In another thread, 3FC member PhotoChick was describing "junk food" like this:

To me, "junk food" is any food that's highly processed, consisting of refined sugar, refined flour "enriched" with a few vitamins, plus artificial ingredients, flavors, and preservatives, and containing little actual nutrition. Twinkies, Ding Dongs, virtually all donuts, Snackwells... most corn chips, most potato chips, frozen french fries made from mashed potatoes shaped like fries... like that. In other words, it's junk--it has no value. To me, that burger PhotoChick described isn't really junk food except for the bun, maybe the cheese.

What's your take on junk food?

Jay

Junk food is any food that I eat that makes me feel like junk afterwards

Typically fast food, and anything down the snack/chips & soda aisles.

Anything which is processed usually in huge quantities or is manufactured.

And fast food. I try to stick to totally fresh or frozen ingredients to avoid 'junk'.

Anything that is nutritionally void but has a lot of calories. French fries with gravy comes to mind quickly.

An off thought ... I learned a lot about the nutritional content of foods by calorie counting.

Junk food to me is anything that has no real food or nutritive value for the amount of calories in it. That's most sweets, chips, alcohol and fried and fast foods in my book.

I 100% agree-- to me, food that isn't really...food...is junk food, though I doubt if that makes no sense. If it's enriched, refined, artificial etc, it's junk food. Even if it has little or no calories, like diet coke or those popsicles with 10 calories.

I like Faerie's definition.

If I can't pronounce the names of the ingredients, and if I can't identify the sources of the ingredients (guar gum anyone?), it's junk. Even if it has nutritional value, it's junk.

Take Fiber One bars for instance - I tend to consider that a junky food, despite the fiber content. It's just full of 'junk' ingredients.

That's funny. I guess I never thought about the difference.

I definitely consider this:Twinkies, Ding Dongs, virtually all donuts, Snackwells... most corn chips, most potato chips, frozen french fries made from mashed potatoes shaped like fries... like that. In other words, it's junk--it has no value. ... to be junk.

But also for me - "junk" is food that doesn't provide enough nutritional bang for the caloric buck. So when I eat a 650 calorie burger, I consider that "junk" - given that I can make a burger that's 2x as big for about 1/2 the calories.

And I definitely consider french fries to be "junk"!

But now, Jay, you've made me think about how I classify junk food ... interesting!

.

Fiber one bars= DEFINITELY junk. What a bizarre ingredient list!!

I would classify a burger and fries as junk. For example, if I go to Red Robin (yes evil Red Robin) and get a veggie burger (no mayo, no cheese) on a whole wheat bun with fries, I still consider that junk mostly because of the fries. If I go there and get a veggie burger (again no mayo, no cheese) on a lettuce wrap and a side salad, I wouldn't consider that junk. Sometimes I'll mix it up and get a lettuce wrap veggie burger with fries but yeah the fries are definitely junk.

I would agree with something having little nutritive value and something that strays greatly from being a 'whole food' as junk. Also something that is high in calories (such as fries) for the amount of nutrition you get. I went on a trip recently and decided I wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. So I went to a sandwich place and got a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat. The jelly was regular jelly and the peanut butter was regular peanut butter so I considered it a bit on the junky side but I also asked for only a little jelly.

So I guess I think there are grades of junk food and sometimes you can make junk food slightly better by various choices but its still junk. Overall, if I sat down and made a list of all the things that I thought were good for me and part of a solid eating plan, then mostly everything else would be considered junk to me.

I think there's a whole spectrum and many layers of "junkitude." And sometimes my definition or where I draw the line, varies. I consider most frozen meals "junk" because to me, they're too high in calorie and fat and too low in nutrition for the dollar and portion-size. Including them occasionally, does provide some nutrition, but I wouldn't expect to get all of my nutrition through them. So I don't really consider them "junk" to eat occasionally, but I do think they're junk to eat every day.

Also, I have portion control and hunger issues with carbs. One piece of fruit or a serving of whole grains or a small handful of nuts is healthy, but at some point too many servings even of a healthy food becomes junk. I think anything that tips the balance can become "junky."

yes, for me too.. junk is qualified by total lack of nutritional value. high cal or low cal-- no nutrition=junk.

Junk Food. Right now, I would say anything that tastes good. lol, no just kidding. I consider Junk food anything that is "bad" for you. Candy, sweets, fast food, most bakery products, soda, etc. All my favorite things.

I agree with this. For me anything that is unhealthy and strays from being a whole food, or close to, is junk to me. Unhealthy can be different for different people, you need to listen to your body and keep up on nutrition info.

I'd also like to add that I agree with Photochick. I'd consider a burger made with conventional beef to be junk, but for a different reason then she mentioned. I think it's junk because of how cattle is raised in the US. Now a grass fed/finished burger on a 100% whole wheat bun with lots of veggies... that I wouldn't consider junk.

High sugar, high fat foods with little to no nutritional value. (most fast food) Used to live on that stuff.