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Habit to quit · Food

How to quit junk food and eat less ultra-processed food

Crisps, fast food, packaged snacks and fizzy drinks are built to be easy to overeat. You do not need a perfect diet. You need fewer of them within reach.

+500

extra calories a day eaten on an ultra-processed diet. NIH

The risks

Why junk food is harmful

You eat more without trying

In a controlled trial, people offered ultra-processed food ate about 500 more calories a day and gained weight in two weeks. On minimally processed food they lost it.

Source: NIH

Heart and mind

A review of studies covering about 10 million people linked high intake to a 50% higher risk of death from heart disease and a 48 to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders.

Source: BMJ, 2024

Diabetes risk

The same review found convincing evidence of a 12% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. These are associations, not proof of cause, but they point the same way.

Source: BMJ, 2024

Cravings and withdrawal

No withdrawal timeline is established for junk food. Cravings are mostly cues: the snack drawer, the delivery app, the walk past the shop. Change the cues and the cravings shrink. New eating habits take time to feel automatic, a median of 66 days in one study, so judge your progress in months, not days.

Common triggers

  • Delivery apps
  • Late nights
  • Skipped meals
  • Stress
  • TV and gaming
  • The commute home

The plan

How to quit

  1. 1

    Keep it out of the house

    You cannot eat what is not there. Do not buy it on the weekly shop, and move any that is left out of sight.

  2. 2

    Plan the default meal

    Most junk food is a missing plan. Keep two or three easy home meals you can make in 15 minutes, so the fast option is not the only one.

  3. 3

    Write an if-then plan

    "If I open a delivery app, I will check the fridge first." A small speed bump is often enough.

    Source: Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006

Start small

Start with weekdays only: set the schedule to Chosen days, Monday to Friday. Delete one delivery app. When five days a week feels normal, decide whether weekends join too.

FAQ

Quitting junk food: common questions

Foods made mostly from industrial ingredients you would not cook with at home: most packaged snacks, sweets, fizzy drinks, instant noodles, processed meats and many ready meals.

No. Tinned beans, frozen vegetables and plain yoghurt are processed and perfectly fine. Aim to cut the snack, sweet and fast-food end first.

Check in honestly and carry on tomorrow. A streak freeze covers a missed day, and one evening does not undo weeks of better habits.

General information, not medical advice. Streako is a habit tracker, not a treatment service. If you are worried about your health, talk to a doctor.

Fill the gap

Good habits to replace it with

Quitting leaves a gap in your day. Fill it with something you want more of.

Health

Eat vegetables

Add a serving of vegetables to your meals, one plate at a time.

Read more
Health

Drink water

Count your glasses and keep a steady water habit through the day.

Read more
Productivity

Plan your day

Spend five minutes deciding what matters before the day decides for you.

Read more
Side by sideJunk food vs vegetables: see the full swap

Other habits to quit

Food

Added sugar

One can of cola can hold your whole day’s limit. Cut the drinks first and taste follows.

Read more
Food

Late-night snacking

Eating late makes you hungrier the next day and can worsen reflux. Close the kitchen.

Read more
Digital

Gaming binges

Gaming is fine. Losing sleep, work and plans to it is not. Set a stopping point before you start.

Read more

Every day without it counts

Check in each night you stay clear, and watch the streak grow.

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streako.app/quit/junk-food

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