A cheese and onion pastry is not junk food

[Cheesepastymum]

Mil thinks it is. However is contains three veg (potato, leek and onion) and dairy for calcium.

That surely.means it isn't junk right? It has a lot of good stuff.

[noeffingidea]

I wouldn't call them junk food, but I wouldn't call them the most nutritious food, either.
I was brought up on a lot of pies and pasties (pastry homemade by my Mum) because that's what poor people ate. You made a small amount of meat (or cheese or whatever) feed a lot of hungry people by putting it in pastry.
Nowadays I don't eat them that often though, just because I can afford not to.

[Baconyum]

High in saturated fat which is the kind that's bad. Leads to heart, attack stroke etc. High in salt likewise health wise, carbs are OK IN MODERATION so yes yabvu its junk whether it's homemade, artisan or Gregg's! Wtf has expensive cheese got to do with it?

[Ubik1]

What is a 'clean' diet?

[FaceFullOfFilleronthe45]

Potatoes don't count in your 5 a day and the veg and calcium content in the rest of it is virtually non existent. The pastry is a very unhealthy, highly calorific mix of wheat based carbs and fat.

If it was bought from Greggs or Asda rather than made at home it probably uses some sort of powdered cheese flavouring and reconstituted potato anyway.

If the definition of junk is something that is not in any way nutritionally valuable other than to provide calories then yes it's junk.

That's not to say that you shouldn't be able to eat it occasionally though. Occasionally being the important bit.

[Aussiemum78]

I'd take that over McDonald's.

It's not a health food but if it's homemade it's probably better than maccas.

[NashvilleQueen]

Someone up thread described butter and cheese as junk food. No they're not. Not ideal for you in large quantities admittedly and very calorific but not junk food. Fat doesn't not equally junk. It's about balance and moderation.

OP A shop bought pasty is probably not much better than a Rustlers burger in reality but if you're enjoying it and it isn't your staple diet then happy days.

[ShizeItsWeegie]

The salt content alone would stop me eating one more than twice a year. Even 'posh' versions use low quality ingredients and cover this fact with sugar and salt. In a blind test, most would not be able to tell your 'posh' one from a My Mums Happy Shopper one! It's junk definitely.

[londonrach]

Junk due to the method of cooking. Very greasy.

[TheHouseOnTheLane]

God I LOVE cheap Cheese n Onion pasties.

I love them. YABU though. They are junky. I see eating one as similar to a bowl of chips in the pub....I don't think "Oh it's got veg in it" because the veg has lost all it's goodness during the cooking. They're just mush in pasties.

[googoodolly]

They taste good but they're definitely not healthy! Doesn't stop me buying them occasionally though

[MamaLazarou]

Junk. Delicious junk, though, and fine in moderation.

[hackmum]

Baconyum: "High in saturated fat which is the kind that's bad."

Didn't you get the memo? We've moved on a bit - saturated fats are no longer regarded as harmful.

I don't know what was in the OP's pasty, but if it was flour, butter, cheese, onion and potato, all these things are fine. I find the idea that you should regard "carbs" or "fats" as bad in themselves, or anything that includes those ingredients as "junk food" misplaced at best. You wouldn't want to eat a cheese and onion pasty for every meal, but that's true of a lot of things. There are very few foods that are bad in themselves - it's a question of moderation. The one thing you do want to keep to a minimum if possible is sugar.

Other than that, the OP's pasty will have contained carbs, fat, protein and calcium, all things that are needed to keep us healthy.

[x2boys]

i wouldnt of thought the pound bakery cheese and onion pasties are paticulary healthy tbh

[JumpRope]

Shop bought Flaky pastry almost always enrobes junk, IMO. Disgusting stuff.

[JumpRope]

And I doubt they contain butter.

[absolutelynotfabulous]

To my mind it's a staple and ok as long as you don't stuff your face all day every day with pasties (nice ones only, mind I can't see any problem.

I'm in the "everything in moderation" camp.

[Baconyum]

Afaik there's been one study done and results inconclusive. But evidence in terms of countries where consumption of sat fat is high having higher rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes etc is still fairly obvious.

There's also cals density to consider and gi factor.

[Baconyum]

"Sugar is bloody everywhere" yep even in the most unlikely foods.

[hackmum]

Baconyum: "But evidence in terms of countries where consumption of sat fat is high having higher rates of heart disease, stroke, diabetes etc is still fairly obvious."

Correlation does not prove causation.

[DarthVadersTailor]

A clear explanation of the food from a trusted medical professional.

[DarthVadersTailor]

*of the food groups

[BlueBananas]

Is it too early to go to Gregg's for a pasty? I'm pregnant if that makes a difference

[OTheHugeManatee]

Junk. Tasty though

[JonSnowKnowsNowt]

I think a homemade pasty is good food for kids - who need a lot more fat than we do. Ditto a homemade pizza.

We had our annual paediatrician appointment last month (for coeliac DC) and paed said all children need plenty of red meat and saturated fats for iron and growth. I went home and made meatballs :)