Are you unable to resist certain foods, despite knowing how bad they are for you? Are you desperate to satisfy your cravings to the point that you can’t stop eating them?
The world seems filled with temptation. Delicious temptations in the form of pizza, cookies, chips… Let’s be honest, and sometimes, we just give in.
You’re not alone if you struggle to control your relationship with food. Many foods are really addictive, just like caffeine or nicotine. Let’s see some of the most well-known.
1. Pizza
It’s almost impossible not to crave pizza just by hearing its name. The idea of a hot, fresh pizza baking in the oven makes your mouth water. When you take the first bite, you feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven.
The dough, cheese, and sauce mixture are incredibly high in calories, fat, and refined flour. This combination can be addictive for some people.
Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the United States. As you might expect, it is also one of the most unhealthy meals. A large pizza has 1,500 – 2,500 calories and 70-100 grams of fat.
The refined flour in pizza dough quickly spikes blood sugar levels. This can leave people feeling hungry again soon after eating pizza. The cheese and sauce are also high in salt and saturated fat. All of these factors can make pizza addictive for some people.
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2. Ice-cream
When it comes to ice cream, there is no moderation. Once you begin, there is no turning back. It is smooth, creamy, and oh-so-sweet. There is a reason why we crave it during stressful times.
Ice cream has a lot of fat, sugar, and calories. Over 200 calories can be found in a single serving of ice cream. Combining these ingredients can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and lead to euphoria. Over time, overeating ice cream can lead to weight gain and other health problems.
Furthermore, the cold makes sweet treats seem less sweet, so you can eat more sugar than you’d like. Use frozen fruit and plain yogurt without added sugar to make it instead.
3. French Fries
If you are trying to eat healthier, french fries can prove to be your greatest enemy. One bite may not seem like much, but one bite can lead to a plateful. Before you know it, you feel frustrated and guilty because the french fries have won again.
There is likely a connection between the addictive nature of French fries and their combination of salt and fat. These ingredients work together to create delicious food that is calorie-dense. Once you begin to consume them, it becomes impossible to stop.
If you love French fries, try limiting yourself to a small serving once or twice weekly. And be sure to pair them with a healthy dish like grilled chicken or fish that is high in protein, so you get satisfied faster.
It is also possible to roast the potatoes in the oven after tossing them in olive oil and seasoning them. You will enjoy them just as much, and they will be healthier as well since they will not absorb as much fat.
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4. Chocolate
A growling stomach is telling you that it is 4 p.m. You could go for a healthy snack like an apple or some carrots, but you know what you really want is something chocolate. Your hand reaches into your desk drawer, searching for that familiar foil wrapper. And once you start eating it, it’s hard to stop. But there’s a reason why chocolate is so addictive.
Chocolate contains a compound that the brain recognizes as similar to marijuana. This compound, called anandamide, is released when you eat chocolate and binds to the same receptor in the brain as THC. This causes euphoria and can make you addicted to chocolate.
Chocolate is also high in sugar, contributing to this positive feeling. Sugar makes your dopamine receptors underactive, so you’ll always crave more. Try dark chocolate with more than 70% cocoa for a healthier alternative.
5. Bacon
It’s hard not to love the smell of bacon frying in the morning. The savory, smoky aroma wafting through the kitchen makes anyone’s mouth water. But did you know that bacon is addictive? Yes, that’s right. Despite being tasty, this delicious food can actually be detrimental to your health.
Are you familiar with the Maillard reaction?
During this reaction, the water evaporates from the surface of the bacon, and the proteins, sugars, amino acids, and fat react with each other. The resulting 150 compounds, including pyridine, are responsible for the inimitable aroma.
The bacon is delicious, but it’s also terribly fatty. Bacon is high in both saturated and unsaturated fats, which can raise your cholesterol levels and increase your risk for heart disease. It’s also high in sodium, contributing to high blood pressure. Processed meats like bacon are also linked to cancer.
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6. Cheeseburger
Having a night out with friends, you suddenly hear someone mention cheeseburgers. Your stomach immediately starts growling, and your mind races with thoughts of juicy burgers topped with melty cheese. Your mind races with thoughts of these savory flavors as you try to resist, but you end up in line at your nearest burger joint ordering your cheeseburger fix before you realize it.
As a result of their high calorie, salt, and fat content, cheeseburgers can be highly addictive. The taste of these ingredients can be pleasing to the palate and lead to people craving more of them. The ease of access and relative affordability of cheeseburgers make them attractive to people looking for quick and cheap meals. Nevertheless, if consumed in excess, all those calories, salt, and fat can add up quickly, resulting in weight gain.
7. Popcorn
It’s happened to all of us. Eating a bowl of popcorn while watching our favorite show, then realize we’ve consumed the entire bowl. Popcorn can contain up to 500 calories per small bag and up to 1000 calories per large bag because popcorn is made with butter and other high-calorie ingredients. Also, popcorn is high in salt, which can cause health problems for people with heart disease. Also, butter contains unhealthy saturated fats, increasing heart disease risk.
7. Soft Drinks
You are parched. You have searched for something to drink for what feels like hours. You have tried water, but it has not sufficed. A soft drink will satisfy your thirst and satisfy your cravings. It is full of sugar and who knows what else, but you cannot stop drinking it. You need something with flavor to quench your thirst and satisfy your cravings.
Addiction to soft drinks is a fact. Sugar and calories make them difficult to resist. Often, people don’t realize how many calories soft drinks contain. A can of Coke has 140 calories, and a 20-ounce bottle has 240. That is a lot.
Sugar also makes soft drinks addictive. The brain reacts to sugar similarly to cocaine. Sugar releases dopamine, which makes you feel good. This is why people often crave sugary foods and drinks.
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8. Nutella
I love Nutella, and I’m sure you do too. That sweet, chocolatey hazelnut flavor is addicting. And at the end of a long day, it’s so tempting to just eat it by the spoonful out of the jar.
It is no wonder that Nutella is so addictive – it hits all of the right buttons, nutritionally speaking. A two-tablespoon serving of Nutella contains 200 calories, 21 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of saturated fat. This means that just a small amount of Nutella can quickly add up to many extra calories and unhealthy fat. It’s a real calorie bomb.
9. Salty Snacks
In order to survive, humans require salt, but too much salt can damage us. Although the average person needs 3,000 to 5,000 milligrams of salt daily, people who eat salty snacks often consume 10,000 milligrams or more daily. Chronic high blood pressure and heart disease can result from excessive salt consumption.
There is also a high calorie and saturated fat content in salty snacks. The average potato chip contains 150 calories and 10 grams of fat (a big bag has 1,200 calories!). Weight gain and obesity can quickly follow when you consume these unhealthy snacks regularly.
We are hardwired to need salt, which explains why salty snacks are so addictive.
Credit: foodinsight.org
10. Fried Foods
Something fried is on the menu at a restaurant. Perhaps chicken fingers or onion rings. Suddenly your mouth waters, and you can’t resist. As soon as it is ready, you eat it. There’s nothing better than this. But afterward, you feel guilty. Why did you eat that? There’s a diet you need to follow.
As a result of their extremely high calorie, sodium, and saturated fat content, fried foods are often considered “comfort foods.” Fried foods are also highly addictive due to their high levels of sodium, sugar, and saturated fat.
The calorie content of fried foods is among the highest. A single serving of French fries can contain hundreds of calories. And that’s just one piece of food! Add in chicken fingers, onion rings, pizza, tacos, and other fried items, and it’s easy to see how people can gain weight quickly by eating too many fried foods.
Also, salt contributes to the addictive nature of fried foods.
To sum up
While there are many different types of addictive foods, sugar, salt, and fat are the most addictive. It’s hard to resist these foods, which often lead to overeating. Healthy, unprocessed foods are best for avoiding addictive foods.