Junk Food

Ive been a vegitarian for nearly two years now. I find that I tend to turn to Junk Food when Im hungry though. Is this a reaction to being a vegitarian or am I just addicted to it, and if so..any ideas on how to overcome my addiction to Junk?

 

people often crave sugar/carbs when they're low on protein. do a search for veg sources of protein and start there. good luck and be well

 

I don't think it has anything to do with being a vegetarian. I don't usually crave junk food. It is probably just what you are use to and it is easy. Try to avoid it and instead eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Look for some recipes you find interesting and start cooking. For snacks eat fresh fruits and nuts.

 

mmm yeah, nuts definitely
the more you eat something, the more you'll like it/want it
you just have to start eating healthier foods, and while you might crave junk food for a week or so, you'll soon start to crave healthy foods

 

I have a tendency to be a junk food junky as well, but when I step back and really think about what I want it's usually healthy foods, the junk is just easier to find sometimes. When I think I want chocolate or something sweet, usually I really would be more content with a piece of fruit. If I am craving something salty or crunchy, I will eat some salted nuts, I found these almonds with sea salt, they're great, my chinchilla likes them too. If you're a chip person try some dried apples or other dried fruit. Really all you should have to do is just try your hardest to stay away from the junk and think hard about what you could eat that is healthy instead. Try taking a variety of snacks with you to work, that's what I do, I have the sweet/fruity snack for the morning, and the crunchy/salty snack for the afternoon, always in that order, I guess that's just the way I roll. If you really can't live without junk food try saving a SMALL piece of your favorite junk for the end of the day, and count it like a reward for staying away from the junk the rest of the day. If you really want it and don't eat it, you'll probably just end up splurging on a whole bunch of stuff you don't really want. Oh and another thing that might help is getting snack bags and measuring out portions, I know sounds obsessive but it works. That way if you dive into a package of your favorite snack you know you can eat just that one portion instead of a whole package. (Pretty sure someone did a study about this, where people will eat the amount that is in the bag no matter how big or how small)

 

I craved ice cream when I quit drinking alcohol...not relevant I guess.

 

I agree with what everyone said, but if you absolutely feel the urge...

slice up a potato, cook it in a little olive oil, salt, and garlic...man oh man!

 

thanks will try your sudjestions, they are all very much apreciated.

 

I agree... is it REALLY junk food you're craving, or just something that's ready-to-eat? I was raised on homecooked-from-scratch meals, and got into a few nasty habits when I took off for college. Like ramen. It wasn't that I didn't KNOW how to cook or WANT to cook, it's that I didn't think I had the time to get a balanced meal together in the 10 minutes between classes, keeping up with things like laundry & my church activities, and my job.

There are a few ways to find more time in the kitchen. I like to cook up a large-ish pot of pasta early in the week. That & a jar of pasta sauce can get you through about 3-4 meals. One day dump zucchini, carrot & peppers in with it. The next day try it with mushrooms & black olives. And another day you could have it just plain, with a fresh salad. During the time that your food is heating, you could be adding a few cherry tomatoes and some carrot & cucumber slices to a bagged salad. It takes no more time than heating up a TV dinner My favorite kitchen helper is my crockpot. You can get a good one for less than $20, and there are THOUSANDS of recipes - and at least hundreds of veggie ones on the internet. Just google "crockpot recipes" and your favorite ingredient or two & see what you find. Tossing food into the pot & turning it to "low" in the morning takes 5 minutes, and when you get home... dinner's DONE! I just got a breadmaker from my local freecycle, and now we have fresh soups AND bread for dinner

Fresh, raw fruit & veggies are natures fast-foods. If you don't like raw veggies, try dipping them in your favorite salad dressing. It's healthier than traditional dip, and costs less too.

And if all else fails, there's healthy "junk" food. If you're choosy about what you buy, there are health-conscious granola bars out there. And oatmeal/peanut butter are marginally "healthy." And you can probably find healthy versions of things like pizza & TV dinners in the health-food section of your grocery store. They won't be cheap... but for a quick occasional treat, it's FAR cheaper than eating out!
love,
mom

 

I have the same problem.

 

Thinking about it, so did I. That hadn't actually occurred to me until just now, but I definitely did. Must be something to do with the sugars in alcohol, I suppose.

 

Would an alkaline broth work for alkaline balance? I have this recipe for an alkaline broth:
2 cup carrot tops
2 cups celery tops
2 cups beet tops
2 quarts distilled water
3 cups celery stalk
2 cups red skinned potato peeling 1/2 inch thick
1 small zucchini

Chop all vegetables into very fine pieces. Place them in the water and bring to a boil with the lid on. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Strain and drink the broth. This broth will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. It may also be made in larger quantities and frozen.

 

are carrot tops edible? i've always composted mine....

 

I wouldn't eat them, but since they're strained out after cooking it I don't think it'd be the same as actually eating them. Technically you could eat anything. That recipe is just for a broth, so you actually don't eat any of the veggies that are in it, you just drink the broth.