Many of us struggle with bad eating habits.   Sometimes we learn these habits from family or friends.  Other times we don’t consider the long term effects of what we are putting in our bodies.  Often we develop a junk food habit.  Junk food is convenient when you’re tired.  Or if you’re the only person home, no one will see you eat that whole package of cookies.

Canada’s Food Guide provides a useful guide for healthy eating.  It’s easy to overdo it on pasta, potatoes and bread.  Some of us eat too much red meat, while others don’t get enough protein.  Many of us come up short on vegetables.

But what if you know how to eat well—it’s doing it that’s hard?

If you’re struggling with a junk food habit, check out our tips!

Don’t keep your favourite vices in the house.  It’s easy to snack mindlessly on convenience food that’s close on hand, but do you really want that junk food badly enough to get in your car and make a special trip just to buy it?  Many times the answer will be no.

Replace those sweet treats and salty snacks with convenient healthy options, like a veggie tray, fruit bowl, or package of trail mix.  Then when you feel the urge to snack, there’s something healthy and convenient on hand.

Snacking itself isn’t bad.  It’s actually good to keep your blood sugar regulated by eating throughout the day.  The challenge is choosing nutritious, healthy snacks instead of junk food.

If you’re snacking because you’re hungry between meals, choose a protein-filled snack.  Chicken breast, nut butter, trail mix, or a tin of salmon are all high-protein foods that don’t have many calories per serving and will help you to feel satisfied.  Furthermore, if you’re choosing nut butter, avoid most commercial peanut butters as they are high in sugar.  Almond butter or sunflower seed butter are more nutritious choices.

Is fast food takeout your usual vice?  Beat the urge by making healthy food convenient.  Cook extra food in the evening so there will be some left over for the next day’s breakfast and/or lunch.  Keep easy to prepare foods like chicken breasts, veggie patties, fish, and a wide variety of vegetables in the freezer.  They can be quickly thawed and cooked when you are ready to eat them.

If your family serves dessert, choose healthy options, like fresh fruit, healthy cookies, or low-sugar pudding.  The Internet is full of ideas for healthy desserts.

Most of us will not give up sweet desserts, salty snacks or fried foods completely.  Come back next week to learn how to enjoy treats in moderation.