To ask what you count as junk?

[lastqueenofscotland]

Following on from the cheese pasty thread!

My general rule is produce not products. Think a lot of cook in sauces are absolute crap, though well aware that full fat coke is awful, still drink it at least once a week! Love it.

I think junk is more to do with how much of it you have, rather than the actual thing.... stuff considered as junk isn't that bad if you only have once in a while.

I don't believe that any food or drink is awful. there is no harm in having 'junk' occasionally, as long as it is part of a balanced diet in general. Dd has sweets/chocolate/crisps sometimes, but she also eats tons of fruit and veg, lovely home cooked healthy meals, gets plenty of exercise etc. she is a perfect weight and is very healthy.

I count something as 'junk' if it's got no real nutritional value, so is basically just empty calories. Things like take-away chips or a pile of chocolate. I don't consider something to be junk though if it's got nutritional value in it even if it's not exactly 'healthy'. So for example cheese has got calcium, protein etc but I wouldn't consider it healthy because of it's high fat value unless you buy disgusting low fat cheese

Too much of anything.

But the more unrecognisable the food has become from its original form then the more it is junk.

As a standalone 'food' marshmallow fluff is the junkiest of junk. Otherwise I agree with youngest, a cheesy pasty/bag of chips/can of coke as part of a balanced diet doesn't need to be classified as junk.

Anything with E numbers, artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.

It's easier to list what isn't junk!

Interesting! I do feel some thugs are just junk- ie coke, but I like it so have it in moderation. At uni I drank oceans of the stuff.

I defo don't cut stuff out but try to make as much from scratch as possible. Dp loves a cook in sauce and loads of them just taste so sweet to me.

Processed food is junk imo.

I also believe everything in moderation and there's nothing wrong with junk every now and again.

Low micro-nutrient to calories, low micro-nutrient to volume ratio.

So Diet coke, bacon-flavoured crisps or white bread = junk food.

I eat some junk, btw, with no qualms.

I bloody love marshmallow fluff squoosh on pancakes.

Yogurt, pastry, juice & bread are "processed" foods.

Was that directed at me yeoldtrout?

If it is made in a factory, it's probably junk. More than 5 ingredients, probably junk. Anything with added sugar, definitely junk.

BrandNewAndImproved I've never actually tasted it just looked at it in wonder. Is it like actual candy floss?

It's amazing squoosh it's wet sticky and sweet and not that marshmallowy.

Anything cooked by my mother. Even the vegetables fresh off the allotment are junk once she's got her hands on them.

Like you OP....if it's processed in any way then it's junk....BUT there are different catagories of junk to me.

So....white pasta bought from a shop, dried...it's minorly junky....yes, the carbs can be good but carbs from something like sweet potato, quinoa or oats...they're the best.

If it's not in it's natural state then part of me thinks "Not good"

I do indulge in crap though at times.

Food that isn't made of food IMO.

I wouldn't class an Indian take-away as junk for example, tho obviously it isn't the lowest calorie meal you can eat.