5 ways to eat less junk food

All it takes is a little creativity & creativity.

1) Go cold turkey, and have a plan
Going cold turkey might be for you if you're not good at moderation or self-limiting. If you just decide that you are completely going to stop eating junk food, make sure that you have a snack plan.  Are you going to eat fruit instead? Other great options are homemade snacks, healthy crackers, or nuts. You can also try drinking water.


2) Don't keep junk food in your house
If it's not in your home, you (or your housemates or family members) won't go to it as a default.  Again, it's helpful here to have healthy, replacement snacks for when you need to nosh.

3)Ban the vending machine
If you tend to eat the majority of your junk food at work where there is a vending machine, make a rule for yourself that the vending machine is off-limits.

4) Learn how to make your own sweets & savories
Make a rule for yourself that the only snacks you're allowed to have are ones that are home made.  In my household, we've spent several years cultivating our cooking skills.  Instead of boxed cookies and crackers, we now eat homemade granola, homemade cocoa and mocha, lots of fresh fruit and yogurt, homemade fruit & nut bars, fresh whole-grain banana bread, nuts, cheese, homemade coconut-date rolls, house made oat squares, homemade dips, and healthier no-bake cookies.  (I promise to post more of these recipes soon!)

5) Buy snacks that are minimally processed
If you know you aren't going to cook and you want some healthy options for snacks, you can still buy them.  These options are certainly more expensive than regular junk food, but they're also more satisfying and filling.  Great options for savories are Mary's Gone Crackers, Dr Kracker, crispbread, nuts or sprouted bread.  For sweets, fresh fruit and dried fruit are excellent options.  Organic Dark chocolate is low in sugar and has health benefits if eaten in moderation--great brands are green & black, taza, Theo, Equal Exchange, and Scharffen Berger

Related Posts: Which Sweetener is best?, 6 ways to reduce your sugar consumption, 10 ways to reduce portion sizes