Okie this blog entry is with respect to the question asked on Facebook’s Big brain answer. In the real food or junk food question, the option really is no option at all. Real food all the way.
First of all lets clear out what junk food really is. Junk food is something which has very negligible amount of nutrients. A long term diet of junk food will deprive body of precious good nutrients and will lead to obesity and heart diseases.
Real food on the other hand delivers a lot of nutrients to the system. It is not so bad tasting as many would like to think. Only, it will not stand first when compared to junk food like burgers, pizzas, fries etc. World wide the basic component of real food would be foods rich in minerals, vitamins, proteins and medium carbohydrates. The basic food which provide for these would be –
Carbohydrates – Cereals (especially whole cereals), roots and tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, carrots, beets etc)
Proteins – Meat (especially fish and chicken), eggs, pulses (beans, soya, dals), whole grams, milk, cottage cheese, cheese.
Vitamins and Minerals – Fruits and vegetables
Now how we eat them is what cuts the difference between real and junk food. Yummy burgers can be made with all of the above and the same applies for pizzas too. Potatoes can be had roasted with a bit of good fresh butter melting over it. Roasted meat is far better than deep fried ones. Also when meat is spiced then it requires no MSG suffused sauce even! So instead of heading to the nearest fast food joint to appease your hunger, if you’d go to a decent restaurant which serves a good meal then half the problem is taken care of.
Sandwiches made out of whole wheat bread or at least with 50% wheat have more fiber then plain refined flour ones. One could spruce up the sandwiches by adding a dollop of cream cheese or a thin cheese slice or eggless mayo. Add lettuce leaves, roasted chicken pieces/ smoked fish, cucumber (which is an amazing catabolic food) and viola you have got a decent sandwich ready!!
Salads can be made fun by opting for low fat dressing instead of no dressing at all.
Juices or fresh fruit (blue berry, goose berry, orange, apple) on the way to work or at work takes care of vitamin and mineral intake. Taking the time to read the ingredients in any product and deciding on an option that has less added sugar and sweetners, could benefit you in the long run in that you can blindly opt for these juices instead of getting swayed by other products in the super market.
Granola bars, non salted nuts, digestive biscuits, crackers with cream cheese or eggless mayo make good snack items.
All said and done, indulging in a super fatty burger or choco chip ice cream once a week will keep you feeling happy and non-deprived. Most of all, the trick I have learnt is to say ‘no’ to yourself when temptation strikes. But that’s a different blog post all together. Hope this entry is of use to you.
First of all lets clear out what junk food really is. Junk food is something which has very negligible amount of nutrients. A long term diet of junk food will deprive body of precious good nutrients and will lead to obesity and heart diseases.
Real food on the other hand delivers a lot of nutrients to the system. It is not so bad tasting as many would like to think. Only, it will not stand first when compared to junk food like burgers, pizzas, fries etc. World wide the basic component of real food would be foods rich in minerals, vitamins, proteins and medium carbohydrates. The basic food which provide for these would be –
Carbohydrates – Cereals (especially whole cereals), roots and tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, carrots, beets etc)
Proteins – Meat (especially fish and chicken), eggs, pulses (beans, soya, dals), whole grams, milk, cottage cheese, cheese.
Vitamins and Minerals – Fruits and vegetables
Now how we eat them is what cuts the difference between real and junk food. Yummy burgers can be made with all of the above and the same applies for pizzas too. Potatoes can be had roasted with a bit of good fresh butter melting over it. Roasted meat is far better than deep fried ones. Also when meat is spiced then it requires no MSG suffused sauce even! So instead of heading to the nearest fast food joint to appease your hunger, if you’d go to a decent restaurant which serves a good meal then half the problem is taken care of.
Sandwiches made out of whole wheat bread or at least with 50% wheat have more fiber then plain refined flour ones. One could spruce up the sandwiches by adding a dollop of cream cheese or a thin cheese slice or eggless mayo. Add lettuce leaves, roasted chicken pieces/ smoked fish, cucumber (which is an amazing catabolic food) and viola you have got a decent sandwich ready!!
Salads can be made fun by opting for low fat dressing instead of no dressing at all.
Juices or fresh fruit (blue berry, goose berry, orange, apple) on the way to work or at work takes care of vitamin and mineral intake. Taking the time to read the ingredients in any product and deciding on an option that has less added sugar and sweetners, could benefit you in the long run in that you can blindly opt for these juices instead of getting swayed by other products in the super market.
Granola bars, non salted nuts, digestive biscuits, crackers with cream cheese or eggless mayo make good snack items.
All said and done, indulging in a super fatty burger or choco chip ice cream once a week will keep you feeling happy and non-deprived. Most of all, the trick I have learnt is to say ‘no’ to yourself when temptation strikes. But that’s a different blog post all together. Hope this entry is of use to you.
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