# Would you consider beer junk food? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 9, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983 "2015-10-09T01:23:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [October 9, 2015, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/21 "2015-10-09T12:43:31Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > the brownie and ice cream I ordered for dessert (along with the horrible beer I barely touched). If you put that brownie and icecream into a glass of Guiness, you can have a Guiness float. I’ve done this with Guiness, icecream, and cake, and it was delightful. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/22 "2015-10-09T12:57:09Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Why ? She likes what she likes. Because she was laughing at me. I don’t give a fuck what she eats or drinks. But if she’s going to be laughing at me for my choices, I am allowed to return the favor, right? > [@](#): > > The fact that people have been drinking it — many without harm — since pre-Egyptian times, shows it gives enjoyment and is not toxic. People have been eating meat for a kajillion years and it doesn’t seem to be killing them either. But I’d consider a person who eats five sirloin steaks in one sitting to be disqualified from being a nutrition snob. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/23 "2015-10-09T12:59:55Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Because she was laughing at me. I don’t give a fuck what she eats or drinks. But if she’s going to be laughing at me for my choices, I am allowed to return the favor, right? yep. I see people at work who always (_always_) have a bottle of Coke or Mountain Dew in their hand, and complain about not being able to lose weight. > [@](#): > > People have been eating meat for a kajillion years and it doesn’t seem to be killing them either. But I’d consider a person who eats five sirloin steaks in one sitting to be disqualified from being a nutrition snob. as always, the problem is with people who don’t understand the concept of “moderation.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/24 "2015-10-09T13:02:43Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > there are no sugar snobs. at least none that I’ve encountered. What do you call all the hate for HFCS specifically, and the preference for “real sugar” Coke? Not mentioned wanting raw sugar in one’s espresso. Sure seems to me that “sugar snob” would be an appropriate moniker. I’m anti-sugar, but I’m anti- across the board. Not sure whether that makes me a sugar snob or a sugar blue-nose or what. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/25 "2015-10-09T13:44:27Z")
Beer’s not that bad, outside of the alcohol. It’s pretty high in B vitamins (from the yeast), and most of the non-alcohol calories are in relatively complex carbs (otherwise the yeasts would have eaten them), and there’s a small amount of protein as well. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/26 "2015-10-09T13:59:24Z")
Hey, the baby Jesus didn’t turn water into a chocolate cake. Hic! ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/27 "2015-10-09T14:12:06Z")
First off, I think she sounds a bit of a jerk for commenting on your eating habits, so I already don’t like her (“yo beotch, don’t be dissin’ our **monstro**!”). That being said, drinking _muchas cervezas_ every night is a different, er, “issue” than not maintaining a super healthy diet. I think it has the potential to be a sore spot if brought up to her. People can be pretty defensive about their drinking habits, even if a comment is totally in jest. And while I don’t want to make any assumptions, it strikes me odd that anyone who is otherwise very healthy indulges in that much alcohol that often. No judgment; just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/28 "2015-10-09T14:21:05Z")
She probably just doesn’t realize how many calories there are in a beer. I mean, it’s basically the same as in a soda but you generally don’t drink three or four cans of Coke in one sitting. I have a hard time keeping it in mind, too. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/29 "2015-10-09T14:39:25Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Does it make sense for her to be self-righteousy about food, but blasé about beverage? The next time she gives me a hard time about gnoshing on a bag of chips instead of a quinoa and bean sprout sandwich, would it be cool to get back at her with a zinger about her beer habit? Or would that be crossing the line somehow? I’d consider beer as junk food in the same way that pizza is. Something that could be consumed in moderation and part of a reasonable diet, but more in junk food territory when you have a large amount in a short period. I maybe wouldn’t bring up the beer habit at lunch or some time like that, because you would sound like you’d been waiting to zing her (which you would have been). Although that could work on shutting her down if you don’t care about making things awkward. Next time you’re out and she’s ordering her fifth beer, you could say something like “I see you’re ignoring your diet for the moment, I think I’ll join you and order a \.” But even with that there’s a small chance she’ll take your point, and a much larger chance she’ll argue with you on what is more unhealthy, or justify that she’s okay because she eats healthy most of the time. If I was in your place, next time I was eating a bag of chips and a coworker said something I would do one of the following: [ul] [li]“What?! Chips are unhealthy?! Why did no one every tell me?! Thank you so much for saving me from my unhealthy existence!!!” And just go over the top as possible in a workplace setting, and then laugh and go back and keep eating my chips.[/li][li]Roll my eyes and go “Really? It seems like food is all you ever talk about. It’s so boring. Let’s talk about \ instead.”[/li][li]“Don’t judge me for my eating habits, and I won’t judge you for \.”[/li][/ul] That sounds annoying to deal with her nitpicking your food choices, hopefully you figure something out. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/30 "2015-10-09T14:48:09Z")
Sure, make fun of her. Beer is bad for you and it’s bad to boot. Then again, there is no way I would ever drink a beer now. I’m almost 40 and I have no shame about drinking my girly frou-frou drinks. I do go with a White Russian a lot, as it’s a drink most restaurants/bars can have and it’s delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/31 "2015-10-09T14:56:02Z")
I kind of agree with **Sam Lowry’s** last couple of paragraphs - I would be move inclined to just tell her, “Coworker - would you please knock it off with the comments about what I’m eating? It’s not funny, and it’s really getting tiresome.” ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/32 "2015-10-09T15:07:54Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > _Macro_ beers are junk food. Optimator, OTOH… are a meal in a glass. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/33 "2015-10-09T15:27:05Z")
> [@Missy2U](#): > > I kind of agree with **Sam Lowry’s** last couple of paragraphs - I would be move inclined to just tell her, “Coworker - would you please knock it off with the comments about what I’m eating? It’s not funny, and it’s really getting tiresome.” Yeah, the beer is irrelevant really. Even if she ate the absolute ideal diet, where it’s perfectly healthy in every possible way, with absolutely zero junk food, it still would not be cool for her to be criticizing what you eat. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/34 "2015-10-09T15:43:57Z")
Beer is junk food by any reasonable definition. I’m not one to think of good and bad foods per se, but good and bad diets. And beer and pizza and McDonald’s can all be part of a good diet, assuming they are limited and infrequent. But 5 beers in two hours is equivalent to eating an entire big bag of potato chips, or a couple of sleeves of oreos. It’s not really reasonable part of a diet. If she did that a few times a year, it would be a different story, but you say this is every weekend, which makes me think she probably drinks after work during the week, too. But you’d be surprised how many people don’t think about alcohol as part of their diet. It’s considered a separate thing, like pills or pot. Something that will get you a buzz, but not something that will make you fat. Some people figured this out, but that doesn’t prevent them from still being unreasonable. I dated a woman who was a functional alcoholic, who also obsessed about her diet. She would try and stick to an 800 calorie or less diet so she could drink 6 200-calorie craft beers a night. Definitely not a reasonable diet. But still, at least she took her beer habit into account. Also, she wasn’t preachy about what people ate, despite being a vegetarian. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/35 "2015-10-09T16:06:13Z")
Beer is the staff of life. (Beer: Helping ugly people get laid since 1864.) ---
**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:** [October 9, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/36 "2015-10-09T16:12:17Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > I dated a woman who was a functional alcoholic, who also obsessed about her diet. She would try and stick to an 800 calorie or less diet so she could drink 6 200-calorie craft beers a night. Definitely not a reasonable diet. A good friend of mine is a functional alcoholic, but very strict about his diet otherwise. His dad died very young from nutritional problems secondary to his alcoholism. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/37 "2015-10-09T16:40:01Z")
**Monstro** , you’re better than this. Don’t stoop to her level. Let her have her little jabs. Meanwhile you can have the satisfaction of knowing you’re not an ass like she is. ---
**Author:** ![GrumpyBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc8723/32.png) [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/38 "2015-10-09T17:06:36Z")
Well, there are worse things out there than beer. Yes, it’s somewhat hypocritical for a health nut to decide that the empty calories of beer are okay, but it’s not unusual at all. I’ve known many women who saved their weight watchers “points” for a good weekend drinkfest. > [@Octarine](#): > > Beer is something John Adams had for breakfast, so it doesn’t have those negative modern connotations. Irrational, sure, but that’s people for ya. I suspect what they had for breakfast was small beer, not something like a bottle of IPA pale ale. That could also be wrong. 🆒 ETA: I find it boring and inappropriate for people to comment on each others’ food choices. I’m not a child, I don’t need anyone’s input on my food. Ditto any drinks I may or may not have. These days, I have no problem saying that. Ironically, now that I don’t, I’m not surrounded by people feeling the need to comment on how much fat/sugar/points/carbs/chemicals are in my biweekly Coca-cola. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2015, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/39 "2015-10-09T17:48:16Z")
> [@GrumpyBunny](#): > > Well, there are worse things out there than beer. Here are just a few: [spoiler]Abbreviation Academy Awards Advertisement Aerobics class After-dinner speech Aircraft carrier Airplane Airplane - commercial Airplane flight Airplane flight - commercial Album title Alphabet American State Animal Apartment building Applause Apple peel Arch Arm hair At bat Balancing on one foot Balloon chain Balloon flight Banana split Banzai skydive Barn Baseball bat Baseball game Baseball game - MLB Baseball game - pro Baseball playoff game Baseball throw Basketball dribbling Basketball shot Basketball spin Battleship Beach Beard Beard - female Bible verse Bicycle Bicycle race Bigfoot footprint Bill Birdie streak Blackout Board Boardwalk Body piercing session Book Book title Border Boxing match Bra Bra chain Breath hold Bridge Bubble Building Bungee jump Buried alive Burning fire Burning light bulb Burrito Bus Butterfly migration Cabbage Cactus Cake Calculator word Canal Candle Candy counter Canoe Canyon Car Card throw Cat Cave CD Cell phone throw Champagne cork flight Cherry pit spit Chess game Chicken flight Chocolate bar Cigar Clam Cliffs Coin Coin spin Color Coma Comet tail Commute Concert Conga line Contra line Contract - TV/radio Conveyor belt Corn maze Country Covered bridge Cow Crab Crayon Crawl Cricket marathon Cricket match Crocodile Cross Cross-country ski trail Day Dance Dance party Definition Desert Diary Dinosaur Disclaimer Discus throw Distance from Earth Dive Dog Dog tongue Dog sled race Domain name Domino toppling Dragon Drawbridge Driver Drought Drowning survived Duesenberg Ear hair Earth from Sun Earthquake eBay auction eBay item sold Eclipse Egg drop Elevator fall survived Elevator - time trapped Engagement Erupting volcano Escalator Escalator ride Experiment Eyeballs Eyebrows Eyelash Fall down stairs Fall survived Family tree Feathers Feet Fence Fingernails Firecracker display Fish Fish name Fjord Flag - American Flower Foot race Foot sniffing career Forest Formula 1 win streak Free dive Free fall Free fall - indoor Free throw streak Full-body burn Garage sale Geyser Glacier Goat horns Gold chain Goldfish Golf cart Golf course Golf drive Golf hole Golf - 2 round distance Gondola Grape catch Great white shark Group hug Gum wrapper chain Hair Half-life Hammer throw Hammock Hands Hangover Harry Potter book Heat wave Heavyweight champ reign Hedge maze Hiccup fit Highway Hockey game Hokey Pokey Hole Hole-in-one Hollywood marriage Home run Hot dog House of cards Hug Hula Hooping Human bone Human cannonball Human chain Human rainbow Hummer Ice bath Ice berg Inhabited city Insect Insect life span Interstate Iron man streak - MLB Iron man streak - NBA Iron man streak - NFL Iron man streak - NHL Island Javelin throw Jellyfish Jeopardy win streak Jigsaw puzzle Job title Joke telling marathon Juggle Kayak drop Ketchup bottle Kiss Kite Kite flight Ladder Lake Lake name Last name Lasting AA battery Lasting gum Laughter Lawn mower ride Leaf Lecture Leg hair Lego structure Legs Life Life expectancy Life span Lightning bolt Line of latitude Line of pizzas Lizard Lockout in sports Long jump Magazine cover Maggot bath Mail run Mall Manned space flight Marriage Midget toss Migration Migration - mammal Mile Milk squirt Millipede Miniseries - TV MLB drought MLB hitless streak MLB hitting streak MLB inning MLB losing streak MLB no hitter MLB player MLB strikeout streak MLB win streak Model train Month Monopoly game Moon walk Motorcycle Motorcycle jump Mountain Mountain range Moustache Movie Movie title MP3 Nail Name Name of an animal Name of a country Name of a State NASCAR race NASCAR race track National anthem NBA Championship drought NBA contract NBA game NBA losing streak NBA win streak Neck Netball marathon NFL field goal NFL game NFL losing streak NFL punt NFL win streak NHL career NHL contract NHL losing streak NHL overtime games NHL playoffs made streak NHL shootout NHL shutout streak NHL win streak Nose Novel NYSE trading suspension Oasis Obelisk Olympic swimming event Olympic torch relay Orbit - planet Origami creation Opera Operation Paddleboat journey Paddlewheeler Painting Painting title Palindrome Paper airplane flight Paper chain Paperclip chain Paragliding flight Parasite Pencil Person PGA cuts made streak PGA sudden-death playoff PGA win streak Pi Pi memorized Pier Pink Floyd song Pink Floyd song title Pizza Pizza delivery Play Place name Playing slots Poem Pogo stick distance Pogo stick jump Poker game Pole sitting record Pole vault Pool toy Popsicle Postcard Prayer Prime number Prison sentence Published newspaper Putt Quidditch match Rabbit ears Race track Rafting trip Railroad Rain streak Rally Reef Reigning Pope Remote control River River - Europe River - U.S. Road Road train Rock Rocket Roller coaster Roller coaster - wooden Roller coaster ride Roller coaster tunnel Roman ring hang Roots Rosebush Route 66 stretch Running beauty pageant Running Broadway show Running cartoon Running chat show Running comic strip Running film series Running horse race Running radio show Running reality show Running rock fan club Running TV commercial Runway Run-on sentence Salami Sausage Scarf Scuba dive Seaweed Sermon Serving choirboy Serving police chief Serving U.S. President Ship Shot put Skateboard Skateboard jump Skating rink Ski jump Ski run Skiing marathon Skis Slide rule Slinky Snake Snake - venomous Sneezing fit Snowmobile jump Song Song - Beatles Song title Song title - Beatles Space shuttle flight Space walk Spaghetti strand Spanish word Spider Squid Staircase Stained glass window Stalagmite Standing motionless Standing on one foot Stanley Cup drought Stanley Cup win streak Static cycle ride Statue Stilts Stolen base streak Stone skip Straw Street Street name Strike Structure - standing Subway Sugar cube tower Sunflower Super Bowl drought Surfboard Surviving headless chicken Sushi roll Suspension - NBA Swim Swimming pool Swing bridge Tattoo session Tax code Taxi ride Team name Telephone call Telescope Tennis match Test drive The Longest Time lyrics Thermometer Throw Tiddlywinking Time between children Toenails Tongue Top spin Tornado Totem pole Touchdown - NFL Tour de France Tour de France stage Tour de France win streak Traffic jam Train Tramway Tree Tree sit Triathlon Triple jump Tunnel Tunnel - railway Tunnel - road TV UFC fight Under water Urinal URL US Presidential term Wait on a hospital gurney Walk Walk - backwards Wall War Watching TV Water ski jump Water ski jump - barefoot Water skiing marathon Waterfall Waterslide Wave surfed Wedding dress Wedding dress train Well Whale Wheelchair journey Windmill blade Window Windsurfing journey Wingspan - airplane Wingspan - bird Without a heartbeat Without sleep Without water Woman Word Words trivia Working career World Series game World Series win streak Wrestling match Xylophone Yard Year Yo-yo spin YouTube video Zip line Zorb ball roll Zucchini[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983/40 "2015-10-09T20:20:30Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Not so much. > > Unless you mean honey. Which meant fighting bears. Given that mead is one of the oldest fermented beverages known, it would seem to have been worth the fight. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-consider-beer-junk-food/733983.md?page=3)