How often can you eat junk food

Author: Mikhail Ziborov - author of the site makefitness.pro.
2021-02-20

Technically, food cannot be classified as harmful or beneficial. For example, if you were to compare a burger and spinach, you would likely say spinach is healthier. But what if you overindulge in spinach and end up consuming an excessive amount of nitrates? It doesn't seem so healthy anymore, does it? This illustrates that the distinction between "harmful" and "beneficial" food is somewhat arbitrary or for simplicity's sake.

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What is "Junk Food"?

Most often, junk food refers to food that harms your figure, health, and overall well-being. For instance, cola can certainly be considered a harmful product. Or the same goes for a burger due to the fried patty, cholesterol, and other factors.

But can you drink a glass of cola a day or eat a small burger? Will it affect your figure or health? Probably not; it might even lift your spirits just for having enjoyed your favorite treat. In short, it’s not about the products themselves (whether they are harmful or beneficial) but about their quantities.

If there are genuinely a lot of "harmful" products in your diet, then they harm you. For example, cola due to its high sugar concentration and extra calories. Even an excess of "beneficial" foods can be harmful (as shown with spinach). So, junk food is whatever is consumed in excess (the issue is about the quantity consumed, not the food itself).

Take buckwheat, for example. It seems to be a healthy food. But if you overeat on buckwheat, you can still gain weight. Although it’s challenging to gain weight solely from buckwheat, it is certainly possible. Or consider nuts: they are high in protein, unprocessed, and contain many beneficial substances, etc. However, if you overeat them, you may end up consuming excessive fats, which can promote inflammatory processes in the body (Omega-6).

So, once again: the question is about the quantity of food. 30 g of nuts is great. 200 g of nuts at once is not.

Can You Eat Junk Food and How Much?

It's hard to say exactly how much of a particular food is acceptable. For instance, a glass of cola – okay, but two glasses – is that too much? Yes, you can have two, but you need to consider what you eat overall throughout the day, what your diet consists of. In simpler terms, you should balance "junk" food with healthier options.

For instance, if your daily diet included plenty of protein (eggs, fish, chicken, cottage cheese), enough slow carbs (grains and cereals like brown rice, chickpeas, mung beans), and sufficient healthy fats (like fish, butter). Plus, you filled your meals with salads (fresh vegetables). It seems like a nutritious diet.

So, will all this healthy eating be negated by a glass of cola or a slice of cake? No, it won't, and it won't have any adverse effects on your health, provided you don't have any serious conditions that might cause significant problems from consuming a piece of cake (like type 2 diabetes).

The most that might happen is that the calories from the cake or cola are extra and could be stored as body fat if you've exceeded your caloric limit. For example, if your limit is 2000 kcal, and from the foods mentioned above, you consumed 1900 kcal (almost your limit) but then saw a piece of cake and ate it, adding another 350 kcal. In total:

1900 from your daily intake + 350 from the cake = 2250 (with a limit of 2000). That's an excess of 250 kcal, which will be stored as fat. In this case, when you have overeaten or exceeded your food intake, the cake would be considered harmful to your figure. But everything changes if the cake fits within your caloric intake!

For example, you ate 1500 kcal from everything mentioned earlier. With the cake, you added 350 kcal. In total, that would be 1850 against your limit of 2000 (1850 – 2000 = -150). This indicates that you actually ate less than you were supposed to. Thus, we have a deficit. The body is in deficit mode and will need to draw those missing 150 kcal from its reserves – subcutaneous fat. So, you had a piece of cake (a junk food item) but, miraculously, you’re losing weight! Quite the forbidden magic.

In short, junk food won't harm you if:
- It makes up 1/5 or ¼ of your overall food intake;
- It fits within your daily caloric intake.

Under such conditions, "junk" food will not affect your health and figure at all. You should get all the beneficial nutrients from healthy food. Junk food is an addition that you can indulge in, provided you follow the 2 conditions mentioned above.

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To enhance the beneficial effects of your diet and reduce the harmful impact of unhealthy food, supplements can help. For example, frequent consumption of burgers raises cholesterol levels. Omega-3, on the other hand, lowers it.

By the way, you can lose weight even if you eat only at McDonald's. You will lose weight if you eat burgers but keep track of your calorie intake. The issue of well-being and health (cholesterol, lack of protein, etc.) is, of course, still open. But you can lose weight even with such food.

Did you know that physical activity accounts for 50% of your health, even if you eat poorly? Therefore, arm yourself with one of the best programs for home workouts and gyms.

Conclusion

If you crave junk food - eat it. Just don't overeat. Remember that it should occupy a very small part of your diet (1/5 or ¼). The consumption of junk food (cake, burger, cola, etc.) won't result in anything bad if eaten in moderation. The harm of food lies in its quantity. In fact, I'll say this:

“The absence of healthy food causes more harm than the presence of junk food.”