Tackling the charm of fast food

Kayla Poharama is determined to cut junk food from her diet during the month of June for her children's sake. Photo / Stephen Parker

Kayla Poharama is giving up junk food for her children.

The 20-year-old Rotorua mother is taking part in Junk Free June, a fundraiser event for The Cancer Society of New Zealand which encourages people to make positive nutritional choices.

"I have a 7-month-old daughter and she is really active and I can't really play around with her because I'm really unfit," Miss Poharama said.

"I want to be healthier, especially for my unborn child who is due in October."

Miss Poharama said she had been eating takeaway food almost every day for a year.

"It's practically every day. I would have McDonald's or Burger King, their $5 meals, you would get fries, drink, a burger and a sundae and that would really fill me up. Sometimes on a Wednesday I could go to McDonald's up to three times. My daughter fortunately has vegetables," she said.

"It just started getting addictive and when I was hungry I would want that fast food taste and I didn't fancy any food at home because it wasn't fatty."

It would be a "real struggle" but she was determined to cut out junk food.

"I keep going on the [Junk Free June web] page and there's quite a few thousand people also doing it so that's really encouraging. I'm also trying to get into regular fitness, just get off the couch and go outside. It's quite hard to be motivated but my mum and my best friend are doing it too. If we eat junk food, we owe each other $5."

Junk Free June is about sacrificing something that you eat often and know isn't good for you.

"Our goal was to create a charity event that was not only beneficial to the participant's health, but also really fun to be part of," Junk Free June creative director Matt Clayton said.

"The ideal scenario for us is that people have an awesome time trying new recipes and sharing their successes during June, then realising after the month that they feel better having eliminated their chosen type of junk."

-For more see www.junkfreejune.org.nz/.