Before we get too far into things, let me say loud and clear that there is nothing wrong with eating carbs. In their whole format, they are nutrient-dense foods that can certainly be incorporated into a healthy diet, however, there is a time and a place for everything when it comes to nutrition. Depending on your personal goals, temporarily limiting carbohydrate-rich foods in your diet can have positive side effects. Whether someone is trying to address their blood sugar, manage their weight, or increase mental clarity, opting for low-carb food swaps is a great way to help you reach your goals without feeling deprived. So, if you are looking to cut down on carbs, but don’t want to compromise on flavor, here are 11 low-carb food swaps that are equally delicious and nutritious.

 

Easy Low-Carb Food Swaps

Here are 11 easy low-carb swaps you can try today.

1. Swap Rice for Quinoa or Cauliflower Rice

Although often considered a grain, quinoa is actually a seed that contains fat, and protein and although it does contain carbohydrates it is relatively low compared to other grains. Compared to white rice, quinoa contains double the protein, coming in at 8 grams per cup as opposed to 4 grams per cup, and is just as easy to cook. In addition to quinoa, cauliflower is also a great low-carb swap for white rice. Although it may seem a little odd, cauliflower rice is essentially just cauliflower blitzed in a food processor until it resembles rice, and then cooked by steaming it or stir-frying it until tender. Not only is it delicious, but cauliflower rice contains almost 90% fewer carbs than white rice and double the fiber making it a great low-carb swap.

2. Swap Spaghetti for Zucchini Noodles or Spaghetti Squash

Pasta is a favorite dish for many so finding low-carb alternatives can make sticking to your game plan a whole lot easier. Although they sound like a lot of work, making zucchini noodles is actually really easy; all you need is a spiralizer, a few minutes and you’ll have zoodles for days that you can easily substitute in your favorite pasta dish. However, if zucchini is not your thing, not to worry, spaghetti squash works equally well, if not better. Simply cut a spaghetti squash in half, roast it in the oven, and then scrape out the cooked strands out with a fork. In addition to being delicious, using zucchini noodles and spaghetti squash is a great way to add more veggies to your diet.

3. Swap Mashed Potatoes for Cauliflower Mash or Celeriac Mash

Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food and rightfully so, they are rich, creamy, and delicious. The good news is if you are trying to keep things low-carb there are a ton of delicious swaps that you can make that will hit the comfort food spot! Once cooked and mashed, cauliflower easily takes on the consistency of mashed potatoes, and you can easily jazz it up with garlic, herbs, and seasonings to your liking. Alternatively, celeriac, also known as celery root, is a root vegetable that can serve as a delicious alternative to mashed potatoes. Not only does celeriac contain a quarter of the carbs that potatoes do, but it is also much less expensive than cauliflower making it an ideal low-carb swap.

4. Swap Roasted Potatoes for Roasted Rutabaga or Roasted Radishes

If you love the crispy crunchiness of roasted potatoes I highly suggest that you give roasted rutabaga and radishes a try! Much like potatoes, rutabaga is a root vegetable, however, it contains half of the carbohydrates making it a great substitute, and it can easily be roasted whole, cubed, sliced, or cut into fries for a simple low-carb side dish. Plus, although radishes are most frequently used in salads or eaten raw on their own, once roasted they take on a sweet flavor and tender texture that pairs well with any main course and they contain a small fraction of the carbohydrates found in classic roasted potatoes.

5. Swap Wraps for Collard Wraps or Lettuce Wraps

By this point, most people have likely heard of swapping tortillas for lettuce wraps, however, collard green wraps may be new to some. Since collard greens are quite large in size, they are ideal for wrapping up sandwiches, burgers, tacos, burritos, and pretty much anything else you can think of. They can certainly be eaten raw, however, if you find the flavor too bitter you can quickly blanch them in water to help cut the bitterness and provide a more tender texture at the same time.

6. Swap Croutons for Nuts or Seeds

Although they may not seem like much, those croutons in your salad can quickly add up to a couple of slices of bread which is less than ideal if you are trying to watch your carb intake! So, if you are looking to add a little crunch to your salad, opt for a handful of nuts and/or seeds instead. Raw almonds, walnuts, and pecans all work really well, as do pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and if you are looking for a little extra flavor you can also give them a quick roast. Not only do they taste great, but nuts and seeds provide healthy fat and a touch of plant-based protein to any salad.

7. Swap Bread Crumbs for Ground Almonds or Shredded Coconut

There is nothing better than the crunchy exterior of breaded chicken and fish, fortunately, there are plenty of low-carb alternatives that you can use in your favorite dishes. Almond meal, or ground almonds, is a great low-carb swap for classic “Shake n’ Bake” recipes or oven-baked chicken fingers, as it adheres well to any meat and crisps up well in the oven, or if you are looking for a little island vibe, shredded coconut provides a ton of texture and flavour and works really well on poultry and seafood like in these coconut crusted fish tacos.

8. Swap Toast for Sweet Potato Toast

Let’s be honest, finding a complete low-carb alternative to bread is pretty tough, but if you are in a pinch, sweet potato toast can certainly help fill the gap! Just as the name implies, sweet potato toast is made by thinly slicing sweet potatoes length-wise and cooking them in a toaster as you would regular toast. They may take a little longer to cook than regular toast, but once cooked sweet potato toast provides the perfect texture, sturdiness, and crunchiness to hold your favorite toppings in a low-carb way.

9. Swap Burger Buns for Lettuce Wraps or Mushroom Caps

The easiest way to do a low-carb burger is just to eat it bunless, but if you want something that you can grab onto, lettuce wraps and mushroom caps both work really well. A lettuce wrap is certainly the simplest swap, although it may be a little juicy to eat, and while a mushroom cap burger may require a little more work, it is definitely worth the effort. Although they can technically be eaten raw, portobello mushroom caps are best when grilled, and given they have the same shape as a burger bun they cover a burger very well.

10. Swap Lasagna Noodles for Eggplant Slices or Zucchini Slices

If you love a good lasagna you are in luck! When sliced thinly lengthwise, both eggplant and zucchini are great low-carb swaps for classic lasagna noodles. With just a couple eggplants, you can easily recreate your traditional family recipe with all of the rich, hearty, and creamy flavors without all of the added carbs, and pack in some extra veggies at the same time.

11. Swap Pancakes for Almond Flour Pancakes

Almond flour is a great low-carb, high-protein, and high-fat alternative to traditional flour. Although it’s not always a simple one-to-one swap in recipes, there are plenty of almond flour recipes that create delicious baked goods. With a few basic ingredients, you can easily whip together almond flour pancakes that are just as fluffy and flavourful as the real deal, so you can still enjoy your weekend brunch while keeping your goals in mind.

If any food is vilified and confused in the world of nutrition, it is most definitely carbs. With low-carb diets rising in popularity, carbs said to be the sole cause of weight gain, and sugar the root of many health issues and diseases, it is no wonder that so many people are concerned about eating carbs! The truth is, not all carbs are bad, and many of the ones we think are “bad” are not as bad for us as we think.

 

When it comes to carbs, it’s all about quality and context. Although refined carbohydrates are most certainly something that you want to limit, there are some “bad” carbs that are actually good for you, and it is important to understand which ones and why so you can make an informed decision that works for you.

“Bad Carbs” that are Actually Healthy

It’s time to bust some myths, take back whole food, and discover why these “bad carbs” are nutritious and good for you.

1. White Potatoes

White potatoes are considered comfort food and they most certainly are, however, that does not make them bad for you. Potatoes are a whole food that grows in the dirt and have been eaten by various cultures for centuries. The concern people have with white potatoes is that they are high in carbohydrates and have a higher glycemic load than other vegetables which can trigger insulin and cause weight gain, but is it that simple? White potatoes are actually low in calories, a source of fiber, and rich in nutrients, so is it the potato itself we should be concerned about, or is it the way it is consumed? A boiled or baked potato on its own is certainly nothing to worry about, on the other hand, potatoes turned into deep-fried potato chips, French fries cooked in vegetable oil, or loaded baked potatoes with a dozen different toppings may be something to consider! In fact, although sweet potatoes are often considered “healthier” than white potatoes, white potatoes contain less sugar, more protein, and more vitamins and minerals than sweet potatoes which makes them both a healthy choice! It is important to understand that potatoes themselves are not the enemy, rather, it is the way that we consume them. So, when it comes to potatoes, opt for baked, boiled, or roasted potatoes, reach for different types, colors and sizes, and leave the processed and deep-fried versions for once in a while.

2. White Rice

Although brown rice is often considered healthier than white rice, that is not exactly the case. All grain kernels, including rice, are made up of three different parts; the fiber-dense bran, the nutrient-rich germ, and the starchy endosperm. Depending on what the grain will be used for, it can be consumed one of two ways: with all parts intact, or by removing the bran and germ so only the endosperm remains. Brown rice and white rice are actually one of the same, the only difference between them is that brown rice is a whole grain, as it contains the bran and germ, while white rice is only the endosperm. Because the bran and germ contain many nutrients, brown rice is often said to be healthier than white rice because it is more nutrient-dense, however, the bran and germ also contain many anti-nutrients. These anti-nutrients are present to protect the important nutrients in the grain, however, these anti-nutrients make it more difficult for our bodies to break down the brown rice. The phytates and phytic acid present in the brown rice not only make it difficult for our digestive tract to break them down, but can cause inflammation and damage to our digestive tracts over time if not properly prepared. In fact, this traditional wisdom and knowledge can be seen across Asian cultures which have predominately been consuming white rice as opposed to brown. So, when it comes to rice, both white rice and brown rice can be a healthy choice when properly prepared.

3. White Bread

The idea that white bread is unhealthy is actually misleading as it merely focuses on the color of the bread and not on the way the bread was made, which is truly the most important factor. When grains are properly prepared, by soaking, sprouting or fermenting, they are more easily digested and their nutrients are more available to us. The process of sprouting grains before creating a flour helps to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid in the grains, while the natural fermentation process used to make sourdough bread creates friendly bacteria which help to “pre-digest” the grains and reduces the presence of phytates. It is for these exact reasons that sourdough and sprouted grain bread are considered the healthiest bread options. Not to mention, the natural fermentation method of making sourdough bread only requires three basic ingredients; flour, water, and salt, and avoids all of the additives and preservatives found in processed white bread. The truth is, the difference in color is largely due to the type of flour that was used, which is only part of the equation. When it comes to bread, how the flour was made is actually more important than its color; a white flour that has been stone-ground from the endosperm is not the same as a bleached white flour which has been highly processed, and to make matters more confusing, there is actually a strain of wheat called white wheat which can be ground in its whole grain format to create white flour. So, although the color of the bread has some value it only tells part of the story!  When you are buying bread focus on the type of flour used and the way it was made; look for sourdough bread, sprouted grain bread, or whole grain bread made with a combination of high-quality flour, salt, and water, with minimal additives and preservatives.

4. Popcorn

Popcorn, much like white bread, is the perfect example of how food can be deemed “bad” based on the way it was made. Corn kernels themselves are not unhealthy, they are whole grains in their whole format, and compared to other grains are relatively low in phytic acid. What can make popcorn unhealthy is the way that it is made, specifically the fat used to cook it. Conventional popcorn, or the movie theatre stuff, is often made using vegetable oils which is actually what makes popcorn a less-than-ideal choice. Vegetable oils, such as canola oil, corn oil, soy oil, rapeseed oil, and safflower oil, are highly processed oils that contain a high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (also known as PUFAs) which are highly unstable and oxidize very easily. The PUFAs found in vegetable oils are omega-6s, and although they are essential to human health, in excess they are dangerous and inflammatory to the body. So, popcorn on its own or cooked in a natural cooking fat, such as butter, and seasoned with sea salt is likely nothing to worry about, rather, it is the cooking oil, refined salts, toppings, and preservatives that you want to be mindful of.

5. Pasta

Mind blow, right? Pasta in and of itself is not unhealthy, much like bread, it’s all about the ingredients and how it was made. Depending on the variety, pasta is made of a combination of flour, eggs, water, and salt, and the quality of the flour used is, once again, the most important factor. Ideally, the grains used to make the flour should have been soaked, and the flour should be stone-ground and unbleached. Much like the fermentation process in bread making, the soaking of the grains helps to reduce the level of phytic acid present helping to make the pasta more easily digested when consumed. Although this is very difficult to determine in grocery stores if you are buying from a specialty shop or from a location that makes fresh pasta it is a great question to ask. However, if that is not an option, simply do your best to be mindful of how it is served; how much, and with what. Unfortunately, more often than not, pasta is served in excessively large portions with extra-rich sauces and toppings, simply providing us with more energy (calories) than we possibly need in one individual sitting.

The Bottom Line

Although all of these carbs can be considered real food and can, therefore, be considered healthy, they are not necessarily ideal for everyone all of the time.  For some, grains can be very damaging and inflammatory, and are therefore best to be avoided, while for others, in moderate amounts can be included in a healthy diet. When it comes to carbs it’s all about quality, quantity, and context, because even too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Meals constantly packed with bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta can quickly add up, negatively impact blood sugar, and simply become too much sugar for one to bear. For someone concerned about weight loss, with disrupted blood sugar, or struggling with digestive issues, it is vital that you monitor the amount and type of carbohydrates that you are consuming. That does not make them “bad”, it simply comes down to the individual and their personal situation. So, although none of these foods are inherently unhealthy, it is important to consume them as part of a balanced diet, in their most natural forms, and in amounts that support your personal health goals.

Fats are arguably some of the most nutrient-dense foods available to us, and yet some people still struggle to include high-quality fats in their diets. Whether people are just not sold on the idea that fats are healthy, that fat doesn’t make you fat, or they are just not sure how to use them, not everyone is comfortable adding fat to their meals. The good news is, cooking with fat is fun! Not only does fat provide incredible flavor to meals, but since there are so many different types and varieties of fat to choose from it creates a world of possibility when it comes to cooking. Instead of forgoing the dressing, skimping on the sauce, or passing on the butter, it’s time to eat more fat and find new and creative ways to add more fat to our meals that we can feel good about. So, here are 11 ways to eat more fat that you can start implementing today.

Healthy Ways to Eat More Fat

Add more healthy fats to your diet with these simple tips.

1. Start with full-fat ingredients.

The first step to eating more fat is pretty simple, eat full-fat products. Instead of reaching for low-fat yogurt, skim milk, or fat-free dressings, always opt for the full-fat version. Take a scan of your fridge and pantry and banish any fat-based products with terms such as light, fat-free, low-fat, or 0%. Foods that naturally contain fat should be consumed this way, so that means reaching for full-fat yogurt, full-fat cheese, full-fat dressing, cream, butter, mayonnaise, full-fat peanut butter, and full-fat coconut milk. Simply ensuring that you are choosing the most natural version of these foods can help to add more fat to your diet in a very simple and effective way.

2. Cook with Fat, Generously

If you have been cooking your meats without oil or only eating steamed vegetables for fear of adding fat, it is time to stop! No more plain chicken breasts, no more dry salads, and no more bland vegetables. When you are cooking and preparing your food, don’t be shy to cook with oil or fat. Cook your meat in fat, add butter to your vegetables, pour oil on your salads, and do it all with pride. In fact, adding oil and fat to your vegetables actually helps to ensure that you can absorb the fat-soluble nutrients present in these foods. However, be sure to limit vegetable oils, and always opt for high-quality cooking fats instead.

3. Use Different Fats for Different Flavours

Once you get the hang of cooking with fat, start to experiment with different types and flavors. Olive oil is undoubtedly the most popular cooking oil, however, there are so many different types of fat to choose from. Different fats can help to transform the flavor of a dish, even if you are using the same basic ingredients. For instance, green beans cooked in butter take on a familiar North American flavor, while cooked in sesame oil can be transformed into an Asian-inspired dish. Feel free to experiment with different combinations of butter, lard, tallow, bacon fat, duck fat, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and sesame oil to discover what flavors you like and what you enjoy cooking with.

4. Don’t Skimp on the Dressing

If you are eating a salad, please do not skimp on the dressing. Not only is a bowl of leafy greens incredibly boring on its own, but a tiny little drizzle of dressing on your lettuce won’t do much to keep you full and will likely leave you hungry within hours. Instead, top your salad with a generous pour of dressing, and while you’re at it, add some more fat in the form of items like nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, and cheese.

5. Embrace Animal Fats

If you are trying to add more fat to your diet, you need to move on from the lean cuts of meat. Gone are the days of chicken breasts, lean ground beef, and turkey bacon, it’s time to embrace all cuts of meat, in all of their fatty forms. So, eat the chicken thighs, eat the bone-in steak, eat the pork shoulder and eat the bacon. Enjoy some chicken skin, slice it into a fatty roast, or perhaps even try some “off” cuts or organ meats. If you are going to eat animal proteins, try and eat more than just the basic cuts, not only do they taste better and provide more nutrients, but it makes you a more responsible meat eater.

6. Eat Full-Fat Dairy

If you can tolerate dairy, eat the real deal. Avoid skim milk, 0% yogurt, and fat-free cheese, and instead opt for full-fat varieties of butter, yogurt, cheese, and cream. Full-fat milk and yogurt range between 3% and 4% depending on the brand, while creams can range between 18% and 35%. So, you can eat more fat by adding heavy cream to your coffee, enjoying a bite of cheese after dinner, or thickening your soups and sauces with a dollop of crème fraîche and feel mighty good about it.

7. Eat the Whole Egg (Honestly, just do it.)

It is time to put down the egg whites once and for all! Eat the whole egg, and eat more of them. The yolks are the most nutrient-dense part of the egg because they are a good source of fat and cholesterol, while the white doesn’t contain much of the two. Not only are eggs great for breakfast (scrambled, poached, or fried), but they make a great snack hard-boiled, are a great addition to salads, make incredible sauces and mayonnaise, and are quite inexpensive for the nutritional value they provide.

8. Eat Savoury Breakfasts & Snacks

A really simple way to eat more fat is to ensure that you eat savory breakfasts and snacks. Although breakfasts of oatmeal and snacks of fruit are very healthy choices, they don’t provide much in the way of fat, and therefore satiety, so they can lead to more cravings and hunger cues later on. Instead, opt for breakfasts of eggs, avocado toast, or dinner leftovers, and opt for savory snacks of nuts, hummus with veggies, or beef jerky to help provide a little extra fat (and protein), keep cravings down and keep energy up for the rest of the day.

9. Opt for Fatty Fish

Ok, I recognize that seafood is not everyone’s favorite, but adding some form of seafood to your diet is an ideal way to help ensure you eat more fat, all while increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Although larger fish such as salmon, trout, and mackerel are more common and a great place for many people to start, smaller fish such as sardines and anchovies are incredibly nutrient-dense while being relatively inexpensive at the same time.

10. Boost Your Smoothies

If you are a smoothie person and they work for you, I’ve got absolutely no problem with that, but a well-balanced smoothie is nothing without a serving of fat. Not only does a dollop of fat in your morning shake help to provide some added nutrients, but it can help to balance your blood sugar so all of that fruit and natural sugar isn’t triggering your energy, hunger, and cravings all day long. There are a number of different ways that you can add fat to your morning smoothie including adding a dollop of nut butter, half an avocado, full-fat yogurt, coconut oil, or a handful of flax or chia seeds. As long as you’ve got a powerful blender, you don’t even notice these ingredients hiding in your shake and they can help to create a rich and velvety texture at the same time.

11. Garnish Meals with Extra Fat

Once you are done cooking and ready to eat, you can finish your meal with a simple garnish of fat of your choice. An extra drizzle of olive oil on your soup, a dollop of yogurt on your curry, or a sprinkle of nuts on your salad can help to compliment your dish while adding a little extra fat at the same time. You don’t need to go crazy and add all of the options, but a little touch goes a way in helping you eat more fat and can make a homemade meal feel just a little extra special.

The Bottom Line

Whether you are eating or cooking, don’t be shy to add a little more fat to your meal if the mood strikes you. Fat is not something to fear, in fact, it is something that we should be including in our diets for optimal health. There are so many different types of fat to choose from and so many different ways to use them, so don’t be shy to experiment and try new things in your meals because, at the end of the day, that’s what cooking and eating are all about.

At a basic level, eating healthy is really easy; eat real food, don’t eat junk food. Sounds simple right? But, as you can imagine, it’s not always that simple. Why? Because junk food is literally engineered to make you eat it, overeat it, and want more of it more often. Even with the best intentions, many people struggle to say no to junk foods because they are just so addictive. The truth is, there are many reasons why junk food is so hard to stop eating. So, let’s discuss why junk food is so addictive and what you can do about it.

Junk Food is Actually not “Food”

The first thing that is important to understand is that although these junk foods are referred to as “food” they are in fact not food at all. In my opinion, junk foods are food-like products that resemble food and may contain food, but they are not food themselves. Real food comes from one of two places; plants or animals, and that’s it. Real food is from Mother Nature, it grows on the land, grazes on the grass, flies in the skies, or swims in the waters. Real food does not have a barcode nor does it have ingredients, because real food is ingredients. On the contrary, “junk food”, just as the name implies, is junk. It is defined as “pre-prepared or packaged food that has low nutritional value” and is also referred to as processed food. The catch? It often tastes great.

You’re Up Against more than Just the Food

When you eat junk food, you may think you are just eating a handful of chips, a cookie, or a few candies, but you are actually eating much more than that, you are eating something that has been chemically engineered to make you want more of it. When you eat these foods you are not only up against the food itself, you are up against food science experts, brands, and companies whose sole purpose is to create foods that people will love, and want more of, so they can make a profit. The time and energy that companies put into creating junk food are about more than just creating something that tastes good, it is a precise science that considers addictive behaviors, large studies, marketing practices, and finding the exact combination of taste, texture, color, and design to get you to eat more.

Food manufacturers spend millions of dollars to create products that reach the “bliss point”; the point at which the ingredients are optimized to deliciousness to keep you coming back for more. The bliss point of food is the exact balance of salt, sugar, fat, and flavors that isn’t too much, but isn’t too little, and leaves your brain craving more. In fact, this is just one of the many tools that food engineers use to create highly addictive forms of processed food. Manufacturers consider crunch point (the formula to get the perfect crunch), salivary response (the formula to make you salivate), dynamic contrast (the combination of different sensations in food), as well as something called “vanishing caloric density”. Vanishing caloric density, described in the book Why Humans Like Junk Food by food scientist Steven Witherly, involves creating foods that literally melt in your mouth, and the best example of this is Cheetos. These puffy air-like snacks melt in your mouth the moment you eat them “tricking” your brain to think no calories were consumed which encourages you to eat more of them. So, you may think you are just eating a handful of chips, a cookie, or a few candies as an enjoyable treat, but what you are eating is designed to do a lot more than that.

Junk Food vs. Your Mood, Feelings, and Brain

Our bodies are equipped with natural built-in systems that tell us when we are hungry, when we are not hungry, when to eat more, and when to stop eating, however, junk food is designed in a way that overrides all of those built-in systems. To no surprise, eating junk food can bring a great deal of pleasure, and it can stimulate your body’s reward system. This system was designed to “reward” you when you do things that encourage survival, including eating, and when this happens your brain releases feel-good chemicals, including dopamine. The brain is hardwired to seek behaviors that stimulate the reward system, however, the problem with junk food is that it can stimulate this system in a way that is far more powerful than the one you would get from whole foods.

“The time and energy that companies put into creating junk food are about more than just creating something that tastes good, it is a precise science that considers addictive behaviors, large studies, marketing practices and finding the exact combination of taste, texture, color, and design to get you to eat more.”

Let’s look at an example. Potatoes are a whole food, they are grown in the dirt on the land, while potato chips are a processed food version of potatoes, they are made in a factory and come in a bag. Although potato chips may be made from potatoes, they are not potatoes themselves. So, if you were given the option to eat plain boiled potatoes vs. potato chips, which do you think you could eat more of? I am willing to bet that most people could easily eat an entire bag of potato chips but would struggle to eat multiple plain potatoes.

As we eat junk food, the brain neurons pump out more and more dopamine, giving us a feeling of pleasure. When released, dopamine fits into receptors in the brain, much like a key fits into a lock, and when the fit is right the pleasure is sensed. However, when you consume junk food a strange thing happens; the body’s nervous system curbs the activity of the receptors, a form of protective physiological reaction to an abnormal level of dopamine activity, meaning you need more junk food (to produce more dopamine) to stimulate this same level of reward. So, while eating a chicken breast and salad might stimulate a moderate release of dopamine, eating a pint of ice cream will release massive amounts of dopamine making it seem more rewarding.

Not only do these foods stimulate our reward centers, but they also influence our insulin, leptin, and ghrelin response, and this becomes problematic in our modern environment as junk food is easily and readily available. Leptin is known as the gatekeeper of our appetite whose role is to signal to the body when it is full, while ghrelin and insulin also influence how much you eat and when. Unfortunately, junk food works to override all of these natural systems making it very difficult for the body to recognize when you are actually hungry or actually full.

The Power of Marketing

Although most of us think we are too smart to be duped by marketing, that is often not the case. Commercials of happy people eating delicious treats, food packaging with bright and vibrant colors, and engaging in-store displays at eye level are all things that play into our desire to eat junk food. We are constantly bombarded with videos and images of delicious foods reminding us to eat whether we are hungry or not. Often this is occurring on a subconscious level and we don’t even recognize it happening. That’s why you can be watching TV, see a commercial, and all of a sudden feel hungry. That’s why you can be sitting in an office meeting, not even thinking about food, but when the donuts show up you just have to eat one. Much like food engineering, a lot of money goes into marketing junk food to us simply because there is big profit to be made.

The Influence on Habits and Rituals

Another way that junk food companies try to influence our food choices is by creating habits and rituals out of eating their foods. Not only do they play on our taste buds but they play on our emotions and feelings. Do you really have to eat popcorn at the movies, hot dogs at the baseball game, and pizza on a Friday night, or have you just been conditioned to think that you should? Food manufacturers work to create associations between certain foods and certain activities so that eventually these associations get so ingrained that it almost seems like it was our idea in the first place and foolish to not eat those things at those times. Some of these patterns become so hardwired that when you do see these specific foods, or even think about them, your brain begins to trigger the memories and emotional response that came along with it, encouraging you to do it again. This is the psychology of junk food.

The Bottom Line

Food companies spend millions of dollars on research, development, and marketing to make junk foods highly addictive. These people are not evil, it is simply the reality of business and the current state of our food industry, however, it is not an excuse or a pass to continue to eat them. Of course, enjoying a treat from time to time is absolutely fine, but it is important to keep in mind that every time that you buy these foods you are funding more research, development, and marketing on the exact same foods that are already so highly addictive. Although it may not seem like it at the time, as a consumer you are in fact in the driver’s seat; you have the power to decide what you want to see more of, and what you want to see less of. For those who struggle with serious food addiction, it is important that you seek professional help, however, for those that don’t, you are already in a position of power. So, the next time you are out buying groceries pay attention to where you are spending and investing your money because every purchase is a vote for what you want to see more of.