Article on Junk Food

Pizzas? Burgers? Pani puri? Cakes? Are any of these your favourite foods? Want to know how you can have your favourite food and still stay healthy? This article on junk food will take you through all that you need to know about junk food.

Table of Contents

• If It Is Food, Why Is It Junk?
• Checkpoints to Help You Stay Healthy
• Spreading the Word
• FAQ on Junk Food

If It Is Food, Why Is It Junk?

Food is generally any substance that is meant to provide nutritional support and help one survive. It boosts one’s immune system, strengthen the bones, help different functions of the body, including the digestive system, keep all organs functioning, lower the risk of diseases, support muscles and promote overall growth.

Every human being has different food habits and food preferences. Based on the preferences, they can be categorised mainly into vegetarian and non-vegetarian consumers. A vegetarian diet usually consists of grams, pulses, vegetables, fruits, healthy fat and protein-rich food like legumes, nuts, seeds, etc. On the contrary, a non-vegetarian diet includes all kinds of dairy products, meat, fish, seafood, poultry and eggs. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods provide the necessary nutrients that the human body needs to convert into energy to perform the various functions of the body.

Have you ever wondered why some of the food items we have are called ‘junk food’? Food like cakes, biscuits, processed meat, packaged foods, snacks, sweets, chocolates, carbonated and alcoholic drinks come under the category of junk food as they fail to serve the purpose of having food for nutrition. Junk food includes all food that is high in calories, fat or sugar with very less proteins, minerals or vitamins that are required for the human body.

There are many reasons why all these junk foods seem to be tastier than normal nutritious foods. Human beings tend to have a strong liking for salt, sugar and fat, and this is what is excessively used in junk foods.

Checkpoints to Help You Stay Healthy

Haven’t you ever felt that you could eat what you love and still be healthy? Here are a few ways to keep a check on your health while getting to eat your favourite food at the same time.

• If you are a person who has junk food every day, try cutting down a little and have a balanced diet.
• If you are a person who loves to have carbonated drinks all the time, try to reduce them and substitute them with fresh fruit juices and health drinks.
• Try making your own burgers, pizzas, cakes, etc., as you could be at least a little conscious of the ingredients you add. This will also help you identify the kind of substances that are a part of your favourite food and therefore be mindful of it.
• Keep your weight in check. Take care to work out and burn your calories regularly so that your body does not accumulate unhealthy fat but burn them and keep you healthy instead.
• Try consuming low sugar, low salt and low-fat food and drinks to stay healthy.

Spreading the Word

It is important to understand that health is the most important factor to live a happy life. Having your favourite foods is what everyone wants but see to that you have food that is healthy and nutritious too. Any change starts with an individual’s decision to alter his/her lifestyle choices. The reason it is very difficult to bring change is that not many know of the harmful effects of any of the problems one is facing. The more one eats junk food, the more it eats one’s health away. The health hazards caused by junk foods are more serious than one thinks. The food sure looks tempting and tasty too, but there is nothing healthy or nutritious that could come from junk food. It makes you feel lethargic and lazy. Junk food contains high amounts of carbohydrates which in turn spike your blood sugar levels. It increases the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases.

Mass-produced packaged foods, which are used to make popular and most loved foods like burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, pasta, aerated drinks, etc., are loaded with ingredients that increase the levels of cholesterol and fat, which in turn results in obesity. Today’s children face problems of obesity even at a very young age when most of their grandparents are still fit and fine. Young women, especially, face hormonal issues leading to Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) and pregnancy-related problems.

Spreading the word about the various health hazards that emerge as a result of junk food is the need of the hour. Switching to healthy plates with equal quantities of fruits and vegetables on one side and the rest with proteins, pulses, and grains can be an apt alternative.