and sweetened coffee on the way to work, take a moment to think about what your body needs and how that food will affect your blood sugar, hunger levels, and mood. Choosing a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast, like scrambled eggs and fruit with unsweetened coffee, will help you feel much more full after eating, which can help prevent junk food cravings later in the day.

5. Get enough sleep

Sleep is essential for health, and depriving your body of quality sleep can negatively impact your food choices and increase your desire for junk food.

Unfortunately, just one night of poor sleep can affect your food choices the next day. A 2019 study involving 24 women found that when their time in bed was reduced by 33%, which translates to a loss of two to three hours of sleep, the women reported an increase in hunger and food cravings compared to those with a normal night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation was also associated with an increased desire for chocolate and larger portion sizes.

6. Manage your stress

Stress can have a significant impact on your physical and mental health and may even influence your food choices. Although it's impossible to avoid all forms of stress, developing healthy stress management practices may help you cut down on your junk food intake.

Chronic stress has been shown to affect hormones that regulate eating behavior and food choices, such as cortisol.

Interestingly, during acute or short-term stress, your appetite is typically suppressed. However, studies show that chronic stress typically leads to increased cravings and consumption of highly palatable foods such as junk food.

7. Consider overhauling your pantry

If your kitchen is full of junk food, you may want to consider swapping out ultra-processed products for more nutritious options. Keeping your kitchen stocked with highly palatable, easy-to-eat junk food can lead to excessive snacking and increased calorie intake, which can negatively impact health in a number of ways.

Research shows that even looking at tempting foods can stimulate an area of ​​the brain called the striatum, which regulates appetite and the reward we get from food intake. This means that eating highly palatable foods, such as candy, chips, and cookies, can lead to snacking and overeating, even if you don't feel hungry.

8. Don't start a restrictive diet

Following an unnecessarily restrictive diet is not good for overall health and can have a negative impact on your relationship with food. Following an overly-restrictive diet can lead to a harmful cycle of weight loss and regain, commonly known as yo-yo dieting. Yo-yo dieting is not only associated with weight gain over time, but it is also linked to a higher risk of health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.

In addition, most fad diets are overly-restrictive and involve strict rules such as complete abstinence from added sugar or significant carbohydrate reductions. Strict avoidance of specific foods and designating certain foods as “off-limits” can increase cravings for those foods, which can lead to overeating and a generally unhealthy relationship with food.

9. Grocery shop regularly

Having a well-stocked kitchen makes it easier for you to prepare more meals at home and can help you eat less junk food.

If you have trouble staying on track while grocery shopping, or you don't know what to buy, consider making a grocery list. Making a grocery list can not only help you avoid impulse purchases like junk food, but it can also help you create a healthier diet overall. A complete shopping list should include a variety of nutritious foods, such as fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, canned and dried beans, and protein options, such as poultry, fish or tofu.

Summary

If your current diet is high in junk food, there are many ways to help you cut back, such as cooking more meals at home, increasing your protein intake, choosing more filling foods, and managing your stress levels.