Of course there is the obvious - chips, candy, and big macs How far do you take the definition? Instant dinner mixes? Frozen dinners? Fat free salad dressing? (read the ingredient label and you'll see what I'm getting at). What is your criteria for "junk food"?

YES to ff salad dressings, ketchup, syrup, rice-a-roni type mixes, and anything else with High Fructose Corn Syrup. Rice cakes, 100 calorie snak packs (not meaning to step on toes, but hey they are junk), pop tarts. Basically in my eyes, anything with HFCS is junk.

I agree with Tammy about the high fructose corn syrup ~ but I consider something junk also when it has partially hydrogenated oil in it as well. I consider most processed food junk, especially if it's fiber has been stripped, nutrients depleted, and sugar added, it's essentially junk in my book. I actually have been eating mostly natural, whole foods as of now. But I'm guilty: I still drink TONS of diet pop and use artificial sweetners freely. I know a lot of people are anti-diet drinks. And they contain chemicals galore and have no nutritional value. I've seriously considered never eating/drinking anything processed but I just can't give up the pop and tea.

Although I may consider it junk, I still have dressing on my salad and tons of ketchup with my chicken breast. But I do try to buy dressing made with olive oil, but I can't defend my use of ketchup. I just like it.

Soda, buttered-up popcorn, cheetos, muffins (most portions are too large and sweet), sugary foods...

Basically anything that isn't firmly in the definition of a healthy food.

junk food, in my opinion, is ANY food that has little nutritional value at all. We can call anything junk food because it has either...fat, corn syrup (or alot of sugar) and loads of sodium.. but a bowl of cereal posseses the alot of those very same qualities. Even some of what we think are the "healthy" ones aren't really. So a bowl of cereal falls right in there with something like those high-cal, over breaded, over salted, deep fried chicken nuggy type things.. It tastes good, and has a marginal ammount of protien, but won't even come close to filling me up the way grilled chicken with a side of steamy veggies would. I suppose it's all in how we look at it

Anything with calories but no nutritional value. Or no calories but lots of chemicals.

I read recently that anything you do to it after you pick it ... is processing. Interesting notion, huh?

This for me includes all those mini snack packs and "low fat chips"type things, diet popsicles, - they are diet junk food.

Anything that tastes good! - Just kidding!

Well, since I don't own a microwave, that cuts out a lot of what I consider to be junk food. Actually, I tend to stay away from the entire frozen food section at the grocery store.

Since I'm a calorie counter, just about anything that is high in calories has become "junk food" to me. Of course, there are high calorie foods that are also high in protein and nutrients and all that other good stuff, but I usually can find a lower calorie alternative as a substitute.

At first, I was a little surprised when someone mentioned those 100 calorie packs, but I do have to agree that they are junk food. As someone who grew up on bags of doritos and cookies, those 100 cal packs are a way for me to indulge (in junk food) without really indulging. There have been so many times when I've picked up a bag of doritos, sorely tempted, but then I turn over the bag listening to the gentle rustle of the flavored chips within only to find that I can eat a full nourishing meal for the same number of calories in that bag. So I sadly set the bag back down.

I still eat those 100 cal packs, but not every day. I treat them as junk food should be treated - as a once in a while treat. Maybe some day, I'll get a bag of doritos...but not anytime soon.

My idea of junk food is pretty much anything I don't make from scratch! I buy things like crackers and fat free (no artificial sweetener) yoghurt, and we buy condiments like curry paste and such... but we make our own salad dressings, dinner's always from scratch, I buy whole grain bread from a local farmer who grows his own wheat. I guess basically if I don't know what's in it, it's junk food to me.

I consider anything that takes AWAY from my overall health nutrition rather than Adding to it, to be junk food.

refined sugar, processed flours, hydrogenated fats, junk junk junk

anything fried in oil, made with HFCS or sugar, or anything with cheese

that covers most junk

I used to live on Lean Cuisines. Now I consider them junk.

Gosh you guys are making me feel overwhelmed!!!

I would have to agree...things with little to no nutritional value, Chemicals, processed, packaged foods are junk!

Have to agree with ValRock, no reifined flour, no sugar, no processed foods. I cook with only 100% whole wheat products and all sorts of other fresh whole foods. I find that when shopping I spend half my time reading labels.