Junk Food In The House? Why?!?

This is a copy and paste of a post from Ryan Andrews, who is a professional dietician on the Precision Nutrition forums.

Here is a sample of a conversation that usually comes up with new clients on a weekly, if not daily basis:

Client - “Ryan, I ate some unhealthy foods last week and it is preventing me from reaching my health and body composition goals.”

Me - “Tell me why you chose the unhealthy foods.”

Client – “Well, I had this pack of cookies and bag of chips in my house and…..”

Me – “Wait a minute, why did you have chips and cookies at your house? Remember how we discussed the importance of building a safe home base and surrounding yourself with healthy, whole foods? Foods you actually plan on consuming.”

Client – “But Ryan, I have two kids and a spouse. They can eat those foods. I have to keep those foods in the house for them.”

This is about the time in the conversation where I have to slow my breathing and count to 10 or else my face turns red and I throw my computer monitor across the room.

People, listen. No matter if you are fat, thin, healthy, unhealthy, smart or stupid – no one should be consuming unhealthy junk foods. Period. End of discussion.

If unhealthy junk foods are “all your kids will eat,” then drop them off in Uganda for 2 months and see what happens. Kids will eat if they are hungry. Haven’t had anything to eat for a couple days? A root vegetable looks pretty darn good.


If your husband “loves his chocolate ice cream,” then tell him to go out and get an individual cup and be done with it. Don’t stock up on a 4 gallon container from Fat-Mart.

Convincing yourself that you need to keep unhealthy junk foods in the house for your fellow family members is a load of bull. That is rationalization rearing its head.

If you eat crappy foods at regular intervals, your health and body comp will be crappy as well.