Good Food Is Healthy Food

It is a pretty common misconception that eating healthy means having to sacrifice the foods you love most. We’re here to debunk that myth and let you in on a little secret: you can eat healthy without having to give up your favorite foods. Maintaining healthy nutrition while indulging in all your favorite eats is all about finding balance!

...But What Is a Balanced Diet?

A balanced diet consists of foods that deliver the nutrients your body needs to function at its absolute best. These nutrients come from fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and lean proteins. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans explain how much of each nutrient you should consume daily for a balanced diet.

Not only is this essential for weight loss, but for fueling your overall health. In other words, don’t brush off the importance of a balanced diet just because you aren’t trying to lose weight. Even if you’re not on a weight loss journey, a properly balanced diet is important to shield you from potential health problems down the line.

Ok, but Donuts…

So staying healthy while eating junk food? Is it really doable?

We all know candy bars, potato chips, and processed foods aren’t exactly part of a balanced diet, but that doesn’t mean they don’t taste amazing. You might avoid them because you’ve been taught that it’s an indulgence you have to give up when you’re trying to eat healthy, or you might indulge anyway, but beat yourself up about it afterward. Whatever the case, we’re here to free you from that guilt and show you that it is totally possible to eat what you love (i.e. junk food) and still maintain a healthy, balanced diet — it just takes a little self-awareness and self-control.

Keep Yourself in Check

Most of the highly-processed, carb-heavy foods that you’re so addicted to are literally designed to make you crave even more highly-processed, carb-heavy foods. In other words, the more junk food you eat, the more junk food you want. This is where that mind-over-matter discipline needs to come in. You can eat the unhealthy, processed foods you love, but since they’re engineered to keep you reaching for more, keeping yourself in check so as to not overdo it is key.

Indulge with Other People

One of the best ways to keep yourself from overindulging is by sharing your not-so-healthy meals with others. You’re a lot less likely to eat all the chips and salsa you gave your friends when they’re waiting for their turn at a bite. Enjoy the conversation and learn to slow down. Not only will this help with keeping yourself accountable, but it’ll keep you present in the moment.

Control Your Portions

Eat what you love, but learn healthy limits. Sure, you can eat chocolate chip cookies, but refrain from scarfing down the whole bag. Be aware of serving sizes and control your portions. Enjoying junk food while eating healthy is possible if you know when to cut yourself off. Flex that self-control muscle or you might find yourself having consumed your daily caloric intake by eating that bag of Famous Amos in one sitting.

Don’t Eat Junk Food If You’re Hungry

Remember how we talked about processed food keeping you hungry for more? Keep that in mind whenever hunger strikes. Carb-heavy foods might taste good, but they aren’t satiating and won’t make you full in the way that a balanced meal would. So when your tummy starts rumbling, steer clear of convenient junk food and opt for something healthier that will fill you up the way it’s supposed to.

Make Unhealthy Foods the Exception, Not the Norm

It isn’t necessary to demonize the unhealthy foods you crave just because you are on a mission to eat healthy. Instead, make it a point to spend the majority of your time eating healthy meals and occasionally treating yourself to the rest. If every other meal you enjoy is balanced and nutrient-rich, you won’t feel that post-junk food guilt that so often creeps in after enjoying an unhealthy treat or meal.

Make It Yourself

Love sweet tea, but not thrilled about how sugary your favorite store-bought brand is? Make your own sweet tea at home. The best way to avoid heavily processed, high-carb foods is by making healthier versions yourself! When you make your own “junk food,” you have 100% control over your ingredients. Plus, you can indulge confidently knowing your homemade food doesn’t include any artificial additives, preservatives, or inflammatory oils commonly found in carb-heavy processed foods.

Get Moving

Regardless of what your diet looks like, making time to exercise is essential for your mind, body, and soul. Not only does it make you feel good, but it keeps your body in balance. This is even more important if you tend to consume some not-so-balanced foods more frequently. How you exercise is up to you — take a brisk walk, go for a jog, join a class, or go for a swim. Regular physical activity offers incredible benefits to almost every aspect of your health from the inside out, so get moving!

Eat Healthy by Eating Well

Eating healthy while enjoying the foods you love is totally doable. You just have to be smart about it! Remember that eating healthy means finding what works for you so you can stick to it and not feel like you’re giving up the things that bring you joy. With a little mindful eating and self-accountability, you can have the best of both worlds and never feel guilty about it.