Junk Food

Lovers, Here Are 8 Smart Ways To Add Nutrition To Your Meals

Quick Summary

Wanting junk food to disappear from earth, or at least from food delivery apps or areas near you, is as brilliant as wishing societal collapse, both of which are pipe dreams. While you can’t control what happens out there, you sure can train your brain or rather trick it, to eat better, without getting rid of fast food entirely. Directly or indirectly, you are consuming junk and processed food, so cutting them out completely is not feasible, and you can end up sabotaging your own health by doing so. Here are some research-backed ways to help you with this dilemma.

Deep Dive

Before diving into the strategies, it is worth understanding why junk food consumption is not just a ‘weak resolve’ or lack of discipline. India's fast food industry has grown exponentially by adapting to local tastes, offering Indianised versions of global junk food like paneer pizzas, red and white sauce pastas, and desi burgers and masala fries. It’s like an Enrique Iglesias song, no matter how much you ‘run and hide’ you can’t ‘Escape’ their ‘love’. 

What makes things worse, brands are often shady with how they pose their product (and aggressive marketing), which follows you everywhere (like an experienced stalker), especially your phone, which is practically glued to your hand. Added to that, fast food outlets keep mushrooming, and packaged snacks are available everywhere. What they fail to share is that most of the ingredients in combination fail to provide adequate fibre and protein, and are higher in sugars and fats, which means you feel hungry soon, with crashes that make you way too sleepy after consuming them.

What Happens in Your Body When You Eat Junk Food

When you eat foods containing carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which enters the blood. As blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas produces insulin. Foods with a high glycaemic index, like white bread, chips and even biscuits, are rapidly digested and cause fluctuations in blood sugar. This whole cycle is at the heart of why junk food consumption leaves you hungry sooner and makes you reach for more. 

Fibre, protein, and fats all help slow down the digestion of carbs and delay their absorption into the blood, which helps prevent spikes in glucose levels after eating. Eating balanced meals and snacks can also give a steady supply of glucose throughout the day, keeping you more energised and satisfied. 

Research confirms that if you combine foods rich in carbohydrates with foods of a different nutritional profile, you stay full for longer and crave less. Different food groups have different speeds for breaking down, and food takes longer to pass from the stomach to the intestine, thereby slowing absorption and producing a lower glycaemic response (fewer crashes). So you can have your cake and eat it too, provided you’ve had a nutrient-dense meal before. Read on how to eat better whilst keeping fast food.

1. Add A Fibre-Rich Side Before You Eat

There is a reason why right after ‘eat more protein’ started trending, fibremaxxing followed suit. Eating fibre before or at the start of a high-carb, high-calorie meal will slow down the movement of food in your digestive system, with your body’s blood sugar rising more gradually. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are all good sources of fibre. When it comes to Indian eating habits, this means starting a junk food meal with:

• A small bowl of raw salad

• A handful of roasted chana

• A small bowl of dal

• Some sliced fruits

Have any of these before heading out or ordering in to reap maximum benefits. You can make grain substitutions, too, while choosing fast food, like opting for whole grains.

2. Pair Every High-Carb Meal With A Protein Source

High-quality protein consumption is something Indians are still lagging in. Protein is one of the major food groups that helps neutralise the glycaemic impact of a high-calorie, carbohydrate-heavy fast food meal. Proteins interact with the starch present in carb-heavy foods and limit the accessibility of digestive enzymes, hindering absorption. 

Current evidence points to the reduction of the glycaemic response of carbohydrate-rich foods when there is a slight increase in protein content (up to 25% of total calories), in healthy people. Just not that, pairing carbohydrates with fat and protein helps reduce the body's glucose response. Add protein like:

• A glass of chaas (buttermilk) with pakoras or burgers.

• A boiled egg or chicken with instant noodles.

• Hung curd or raita with biryani or pulao.

• A small serving of dal with white bread or pav

Work smarter, not harder, and making extra food for lunch or dinner will pay off when you are craving fast food. You can also stock up on high-protein instant snacks.

3. Swap The Drink You Pair With Junk Food

Seriously, read that label. In many cases, the apple juice or cranberry juice you buy from the supermarket barely even has 10% of the said fruit or berry, but has sugar or some other cheap juice packed into it. Read the label, make it a habit. Aside from bulk purchases, other places where sugar beverages are marketed are fast food chains, calling them refreshing and crisp (meanwhile, your body is screaming for help), and the perfect drink to your ‘carb-heavy’ burger and fries or pizza. These beverages usually are colas, ‘fresh’ iced carbonated drinks, canned boba tea, tea and even coffee. What you get are empty calories, and that compounds the glycaemic load. These foods are high in sodium and sugar, which in the long run increases your risk of developing heart disease, thyroid problems, and hypertension.

Swapping the drink alone makes a measurable difference. Options that work nutritionally alongside high-calorie foods include:

• Plain or jeera water to help with digestion, with zero calories.

• Nimbu pani sans sugar will give you vitamin C, which improves iron absorption from the meal.

• Chaas or plain curd thinned with water gives you probiotics and protein.

• Coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes without added sugar.

• Green tea has antioxidants with near-zero calories (go for that matcha drink).

Even if nothing else changes about the meal, replacing a 350ml soft drink (approximately 140 calories of pure sugar) with any of the above removes a meaningful quantity of empty calories from a junk food consumption episode.

4. Build A Better Plate Around Your Junk Food

Around 38% of Indians consume junk food and processed food in some form or another,  as per a report. So, why not make the most of that number by treating your diet like having a mixed bag of friends, who get along with each other (strangely)? Build your plate by keeping your favourite fast foods, but at least half of it with fruits and vegetables. Some examples:

• Ordering pizza? Pair with a large mixed vegetable salad, not more pizza.

• Eating instant noodles? Add a fried egg, a side of blanched palak, and some tofu.

• Having a burger? Skip the fries, swap for a side salad or corn on the cob.

• Ordering biryani? Ask for extra raita and add raw onion and sliced cucumber on the side.

You add more colour, flavour, and texture along with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibre. This principle, which has been something stipulated by the US Dietary Guidelines (American figures are double those of Indians), works for Indians too for managing intake of fast food and high-calorie foods.

5. Microdosing on Nuts And Seeds to Junk Food Meals

Nuts and seeds are among the most calorie-efficient ways to add fibre, protein, healthy fats, and micronutrients to a meal that lacks them. Chia seeds are especially notable for their fibre content, around 15 grams per quarter cup, and they also deliver plant protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Consuming them requires almost no cooking or meal preparation. 

• Before or after a junk food meal, eat a small handful of almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds. 

• Mix chia seeds or flaxseeds into a post-junk curd or juice. T

• Try peanut butter on whole-grain bread as an accompaniment to an otherwise empty-carb fast-food snack.

6. Add Vegetables to the Junk Food Itself

The most effective nutritional upgrades are the ones that seem like you are adding no extra effort at all. This one will require no extra dishes, no willpower for a separate side, and no eating discipline that might not survive a craving. Vegetables like spinach, peas, or broccoli can be added to pasta, rice, and casseroles as a simple fibre boost.

• Add palak, beans, carrots, broccoli, or green peas to instant noodles.

• Load pizza with extra vegetable toppings (capsicum, mushroom, onion, jalapeño) and reduce the cheese.

• Add grated carrot and coriander to a paratha or roti wrap with a fast food filling.

• Mix rajma or boiled chickpeas into white rice dishes to raise fibre and protein.

• Use a thick tomato-onion sauce on homemade pizza rather than store-bought sauce (far less sodium and sugar)

Fruits and vegetables like oranges, tomatoes, and dark leafy greens, and even fresh herbs, are loaded with vitamins, fibre, and minerals. Adding diced vegetables to dishes like stews and omelettes is a simple way to boost colour and nutrients; peppers, broccoli, and onions are great options.

7. Time Your Junk Food Consumption

There is ample research to show that the timing of food is crucial, and when it comes to fast food, even more so, as much as what you pair it with. Here’s what to do:

• Eat junk food earlier in the day: The body has higher insulin sensitivity in the morning and early afternoon (cells respond to it well). Insulin sensitivity drops in the evening, so junk food later at night will promote more fat storage.

• Never eat junk food on an empty stomach: Consider this the ‘an empty mind is the devil’s workshop’ rule, as eating fast food on an empty stomach will accelerate blood sugar spikes. Eat a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit, or a glass of chaas before the meal.

• Avoid eating junk food with other high-GI items: The combination of soft drink, white bread burger and fries is deadly as you get a triple glycaemic load. Replace one element with a low-GI option.

• Move after eating: Even a 10-15-minute walk post-meal has been shown to reduce postprandial (after-meal) blood glucose.

8. Hydrate Well Before And During A Junk Food Meal

Pause before giving in to that craving, exactly how you would take a few deep breaths or a timeout to resist throwing a brick at your unreliable manager. You might just be dehydrated, while your mind goes, ‘I haven't had biryani in a while’, then before you know it, a little bit becomes an entire pack of biryani, meant for three people. Drinking water, eating fibre-rich foods, getting enough sleep, and not skipping meals are all ways you can tame your cravings. Water also helps in better fibre absorption and helps you poop better, clearing out your bowels from the inside out. Tip: Drink 1-2 glasses of water 30 minutes before a junk food meal, and continue with water or a non-sugary drink.

Overview of Junk Food Pairing Guide

The Best? Following the 80-20 Framework

The most sustainable framework for managing junk food consumption over time is the 80-20 rule. This rule means choosing healthy, nutrient-rich foods about 80 percent of the time, and allowing yourself more indulgent foods the other 20 percent. Nothing is off the plate, but your consumption of them changes. It is a flexible, balanced diet approach that helps you maintain your goals without eliminating your favourite foods or counting calories. Until you can reach there, be vigilant about what is on your plate and add more whole foods to your plate, and your life will slowly but surely transform for the better.