How often do you sit down with a giant bag of chips, a huge soda and then sigh to yourself and think “man, I really should start eating healthier” before diving into your food and drink? If you are like most of us, you do this a lot. In fact, you might think it every time you reach for the Doritos. The good news is that there are quite a few foods that we think of as “junk” that can actually be good for us! Thank goodness!
Think about the foods you consider to be “junk” or “unhealthy.” Some of these foods are perfectly healthy foods; it is just the way that they are prepared that makes them unhealthy. Look at French fries. Potatoes, by themselves, aren’t unhealthy until they are deep fried in oil. Baked potatoes are a reasonable alternative and you still get the starchy, salty satisfaction. Pizza is a perfectly respectable dinner provided that it is cooked correctly, without too much cheese, not too greasy and has healthy toppings: a veggie lover’s pizza, for example, is quite a nice dinner!
One of the best ways to avoid junk food is to find the junk food that is actually fairly good for you:
1. Ice cream sweetened with natural sweeteners like fruit instead of straight sugar is a wonderful dessert. If you can afford it, buy one of the reasonably priced ice cream makers at the store and make your own—that way you can control just how healthy (and tasty!) the ice cream will be.
2. Hamburgers, when served on whole wheat buns and not topped with pools of mayonnaise or butter and made of lean beef can be a wonderful main course. If you top your burger with some vegetables you could have a full course meal with just that one item! For healthier results, cook your burgers on a grill instead of frying them.
3. Potato Chips: the baked versions of your favorite potato chips contain fewer calories and less fat than the traditional versions. Most baked chips have more flavor as well, which makes them more fun to eat as well as healthier for you.
The key to making sure your junk food isn’t super bad for you is to pay attention to the way it is prepared. Foods that are fried in oil or grease aren’t that great but chances are that those same foods when baked or grilled are perfectly acceptable snacks and meal items. Look at the fat content of your favorite junk foods. Some fat can actually be good for you so you don’t need to avoid fat entirely, but be on the lookout for trans fats and keep them at a minimum.
The reason junk food is so popular is because it tastes so good. Once upon a time people believed that, in order to eat healthfully, the taste of the food had to be sacrificed. Thankfully people have gotten wiser and realized that there is no reason to give up taste for health. Some of the best “junk” foods (pizza, burgers, and chips) can be reasonably healthy depending on the way they are prepared!