National Junk Food Day

Today is July 21st and that makes it National Junk Food Day in the United States.

So, what is junk food? It's a pejorative term for food that has little or no nutritional value, and which also tends to be high in things such as calories, sugar, salt and fat. In other words, it tends to taste nice, which is why it is so appealing.

The term "junk food" is believed to have been coined in 1972 by Michael Jacobson, a Ph.D. in microbiology and the director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest at that time - a non-profit group that promotes healthier, and safer, foods - and who is also credited with creating the term "empty calorie."

Junk food typically includes foodstuffs such as fast food, especially that which is fried, snack foods, especially salted ones, sweets or candies, sweet desserts and many carbonated soft drinks that tend to be high in sugar.

Eating the occasional item of junk food is not normally a series problem - the real problem arises when every day is junk food day, and it becomes a lifestyle, rather than a treat.

Treat yourself today with some junk food, but balance it with something healthier, such as fruit and vegetables.