An article published on Bon Appetite entitled There Is No Such Thing as “Junk” Food lays out an argument for eliminating the term “Junk Food”
The first point for eliminating this term is that it hurts people’s feelings.
“I loved the junk, the so-called bad stuff too—Lucky Charms, Nacho Flavored Easy Cheese, Albertson’s Fried Chicken. And it didn’t take long for me to understand myself as “bad,” or at least somehow misbehaving, when I ate them, the same way my mom felt bad when she relied on them as if they were some indicator of her failure as a parent instead of an opportunity for me to have some really delicious chicken.”
You do not have to have a degree in Nutrition to know that Lucky Charms are unhealthy, and relying on them for breakfast is not a good thing.
The guilt this author is experiencing is a good thing. If a person does not feel bad when he/she does something they know is bad, that person will never have a chance to change. Then taking that further, if you want to change a truth because it hurts your feelings it leads to completely false claims.
For example, Junk food is healthy.
The author writes,
“But sometimes the junky foods can actually aid health conditions: One of the best ways to combat a migraine, for example, is drinking a Coke.”
I had to investigate. I could be wrong. But, not this time. This article referenced was from Glamour and was called “As a 5-Year-Old With Migraines, I Found Some Relief In a Bottle of Soda”
The author writes
“They actually told me to drink soda, in hopes that the caffeine would offer some relief.”
Later in the same article, the author writes,
“It wasn’t until much later in my life that I found out that some dietary changes could be game-changing for me.”
So the soda was not the cure. It was just used to delay the migraines. This is not surprising as there is research linking high amounts of caffeine to migraines. (1-2)
Let’s continue to hear how junk food can be healthy.
“Some people, regardless of age, need more salt in their diet, not less; some people need more fat, or caffeine, or dairy, or none at all.”
Needing more salt, fat, or dairy in one’s diet can be true. However, salt, fat, and dairy do not fall under the category of junk food. Salt is a mineral, fat is a macronutrient, and “dairy” is a food group.
In her defense, there are situations when “junk food” can be medicinal For instance, people with type one diabetes often carry around candy to correct low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.
She finished that thought by saying…
“…and others just need more things in their lives that are delicious—that remind them of the true bounty and delights of being human.”
This is a common thought for someone who loves junk food. When you begin a health journey the thought of giving up your favorite foods is torture. Healthy food does not taste good, at first. You have to retrain your taste buds and change your microbiome. In time you will experience food in a whole new way. Food will energize you, you will begin to appreciate flavors other than sweet and salt, you will have better regulation of your emotions, and you will be shocked to find out that the junk food you once thought tasted amazing, actually tastes… like junk.
Getting to this point can only happen if you do not have a victim mentality.
This brings me to the final argument against the term “Junk food” and it’s the strongest one yet. The term is racist.
“Individual foods have taken on decades of racist and classist connotations—much of which is naturalized under the rhetoric of health.”
The author shares a story of a student classifying kale as healthy and collard greens as unhealthy.
This comment is not racist. It was just an observation of American culture, and a great opportunity to educate on the various ways to cook collard greens. Also, I would love to see if the student would classify collards as junk food.
Conclusion
In all fairness, I see this author’s frustration. Over the past few decades, there have been many confusing nutrition messages. However, the approach to eliminate the term junk food is only going to make this person more confused.
The term junk food should stay. If your favorite food is “junk food” highly processed, with no nutritional value, gives you a temporary high. You can change that, it will take time, and some habitual changes. But, it will be so worth it.
The term junk food should stay. If your favorite food is “junk food” highly processed, with no nutritional value, gives you a temporary high. You can change that, it will take time, and some habitual changes. But, it will be so worth it.