Analysis Of Letting Go Of Junk Food Essay

Letting Go of Junk Food As many people lead busy lives, the immediate availability of such things as fast food, or junk food, have led most to seek convenience in food rather than emphasizing nourishment. The “on-the-go” attitude towards food that many people readily defend as being cheaper and more convenient has allowed us to become self-enablers to unhealthy habits. A large majority of the popular arguments for eating fast food or junk food are merely excuses to knowingly consume unhealthy food. Rather than reflexively defending not-so-healthy habits, initiating the transition away from convenience junk food could mean all the difference when it comes to our wallets, and more importantly our health. Making a healthy diet the “cool” choice

The reality is that most people can afford to choose a home-cooked meal over fast food. He compares “a typical order for a family of four [at McDonald’s]—for example, two Big Macs, a cheeseburger, six chicken McNuggets, two medium and two small fries, and two medium and two small sodas . . .” which could cost about twenty-eight dollars, to a much healthier home cooked meal of a “roasted chicken with vegetables along with a simple salad and milk”, which would cost around fourteen dollars and reasonably feed four to six people (660). As one of five children of a single mother, I have been highly involved in planning monthly food budgets to feed six people as well as preparing meals. One of our recent go-to meals has been oven roasted chicken, steamed broccoli, and salad—accurately priced at around fifteen dollars; whereas feeding six people at McDonald’s could easily cost more than thirty dollars, even with the “value menu”. Eating out more than twice a month could be a huge setback for the rest of our budget. Even for bigger families with smaller budgets than mine, home cooked meals are a better

It is easy to get used to having your food prepared for you and handed to you while you relax, but more than the convenience of it becomes addictive. Bittman references a study conducted in 2009 by the Scripps Research Institute that “indicates that overconsumption of fast food ‘triggers addiction-like neuroaddictive responses’ in the brain, making it harder to trigger the release of dopamine (662).” Dopamine is commonly recognized as the chemical that triggers pleasure receptacles in the brain. The more highly processed junk food that is consumed, the more junk food is required to create the same feeling of satisfaction, essentially resulting in an addiction to processed food (662). While my family and I have not always been exemplary healthy eaters, fast food has been cut entirely from our diet and for a few months. Health benefits that I have experienced from quitting fast food have ranged from an increase in energy, to better moods and less frequent headaches. The longer I go without eating fast food, I have noticed, the less appealing it becomes because I feel