Junk Food
What is junk food?
Junk food refers to food that is high in calories but low in essential nutrients. These foods are often heavily processed and contain high levels of sugars, unhealthy fats, salt, and artificial additives [1]. Examples include fast food, sugary snacks, chips, cookies, and sugary drinks. While they may be tasty and convenient, junk food is typically low in vitamins, minerals, and fiber and can contribute to poor health when consumed frequently.
What counts as junk food?
Junk food covers a variety of processed and convenience products such as crisps, sweets, chocolate, cakes, biscuits, fizzy drinks, and fast food like burgers and chips [2]. These foods are often designed to taste good and last longer, using additives like flavour enhancers, colourings, and preservatives [3]. However, they tend to be low in essential nutrients and high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.
Enjoying these foods once in a while is perfectly fine, but making them a regular part of your diet can make it difficult for your body to get the vitamins, minerals, and fibre it needs for good health.
Why understanding junk food matters
It’s important to understand junk food and its effects because it can influence both your short-term wellbeing and long-term health. Eating too much of it over time can lead to several health issues:
- Weight gain and obesity: Junk food is energy-dense but nutrient-poor, making it easy to consume more calories than your body needs [4][5][6][7].
- Increased risk of disease: Regular consumption has been linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19].
- Impact on mood and mental health: Processed foods high in sugar can cause spikes and drops in blood sugar, leading to irritability, fatigue, and changes in mood [20][21][22][23][24].
- Poor eating habits: When junk food replaces nutrient-rich foods like fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, your overall diet quality suffers.
Limiting junk food and focusing on wholesome alternatives supports long-term wellbeing and helps prevent chronic conditions.
Why junk food isn’t good for you
Junk food provides a lot of energy but very little nourishment. It’s high in calories, sugar, and saturated or trans fats, which can put strain on your heart, metabolism, and digestion. Eating too much of it can cause fatigue, weight gain, and an increased risk of long-term illnesses.
Because junk food causes rapid rises and falls in blood sugar, it can also leave you feeling tired and craving more unhealthy snacks. This cycle can make it harder to maintain balanced energy and stable moods throughout the day.
How junk food affects the body
Here’s how frequent consumption of junk food can impact your gut and wider health [25][26]:
| Health Effect | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Contributing to obesity | Foods high in calories but low in nutrients can cause weight gain and raise the risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. |
| Raising cholesterol levels | Many processed foods contain trans or saturated fats, which can raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase heart disease risk. |
| Increasing blood sugar levels | High-sugar foods lead to sharp spikes and crashes in blood glucose, contributing to insulin resistance and increasing diabetes risk. |
| Affecting mental health | Diets high in junk food can affect brain function and mood regulation, leading to irritability, fatigue, and a higher risk of low mood or depression. Learn more about the link between gut health and brain function. |
Discover more about how your gut health can influence your brain and emotions.
Too much junk food doesn’t just affect your waistline. It can have lasting effects on your heart, metabolism, and mood. A balanced, nutrient-rich diet full of whole foods supports better physical and mental health for the long term.
How to cut down on junk food
Reducing junk food doesn’t mean giving up your favourite treats forever. It’s about making mindful, lasting changes that help you eat better and feel better. Here are some simple ways to start:
- Swap for smarter choices: Replace crisps, sweets, and pastries with nourishing options like fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and lean protein sources.
- Plan ahead: Preparing meals and snacks in advance helps you avoid turning to fast food or processed options when you’re hungry and in a rush.
- Rethink your drinks: Try water, sparkling water with a slice of fruit, or herbal teas instead of sugary fizzy drinks.
- Practise moderation: If you do have treats, keep portions small and focus on balance rather than strict restriction. Occasional indulgence is fine as part of a healthy lifestyle.
- Check food labels: Get into the habit of reading ingredient lists and nutrition information so you know exactly what you’re eating.
Making these small, consistent changes helps you cut back on junk food without feeling deprived. The goal is progress, not perfection.
Healthy swaps that make a difference
Choosing healthier alternatives doesn’t have to be complicated. Small adjustments can go a long way in improving your diet and energy levels. Try simple switches such as:
- Swap crisps for air-popped popcorn
- Choose dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate
- Drink still or sparkling water with fruit instead of fizzy drinks
- Make homemade versions of your favourite takeaways using fresh ingredients
Provided you still consume them in moderation, these changes may help you enjoy familiar flavours while nourishing your body and supporting long-term health for your gut and beyond.
Finding the right balance
Healthy eating isn’t about cutting out all junk food. It’s about balance. Enjoying these foods from time to time, alongside a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, won’t harm your health. The key is moderation, experts recommend keeping junk food as an occasional treat rather than a daily habit.
By being mindful of what you eat and choosing nutrient-rich foods most of the time, you can support your wellbeing while still enjoying life’s small indulgences.
Learn the current state of your gut health & microbiome with Vivere's state-of-the-art gut test.
Key Takeaways from a Nutritionist
- Junk food is high in empty calories, unhealthy fats, and sugars, and can contribute to obesity, chronic diseases, and mental health issues.
- Reduce junk food consumption by replacing it with nutrient-dense, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins.
- Focus on moderation and mindful eating to create a healthy, balanced diet and improve long-term health.
Nutritionist's Corner: Final Thoughts
“Junk food can be part of life’s enjoyment, but it shouldn’t be a daily habit. The occasional treat is fine, as long as most of your meals come from whole, nourishing foods that give your body what it needs to thrive. Balance, variety, and mindfulness are what matter most.”
– Yusra Serdaroglu Aydin, MSc RD
Sources:
[2] Ultra-processed foods: how bad are they for your health? - BHF
[10] Ultra-processed food raises risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke - BHF
[11] Filippa Juul, Georgeta Vaidean, Niyati Parekh, Ultra-processed Foods and Cardiovascular Diseases: Potential Mechanisms of Action, Advances in Nutrition, Volume 12, Issue 5, 2021, Pages 1673-1680, ISSN 2161-8313, https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab049.
[12] Why junk food diets may raise heart disease risk - Harvard Medical School
[18] Moloud Payab, Roya Kelishadi, Mostafa Qorbani, Mohammad Esmaeil Motlagh, Shirin Hasani Ranjbar, Gelayol Ardalan, Hoda Zahedi, Mohammad Chinian, Hamid Asayesh, Bagher Larijani, Ramin Heshmat, Association of junk food consumption with high blood pressure and obesity in Iranian children and adolescents: the CASPIAN-IV Study, Jornal de Pediatria, Volume 91, Issue 2, 2015, Pages 196-205, ISSN 0021-7557, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2014.07.006.
[22] Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food - Harvard Medical School
Author
Yusra Serdaroglu Aydin, MSc RD
Head of Nutrition and Registered Dietitian
Yusra is a registered dietitian with a multidisciplinary background in nutrition, food engineering, and culinary arts. During her education, her curio...