Go from junk food to healthy food

Sometimes I think it’s harder to break old habits than to start new ones. Honestly! Trying to switch from something I’ve been doing relatively consistently for years is a tough hurdle to overcome, even when I’m highly motivated to replace it with a more efficient and beneficial way of doing things. Multiply the difficulty by at least 10 when it comes to new health-related habits.  If you tend to gravitate toward unhealthy junk foods, it can be a considerable struggle to change your eating habits to incorporate healthier choices… but it can be done!

Let’s look at several steps you can implement to move beyond your junk food habit and step into a new way of eating that focuses more on healthy, whole foods.

Cut back gradually on junk food

Junk food is loaded with sugar, trans fats, and questionable preservatives, so it’s no wonder that our bodies gets hooked on it.  It may be too much to go cold turkey on your favorite snacks and less-than-healthy foods, so slowly cut back on them. As you train yourself to rely less and less on them, you’ll get a weaker “high” from consuming them, and you’ll be more likely to stick to your healthy eating goals. Consider reducing the amount of sugar you put in your tea or coffee, or replace your Doritos or bags of chips with a healthy fruit of your choice, or some nuts.  Whatever small step you choose, stick with it until you’re comfortable with your new healthy habit. Then move on to another healthy habit.

Stick to foods with five ingredients or fewer

When grocery shopping, stick to the perimeter of the store, which is where you’ll find the fresh produce and unprocessed foods. However, you’ll still need to buy a few items from the inner aisles of the supermarket. Make sure to carefully read the labels of items in those inner aisles, paying special attention to the sugar, salt, and fat percentages. Your goal is to find the healthiest option possible when shopping. The fewer the number of ingredients–and the easier it is to pronounce those ingredients–the better. 

Add more color and texture to your plate

A salad is impossible to eat if you just throw soggy lettuce into a bowl. Yuck! Instead, create a rainbow of colors and a playground of textures. Add cherry or grape tomatoes, red or orange bell peppers, olives, cucumbers, chickpeas, crunchy nuts, and even a bit of goat cheese to please your palate.

Break your bad habit cycles

If you always make a mid-afternoon run to the vending machine at your job, find a way to break that bad connection by replacing it with a healthier habit. Take a walk at that time to keep you from heading toward that vending machine. It takes several weeks to break a bad habit and replace it with a good one, so hang in there! Think of how good you’ll feel about your swapped habit once it becomes second nature. Then you’ll be ready to tackle your next habit swap.

Make healthy foods more accessible

You’re more likely to eat right when you’ve got a healthy snack ready to go. Bag up portions of mixed nuts, make your own trail mix, and keep cut up veggies with hummus around so that you’ll always have a healthy go-to snack. Don’t forget to keep your favorite fruits on hand, and make it a habit to try out a new fruit or nut each week or two.

Don’t keep junk food in the house

I always say that it makes no sense to willingly invite the enemy into your home. In this case, junk food IS your enemy. If you’re serious about turning your back on junk food, you have to keep them out of your house. That way, if/when cravings hit at midnight, you’ll be less eager to feed that need. Train yourself to save sweets and treats for special occasions instead of for late-night snacks.

Allow yourself to be disgusted by junk food

A great way to make the change to eating less processed foods is to really learn what’s in them. Go ahead, pull those packaged foods out and research the ingredients in the labels. Look up all the ingredients you can’t pronounce. They sound much less delicious now, don’t they? 😉

Be patient and kind with yourself as you make these changes to your diet. It took a while to build your “relationship” with junk food, so the switch to healthy food will take a while, too. The key is to make small steps daily, remembering the tips and tricks above. And, be consistent. A junk-food-free life can be yours, too!

Which specific junk foods still call your name? Which ones have you been able to eliminate?

P.S.: Not yet in my Facebook group? Now’s a great time to join in the fun over at Fab and Fit, Healthy and Happy Woman.