Junk food acceptable in smaller-sized portions
The foods you love to snack on while watching “The OC,” the treats you turn to when you are upset and are the basis of Cookie Monster’s diet.
What section of your diet am I discussing?
Junk food.
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Under the government’s guide for healthy eating, these high calorie foods containing solid fats and added sugars are called discretionary calories.
Even though junk food is not a healthy choice, it’s still OK to indulge sometimes.
The amount of these calories allowed in a healthy diet varies with sex, age and physical activity level, but everyone may have some.
My favorite treat is vanilla ice cream with sprinkles; however, I do not eat this every day because the kind I like is high in fat with added sugars.
Yet, some junk foods, like ice cream, have their nutritional value in other areas of the food pyramid as well. My favorite treat is a part of the dairy group and can be included in my daily dairy requirement.
Other junk foods making the “alright to eat” cut are pizza and fried chicken.
Pizza can include members of the dairy, fruit, vegetable, protein and grain groups. Unless you like liver, I would say pizza is one of the most well rounded foods you can eat.
Again, these foods should not be present in your everyday meal plan, but once in a while is OK.
If you are still skeptical about this “healthy junk food,” try eating snacks you know are good for you in a junk food manner.
I like to call this junk food style “pop-and-go;” you open the package, pop the food in your mouth and go about your business quickly.
Healthy foods can be eaten like this too. Instead of steaming carrots and serving them with roast beef, try eating baby carrots out of snack bags.
This way, instead of reaching for a value size bag of potato chips, you can pop-and-go a vegetable serving.
Trail mix, banana chips and V-8 juice are also good alternatives, often with similar packaging, to traditional junk foods.
The next time you feel guilty after making a trip to Krispy Kreme for glazed, lemon-filled doughnuts remember: it is OK if you do not eat them too often.
