How Do You Define "Junk Food"?
Replies
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this question coming from the guy trying to demonize soda (in any form) despite what medical opinions are.
oy vey.
i'm learning to take every stupid this this guy says with a grain of salt. speaking of salt -- nomnomnom.0 -
If it's "junk," then it's not food. Ergo, food is NOT junk.0
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Great advice. For all of us.OP, I think it's great that you found something that works for you. Realize though, that what works for you is not necessarily what is going to work for everyone always nor is it necessary for everyone always. Also realize that what works for you now may not be what works for you 10 years from now. Many diverse cultures thrive on many diverse diets... know that.0 -
What category would you put me in? Out of curiosity. I DONT agree with you about olive oil (nor the premise behind it), but I do try to build my diet around nutritious whole foods.
It's not very frustrating. There are many receptive people. I always get private messages and friend requests from people who don't want to speak up among the vultures. I just put the haters, misinformed loudmouths, and close minded types on "ignore", so most of the negative responses i don't even see. It seems most of the negativity is coming from the same few people.
Change the website? I asked a question and that is changing the website? Wow. Just wow.OP, instead of trying to change this website, which will be a frustrating, losing battle for you, why don't you just find another website that is more in agreement with your way of thinking/living?
Dude. Don't try to pretend you're simply posting an innocent little question. You're all over the forums, preaching against the evils of various foods. All I'm trying to say is that you can save yourself some frustration by finding a more receptive audience.0 -
On another thread, i called a meal with 64% of it's calories coming from refined fat: "junk food". The meal being named was a salad doused in oil. Some people are trying to claim that is not junk food, despite the high ratio of nutritionless fiberless refined fat, to actual food. Do you think drowning a 90 calorie salad in 250 calories of oil makes it junk food?
Throw some bacon, eggs, and avocado on there and that sounds like my kind of salad. Heck, needs moar fat. 70% calories from fat is good.How do you define what is "junk food"?
I think the definition of junk food is something that adds calories to your diet with little to no nutrients, and i think the definition includes anything toxic (loaded with food chemicals, unwanted hormones, pesticides, etc).
What's your definition?
That's a good definition. It also is exactly what the salad with oil dressing is not. If it was just lettuce, it probably isn't as rich in micronutrients as a nice serving of fried beef tripe/liver/tongue, but if it's got some spinach and tomatoes and olives, fresh herbs like basil/dill/mint/thyme, some sliced mango/strawberries or lemon juice, garlic or ginger, sunflower seeds or crushed walnuts... It's probably pretty freakin' healthy. Definitely fits into the low-calorie lifestyle to lose weight for MFP (90 salad+250 oil=340) that's less than a third of the recommended 1200 calories/day. It's "clean" if you're doing that. It's Paleo, if you're doing that.
Junk food would be, as other people said, Little Debbie (Micronutrients in a serving of Swiss Rolls: 0% A, 0% C, 0% Calcium, 4% Iron), beer and other alcohols. Macronutritional calories largely devoid of any micronutritional value.0 -
Usually food with little or low nutrition value. That said, it's not evil to eat if one is getting in their correct amount macro/micro nutrients along with it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
It's not very frustrating. There are many receptive people. I always get private messages and friend requests from people who don't want to speak up among the vultures. I just put the haters, misinformed loudmouths, and close minded types on "ignore", so most of the negative responses i don't even see. It seems most of the negativity is coming from the same few people.
Change the website? I asked a question and that is changing the website? Wow. Just wow.OP, instead of trying to change this website, which will be a frustrating, losing battle for you, why don't you just find another website that is more in agreement with your way of thinking/living?
Dude. Don't try to pretend you're simply posting an innocent little question. You're all over the forums, preaching against the evils of various foods. All I'm trying to say is that you can save yourself some frustration by finding a more receptive audience.
Am I a hater or a misinformed loudmouth?
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Usually food with little or low nutrition value. That said, it's not evil to eat if one is getting in their correct amount macro/micro nutrients along with it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I also go by the philosophy that "pleasure" is a "nutrient". What kind of life are we living if we never allow ourselves pleasure. You can make yourself sick in the name of health...0 -
I'm one of those folks who replied about salad oil. I guess I'm just not getting why salad oil is junk. I typically use extra virgin olive oil. Not junk imho. Especially in a nice oil and vinegar recipe.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132
And I guess I figure the alternatives can be much "worse"? Dunno. Shrug.:flowerforyou:
Edited: Dictionaries usually have several definitions.
Here's another
Junk food: food that is high in calories but low in nutritional content
Oil and vinegar dressing, by that definition? Not junk food.
ps: My salad would never be 90 calories before the dressing. Never.
^^This.....I thought that olive oil had all the stuff the body liked....our bodies need fat correct?0 -
Or like the OP make others sick from all the ranting against how others prefer to eat.:laugh:Usually food with little or low nutrition value. That said, it's not evil to eat if one is getting in their correct amount macro/micro nutrients along with it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I also go by the philosophy that "pleasure" is a "nutrient". What kind of life are we living if we never allow ourselves pleasure. You can make yourself sick in the name of health...
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
It's not very frustrating. There are many receptive people. I always get private messages and friend requests from people who don't want to speak up among the vultures. I just put the haters, misinformed loudmouths, and close minded types on "ignore", so most of the negative responses i don't even see. It seems most of the negativity is coming from the same few people.
Change the website? I asked a question and that is changing the website? Wow. Just wow.OP, instead of trying to change this website, which will be a frustrating, losing battle for you, why don't you just find another website that is more in agreement with your way of thinking/living?
Dude. Don't try to pretend you're simply posting an innocent little question. You're all over the forums, preaching against the evils of various foods. All I'm trying to say is that you can save yourself some frustration by finding a more receptive audience.
The same few people who are/have been successful at reaching their goals of health and are maintaining or bettering their results.....or the same few newbies that are still learning.
I am finding that listening to the first group has been very beneficial in my learning process. js
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misinformed loudmouths, and close minded types
Funny OP, but this is how I characterize you.
It's ok though... you are 32 years old and you believe you have found the "best" way to health. I am going to be 42 in january so I have ten years of experience on you. I have been into health and fitness since I was 22. In the past 20 years I have come across the "best" way at least 10 times... Just wait and see.0 -
Am I a hater or a misinformed loudmouth?
:laugh:
I like you! :flowerforyou: :smokin:0 -
lol! Oh noz empty calories and fat!!!!!
< sips beer while eating ice cream. It's genetic I'm sure . . .
dude, stop eating junk...0 -
It's not very frustrating. There are many receptive people. I always get private messages and friend requests from people who don't want to speak up among the vultures. I just put the haters, misinformed loudmouths, and close minded types on "ignore", so most of the negative responses i don't even see. It seems most of the negativity is coming from the same few people.
Change the website? I asked a question and that is changing the website? Wow. Just wow.OP, instead of trying to change this website, which will be a frustrating, losing battle for you, why don't you just find another website that is more in agreement with your way of thinking/living?
Dude. Don't try to pretend you're simply posting an innocent little question. You're all over the forums, preaching against the evils of various foods. All I'm trying to say is that you can save yourself some frustration by finding a more receptive audience.
You're so close-minded that you're willing to call anyone with a varying opinion misinformed? Seems legit. Hypocrites are hypocritical.
Just kidding. You took the words right out of my mouth... Or would that be hands? 0 -
Misinformed you say? So inform us. You have been asked to back up your opinions with some kind of evidence by a number of people and you never do. I am 100% genuinely curious as to why you are so vehemently against olive oil as I have never come across it before even from vegan friends. I grow olives, they are inedible fresh from the tree. They either have to be cured in brine for weeks or cold pressed for the oil. So tell me where you get this information from, publicly so that we can all be informed. Sources please
I'm not the OP, but I'd strongly suspect a lot of it is coming from the 80-10-10 diet book and similar sources.0 -
Misinformed you say? So inform us. You have been asked to back up your opinions with some kind of evidence by a number of people and you never do. I am 100% genuinely curious as to why you are so vehemently against olive oil as I have never come across it before even from vegan friends. I grow olives, they are inedible fresh from the tree. They either have to be cured in brine for weeks or cold pressed for the oil. So tell me where you get this information from, publicly so that we can all be informed. Sources please
I'm not the OP, but I'd strongly suspect a lot of it is coming from the 80-10-10 diet book and similar sources.
Oh crap-on-a-plate!!!!!
I just Googled that. Just eww! People are so gullible, and filled with self-loathing. :sick:0 -
It's not very frustrating. There are many receptive people. I always get private messages and friend requests from people who don't want to speak up among the vultures. I just put the haters, misinformed loudmouths, and close minded types on "ignore", so most of the negative responses i don't even see. It seems most of the negativity is coming from the same few people.
Change the website? I asked a question and that is changing the website? Wow. Just wow.OP, instead of trying to change this website, which will be a frustrating, losing battle for you, why don't you just find another website that is more in agreement with your way of thinking/living?
Dude. Don't try to pretend you're simply posting an innocent little question. You're all over the forums, preaching against the evils of various foods. All I'm trying to say is that you can save yourself some frustration by finding a more receptive audience.
not all your friends are vegan, some even eat high processed foods, packaged foods, meats etc Surely you'd only be friending people just like you?0 -
Am I a hater or a misinformed loudmouth?
:laugh:
I like you! :flowerforyou: :smokin:
You're not too shabby yourself, there, Wendy
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It's not very frustrating. There are many receptive people. I always get private messages and friend requests from people who don't want to speak up among the vultures. I just put the haters, misinformed loudmouths, and close minded types on "ignore", so most of the negative responses i don't even see. It seems most of the negativity is coming from the same few people.
Change the website? I asked a question and that is changing the website? Wow. Just wow.OP, instead of trying to change this website, which will be a frustrating, losing battle for you, why don't you just find another website that is more in agreement with your way of thinking/living?
Dude. Don't try to pretend you're simply posting an innocent little question. You're all over the forums, preaching against the evils of various foods. All I'm trying to say is that you can save yourself some frustration by finding a more receptive audience.
Misinformed you say? So inform us. You have been asked to back up your opinions with some kind of evidence by a number of people and you never do. I am 100% genuinely curious as to why you are so vehemently against olive oil as I have never come across it before even from vegan friends. I grow olives, they are inedible fresh from the tree. They either have to be cured in brine for weeks or cold pressed for the oil. So tell me where you get this information from, publicly so that we can all be informed. Sources please
maybe it ***** slapped him as a child?0 -
Misinformed you say? So inform us. You have been asked to back up your opinions with some kind of evidence by a number of people and you never do. I am 100% genuinely curious as to why you are so vehemently against olive oil as I have never come across it before even from vegan friends. I grow olives, they are inedible fresh from the tree. They either have to be cured in brine for weeks or cold pressed for the oil. So tell me where you get this information from, publicly so that we can all be informed. Sources please
I'm not the OP, but I'd strongly suspect a lot of it is coming from the 80-10-10 diet book and similar sources.
Yep it is. Dr. Graham is some kind of scary-he looks grotesque. Why anyone would want to strive to be like that is beyond me :noway:0 -
Junk food, for me, is food that you can go your day without eating. It's food that does not impact your health if you do not eat it. Fruits, vegetables, little bit of carbs, protein, and more, we NEED this stuff to survive. We do not need a Big Mac or a pack of Sour Patch candies. Like you said, these foods are high in calories and low in nutrients. We are literally starving our body of the nutrients it needs by feeding it with "junk food".0
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Junk food, for me, is food that you can go your day without eating. It's food that does not impact your health if you do not eat it. Fruits, vegetables, little bit of carbs, protein, and more, we NEED this stuff to survive. We do not need a Big Mac or a pack of Sour Patch candies. Like you said, these foods are high in calories and low in nutrients. We are literally starving our body of the nutrients it needs by feeding it with "junk food".
Not quite true. So after I eat my 1.5 lbs of chicken breast and 2.5 lbs of vegetables, some almonds, cottage cheese, & whey I still have about 2000 calories of energy needs. How am I starving my body of nutrients by filling that need with say...ice cream, pop tarts, cereal, pumpkin bread & so forth?0 -
Junk food, for me, is food that you can go your day without eating. It's food that does not impact your health if you do not eat it. Fruits, vegetables, little bit of carbs, protein, and more, we NEED this stuff to survive. We do not need a Big Mac or a pack of Sour Patch candies. Like you said, these foods are high in calories and low in nutrients. We are literally starving our body of the nutrients it needs by feeding it with "junk food".
Okay, assuming someone is eating nothing but sour patch and big macs, sure. But if you hit your macronutrients for the day and still have calories left over, eating these things is not bad. If a big mac helps you hit your protein and you're in your calorie budget and have met your nutrient needs you're not starving your body of anything. You aren't rewarded by extra nutrients past what the body needs.0 -
Junk food, for me, is food that you can go your day without eating. It's food that does not impact your health if you do not eat it. Fruits, vegetables, little bit of carbs, protein, and more, we NEED this stuff to survive. We do not need a Big Mac or a pack of Sour Patch candies. Like you said, these foods are high in calories and low in nutrients. We are literally starving our body of the nutrients it needs by feeding it with "junk food".
Not quite true. So after I eat my 1.5 lbs of chicken breast and 2.5 lbs of vegetables, some almonds, cottage cheese, & whey I still have about 2000 calories of energy needs. How am I starving my body of nutrients by filling that need with say...ice cream, pop tarts, cereal, pumpkin bread & so forth?
You beat me to it!0 -
Again, seriously??
How bout this....food becomes junk when you are over your daily caloric/macro needs??
No that just means you've gone over you calories for the day, make better choices tomorrow.For me, "junk" food is anything I eat that makes it difficult to balance my macros inside my calorie target. So a serving of Haagen Dasz isn't junk food - but a tub would be. Snickers bar? Not junk food, but a box of bonbons, yeah, probably. Potato chips are the tricky ones because the sodium trips me up. Very difficult for me to fit those in.
By the same token, a garden salad could be junk food as well, if it's at the end of the day and I've already eaten what I should have eaten.
And to the person dissing Little Debbie - those are one of my go-to foods on long bike rides, along with Snickers bars. Great source of cheap, easy to burn calories.
Seriously a salad would be junk just because you have used all your calories for the day!0 -
For me: eating anything in excess, that isn't good for your health- you gain weight, don't sleep well etc.
Everything in moderation0 -
Yes. If you go over your calories, then a salad could be considered "junk," because the extra calories from your salad will be stored as fat and cause weight gain. It's a very simple concept.Again, seriously??
How bout this....food becomes junk when you are over your daily caloric/macro needs??
No that just means you've gone over you calories for the day, make better choices tomorrow.For me, "junk" food is anything I eat that makes it difficult to balance my macros inside my calorie target. So a serving of Haagen Dasz isn't junk food - but a tub would be. Snickers bar? Not junk food, but a box of bonbons, yeah, probably. Potato chips are the tricky ones because the sodium trips me up. Very difficult for me to fit those in.
By the same token, a garden salad could be junk food as well, if it's at the end of the day and I've already eaten what I should have eaten.
And to the person dissing Little Debbie - those are one of my go-to foods on long bike rides, along with Snickers bars. Great source of cheap, easy to burn calories.
Seriously a salad would be junk just because you have used all your calories for the day!
As for "making better choices," reaching your calorie goal for the day IS making the right choices. Why would someone need to make better choices, beyond not eating any more food once they've hit their limit for the day? What "better choices" should they make?0 -
Calories ARE a nutrient. You need a certain amount of straight energy to function. We evolved to taste "sugar" for a reason. It provides us with the raw energy we need for optimum survival. Cats actually can't taste sugar, they don't recognize sweet at all, because they don't need to eat sugar for optimum performance, as they are strict carnivores.Junk food, for me, is food that you can go your day without eating. It's food that does not impact your health if you do not eat it. Fruits, vegetables, little bit of carbs, protein, and more, we NEED this stuff to survive. We do not need a Big Mac or a pack of Sour Patch candies. Like you said, these foods are high in calories and low in nutrients. We are literally starving our body of the nutrients it needs by feeding it with "junk food".
Energy requirements are actually well above just protein, fat, vitamin, and mineral requirements.0 -
Yes. If you go over your calories, then a salad could be considered "junk," because the extra calories from your salad will be stored as fat and cause weight gain. It's a very simple concept.Again, seriously??
How bout this....food becomes junk when you are over your daily caloric/macro needs??
No that just means you've gone over you calories for the day, make better choices tomorrow.For me, "junk" food is anything I eat that makes it difficult to balance my macros inside my calorie target. So a serving of Haagen Dasz isn't junk food - but a tub would be. Snickers bar? Not junk food, but a box of bonbons, yeah, probably. Potato chips are the tricky ones because the sodium trips me up. Very difficult for me to fit those in.
By the same token, a garden salad could be junk food as well, if it's at the end of the day and I've already eaten what I should have eaten.
And to the person dissing Little Debbie - those are one of my go-to foods on long bike rides, along with Snickers bars. Great source of cheap, easy to burn calories.
Seriously a salad would be junk just because you have used all your calories for the day!
As for "making better choices," reaching your calorie goal for the day IS making the right choices. Why would someone need to make better choices, beyond not eating any more food once they've hit their limit for the day? What "better choices" should they make?
Surely you wouldn't feel the need to eat that salad. I'd just look at any crap I had eaten that day and wish I hadn't, if I felt like I needed to eat anything else over my calorie limit0
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