Happy National Junk Food Day ! ! ! 

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A Brief History:
Origination: Junk food, as defined, usually has high levels of fats, sugars, salt, and calories and minimal nutritional value. Packaged foods became popular in the late 1800s, introducing junk food into American culture. However, home-cooked meals continued to be the norm for many more years. It wasn’t until after World War II that the unhealthy food industry really took off. As people began eating out and traveling more, the industry was ready to produce products at a higher rate. The actual origin of the day is not well documented.

Junk Food courtesy of Openverse

The Market: The market was inundated with a wide array of options for consumers, ranging from the frozen food section to various fast food establishments. Supermarket shelves were stocked with potato chips, baked goods, and numerous other prepackaged items for quick and convenient consumption.

More Recently: During the 1970’s, unhealthy foods became notorious for their negative impact. Michael Jacobson, a microbiologist, is recognized as the originator of this term. He also took action to reduce the excessive consumption of high sugar, high salt, and high preservative foods by Americans.

Balancing Health vs. Junk Food: Consuming deep-fried, high-fat foods can lead to weight gain, high cholesterol, and elevated blood sugar levels. However, enjoying these indulgences in moderation should not significantly affect a well-rounded, healthy diet and lifestyle. Additionally, manufacturers offer healthier alternatives to our beloved unhealthy snacks to encourage us to indulge sensibly. There are, however several different more healthy versions and options of junk food out there with healthier options.

Celebrated: National Junk Food Day is celebrated every year on July 21^st!

A Few Facts:
I am sharing a few facts, and more, some trivia, some not trivial. . .

Junk food, grocery store, Houston, TX, USA courtesy of Openverse

Examples of Junk Food: There are several examples of Junk food, each of which fall into the category of sweet, salty and other examples. Junk food is a class of its own, often overlapping with the 4 classes of food being meats, fish, poultry (protein), grains (cereal), fruits & vegetables, starch (bread, rice & potatoes). With the exception of alcohol, over 95% of all junk food fall into salty and sweet categories.

• Salty:
  Chips, pretzels, crackers, pretzels, roasted chickpeas, popcorn, kale chips, nuts, edamame, hummus, and more. . .
  
• Sweet:
  Cookies, candy, protein balls, flapjacks, cookies, dates, frozen grapes, apple and almond butter, peanut butter, chocolate pretzels, smoothies, almonds and dark chocolate, baked apple chips, avocado chocolate mousse, berry yogurt, caramel popcorn, chocolate chia pudding, chocolate cuties, classic banana bread, coconut date bars, edible chocolate chip cookie dough, healthy biscuits, and more. . .
• More:
  Sour candy, pickles, bittersweet dark chocolate, and way more represents the “other” list of junk foods.
  
• Alcohol:
  All types of alcohol always represent junk food at its best. Weight gain is likely when consuming alcohol due to its high calorie content of 7 calories per gram, which is comparable to fat. Mixer drinks like cola or tonic water can add even more calories. Additionally, alcohol provides little nutritional value for athletes and the calories it contains cannot be used by our muscles for energy. Furthermore, alcohol does not convert to glycogen, making it an inefficient energy source during exercise. The negative impact of alcohol on internal organs makes it a poor choice, similar to junk food. Moreover, alcohol can lead to addiction and tolerance, increasing the risk of dependency.

Junk Food Still Life courtesy of Openverse

The Present:
People all over the world, including the U.S. are enjoying their junk food, every day!

The Future:
Let’s give thanks and enjoy junk food this great year and in the years to come. . .

FREEBIES & DEALS For National Junk Food Day:
🍫 FREE National Junk Food Day: Fonts
🍭 FREE: National Junk Food Day: Crafts + Printable
 🍬 FREE National Junk Food Day: Sheet music
 🍡 CHEAP: National Junk Food Day: Ideas, Crafts & Worksheets
 🍡 FREE: National Junk Food Day: AT “Hey It’s Free”

Hashtags:
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LOST aisle courtesy of Openverse

National Junk Food Day