Maintaining a balanced lifestyle would mean having a healthy relationship with food. This is why one of the main rules to maintaining a healthy diet is that sometimes ‘bad’ food may just be needed to satisfy our cravings for certain dishes like ‘guilty pleasures.’
This guilty pleasure includes a decadent bowl of carb-riddled cheese pasta and a dense, silken chocolate treat. In addition, I seek out this meal, which has lots of carbs and sugars, whenever I want comfort or deviation from routine. This creamy and indulgent pasta makes you remember warm-hearted family gatherings and holiday events. However, the chocolate dessert has a sweet tone that marks the end of the meal, making me feel full and happy.
It is imperative to understand the idea of ‘the cheat meal.’ Enjoy yourself, and it is not about dropping your health routines. It can stop binge eating and nurture a good attitude towards food. Hence, an individual should consume this meal occasionally as part of a proper diet and not as a substitute for an appropriate diet.
Furthermore, it has been possible to view eating one’s favorite meal as self-love. This is how to reward yourself for working all week or celebrate minor achievements. Tasting some of your favorite foods can also provide much-needed food and emotional nourishment towards improving your bad moods (Everyday Health Group, 2021).
Eating a guilty pleasure meal when the diet culture dominates conversations about food can be considered an act of mercy. This acknowledges that food is not merely fuel but rather for enjoyment, and health should be well-balanced in the diet (Fieldhouse, 2022).
Finally, a guilty pleasure meal is more than just taking a break from routine. That is proof of the idea that maintaining balance in eating habits is based on occasional pleasure eating.
