Junk Food

Contrary to popular belief, I am not the "junk food police". I truly believe that you can find a way to include most foods as part of a healthy diet. Just this afternoon, I had a homemade sugar cookie with sprinkles and sugar that my girls made at Grandma's house.  I even made a homemade caramelized onion dip for chips for my family gathering this weekend.  I do however, try to limit how much junk food I eat.

My goal is to be healthy. I want to feel good. I want to be a good role model for my family.   When I eat too much junk, I feel terrible. I don't have as much energy. Sometimes it even impacts my mood and I obviously put on an extra few pounds.  I am also missing out on important nutrients that fuel my body and keep everything working as it should. It is hard on the blood vessels and puts me at risk for a long list of chronic diseases.  That doesn't mean that I don't love a piece of banana cake or my absolute favorite splurge, Pizza Wagon Pizza..


I try to keep track of those "junk food" parts of my diet and make sure they are not taking over.  In my last post, I mentioned my food journal that I use at least every other month to make sure I am on track.  For junk food, I try to use the 90/10 rule (inspired by a fellow PSU nutrition alum).  Basically, that means that 90 percent of the food I am eating should be healthy and the other 10% can be a splurge.  That allows me to enjoy those guilty pleasures like buffalo chicken dip or PCLs homemade chex mix but still take care of myself.  It is easy to see if I am on track when I write it down.  I can almost just count the food items and as long as I see that the majority fall into the fruits, veggies & lean proteins I know I am on track. If more than 1 out of every 10 things I write is "junk" , it is too much.  That is a trigger for me to dig deeper into my choices. At that point, I need to look at the amounts too.

I am human, foods do tempt me. I don't ever completely deny myself something. It isn't about willpower.  It is about knowing my limits. I have learned that sometimes satisfying the craving with a small amount can prevent me from a huge indulgence later.  So while maybe instead of eating a bag of bbq potato chips, I may just have a one or two. Most of the time it will do the trick.  Maybe instead of eating a bunch of cookies, I just have one cookie like I did today.  The key is to learn what will work for you to find balance between those splurges and the healthful choices.  I write it down. It keeps me honest. Try it; it may work for you too.