JUNK FOOD – ITS NAME IS FOR A REASON!

Junk food tends to describe foods that are high in calories, sugar, fat or salt and that offer little nutritional value. It can include chocolates, biscuits, cakes, burgers, chips, pizza and fizzy drinks. Eating too many of these foods will not keep your body working well on the inside or looking great on the outside. So junk food isn’t all that great. It definitely isn’t the best choice you can make when it comes to grabbing a quick bite.

DID YOU KNOW?

• An obese teen is 70 per cent more likely to become an obese adult with an increased chance of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and death. Overweight or obese adolescents tend to leave education earlier, and as adults earn a household average of £3,500 less each year, and are 20 per cent less likely to marry
• Certain types of junk foods like chocolate give you an immediate energy rush, but this burst of energy lasts only for a short amount of time and can leave you feeling tired and hungry much quicker than if you were to eat slow release energy food like potatoes, pasta or vegetables, these keep you up and active for longer.
• If junk food is a major part of your daily diet it can cause spotty skin and make your hair and nails weak. There can also be some serious long terms effects like heart disease and obesity.
• Did you know the some flavorings and colourings found in junk food can be linked to asthma and rashes?
• If a child has 1 (45g) chocolate bar, 1 (35g) packet of crisps and 1 can (330ml) fizzy drink every school day, it will result in an extra 559 kilocalories per day. If the same snacking habits continued over the course of the school year, it would add up to eating to 20 (250g) blocks of butter, 41 salt sachets, 11 kilogrammes of sugar, and would cost around £235 - the same price as a 12-month mobile phone contract with 500 minutes and 300 texts.

SO GIVE ME A SOLUTION - ALTERNATIVE FAST FOOD CHOICES

• Bananas are a quick and simple food that can fill you up while on the go.
• Sandwiches on wholemeal bread with healthy fillings like tuna salad, grilled chicken or vegetables are a healthy alternative
• Never underestimate the good old potato. A baked potato with tuna and salad is a great source of energy and also fills you up for hours. TOP TIP: Remember to eat the skin; it contains more vitamins and minerals.
• Also choose water over fizzy drinks, it contains no calories and keeps you hydrated which is really important when taking part in sports and other physical activities.