# What kind of junk food do you have access to right now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 15, 2023, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621 "2023-12-15T02:03:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/21 "2023-12-15T12:09:08Z")
Two bags of Boulder Canyon chips. 0 cholesterol with poly and mono unsaturated fats. Still I’d consider it junk food. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/22 "2023-12-15T12:23:49Z")
This is Junk Food Central! Potato chips, popcorn, tortilla chips, sausage rolls, pizza, french fries, mozzarella cheese sticks, ramen noodles, ice cream, pickled eggs, plus I’m sure a couple of hundred other things that I’ve forgotten! Plus of course the mandatory junk drink – diet Coke. There’s also real food, which I get around to once in a while! 😉 > [@TriPolar](#): > > pot stickers I have those, too, but I consider those to be “dim sum” and classify it as real food! ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/23 "2023-12-15T12:33:48Z")
I’ll just say that the spouse put out a few bowls of fun-sized Snickers and Hershey Kisses in anticipation of company coming over on Sunday. She filled these bowls on Wednesday. On Wednesday night I may have sampled one or two. On Thursday the bowls disappeared. I said, “you hid the candy, eh?”. She replied, “yes.” That was the extent of the converstaiton. mmm ---
**Author:** ![TeroSunbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terosunbear/32/14748_2.png) [@TeroSunbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeroSunbear)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/24 "2023-12-15T14:25:27Z")
Chex Mix. I eat only a bit at a time, as they are too salty for me. Gettin my favorite Trader joe’s chips sometime today. Also their banana chips. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/25 "2023-12-15T14:34:17Z")
> [@TeroSunbear](#): > > Chex Mix. I eat only a bit at a time, as they are too salty for me. There was a bag of the stuff around here for a couple of months. Nobody really liked the stuff because of all the salt. My memory of the stuff from the old days didn’t include so much salt, or perhaps my tolerance for it was different back then. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/26 "2023-12-15T14:37:34Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I have those, too, but I consider those to be “dim sum” and classify it as real food! I count frozen pizza as a type of pizza, but not just ‘pizza’, the ‘frozen’ designation is necessary to understand it’s a sub-category. The line between ‘junk food’ and ‘real food’ is not clear though. Beef jerky is junk food to me now, but in ye olde days it was real food under the limitations of preservation techniques of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/27 "2023-12-15T14:39:05Z")
I’m here at work, and munching on a Starbuck’s Cranberry Bliss Bar. For public consumption, the office has put out a varied selection of Christmas cookies, cocoa, marshmallows, candy canes in addition to the standard array of hard candies, Hershey Kisses, peppermints, and there’s ice cream in the office freezer. There’s also the Friday office lunch of three kinds of pizza, although they do offer salad on the side. Oh yes, and a plethora of soft drinks, sugared and diet. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/28 "2023-12-15T14:43:43Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > There’s also the Friday office lunch of three kinds of pizza, although they do offer salad on the side. Is pizza junk food though? ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/29 "2023-12-15T14:47:48Z")
It can be, especially stuffed. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/30 "2023-12-15T14:53:42Z")
Some trail mix and a small box of salmiakki pastilles. If I was at home, I’d have four small boxes of salmiakki pastilles, and no trail mix. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/31 "2023-12-15T14:54:02Z")
Certainly any food can be turned into more ‘junk’ than ‘real’. And like so many things the dividing line will be uncertain. I though about starting a thread on what defines ‘junk food’ momentarily, but I doubt it will resolve anything. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/32 "2023-12-15T15:09:14Z")
Co-worker just gifted me another box of chocolates. 😋 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/33 "2023-12-15T15:18:19Z")
I’m at work, where I keep a bunch of things for Rocco to snack on when he is hungry. I have some peanut butter cheese crackers, some goldfish, and a block of ramen that I cook 1 inch cubes of. I had a bag of Chex Mix, but he finished it off yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/34 "2023-12-15T15:52:43Z")
There’s a Christmas stollen from Aldi on the counter, there’s a big bag of Texas Trash (homemade Chex mix) on the counter, there’s a bag of tortilla chips and a jar of salsa in the pantry, and I think there are some Hershey bars in the cabinet. There’s also some ramen noodles in the pantry for quick lunches/dinners. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/35 "2023-12-15T16:14:56Z")
Defining “junk” food as _processed_: - two California Kitchen frozen pizzas in the freezer for those “too damn tired to cook” nights - Haagen Daz vanilla ice cream so we can make bananas Foster with the 100+ bananas in our freezer (too many banana plants on the property) Broadening to _empty calories_, albeit homemade: - about a gajillion Christmas cookies - some delicious lemon snack cake - brownies - cranberry-ginger blondies Yeah, I like to bake. What made you figure that out? ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/36 "2023-12-15T16:26:10Z")
Chips are my go to snack. I like Utz brand ruffles. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/37 "2023-12-15T16:28:48Z")
Using the strictest interpretation of “junk food” and “have access to”: a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos on top of my fridge. If I was to loosen up the parameters just a bit, there’s a gas station/convenience store less than 200 feet from where I’m sitting that has more junk food than you can shake a stick at. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/38 "2023-12-15T19:58:36Z")
I’ll offer another definition: if it’s a meal., it isn’t junk food. For example, cheese is always part of a meal - therefore it is not junk food. So: I think there are some fancy chips and some chocolates which are part of Xmas gifts for friends, so they’re on the premises awaiting delivery (so I think I’ll exclude them). Likewise a (very large) cake, but I imagine some of that will not be gifted. We do have sugar free soft drinks for Xmas (and some with sugar, for a friend who insists); and there’s a 70g (or whatever) pack of chips that I didn’t know about until a couple of days ago - not sure where that is.\* > [@needscoffee](#): > > I don’t keep any junk food around as I have very little self control. Yep, that’s us. Also, one I’m not sure about. There are two or three small packs of [Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles](https://www.rowntrees.co.uk/our-products/rowntrees-fruit-pastilles/rowntrees-fruit-pastilles-vegan-friendly-sweets-tube-50g) in the medical tray - I don’t know if they’re sold in the US, but I imagine something similar is. Fact is, if you have a lousy sore throat they work very well, so I guess I’m going to classify them as medicine. No, honestly! j \* - The chips…ah… (clears throat)… we buy Not For Eating chips to take on holiday. The idea is that you take them on holiday - and then you bring them back. But while you’re on holiday, it’s the existence of the chips that stops you feeling hungry in the hotel late at night. It works, I promise you. Mrs T, who is as much of a sucker for a bargain as I am, apparently bought two-for-the-price-of-one, and this is the unshipped bag. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/39 "2023-12-15T20:27:37Z")
Abound Sweet Sriracha Roasted Chickpeas. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621/40 "2023-12-15T20:37:13Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > I’ll offer another definition: if it’s a meal., it isn’t junk food. That the definition I use. To me junk food = snack food. Stuff some people listed like pizza and mac and cheese, while not the healthiest, are meals, and therefore not what I consider junk food. So on that note, in my house right now I have: - Nacho cheese Doritos - A mostly eaten bag of Trader Joe’s olive oil and sea salt potato chips. - 2 boxes of Andes mints I bought for Christmas. - A box of Trader Joe’s candy cane Joe Joes (Their version of Oreos, but every December they make a version with crushed candy cane mixed in with the frosting). - 1.5 pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (A half eaten pint of Glampfire Trail Mix and a full pint of Gimme S’More) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-junk-food-do-you-have-access-to-right-now/994621.md?page=3)