Do you consider chips & salsa a junk food?

[Anonymous]

I’m the person who recently started eating black refried beans, corn chips and salsa for breakfast every morning. Not as a snack, as my main meal. It is a common breakfast meal for people in some parts of Mexico.

The brand of chips I eat are locally made (Mi Nina) by a family with roots in Mexico. Ingredients are organic white corn, organic sunflower oil, sea salt, trace of lime. One serving is 130 calories, 2g fiber 2g protein, 160mg sodium or 7% RDA. I eat very little salty food, so no concern here.

As said I pair it with one cup of vegan refried black beans. The beans and corn make a complete protein for a healthy meal and start to the day. The beans make me feel sated for several hours and release a slow steady stream of glucose as they break down so I don’t experience sugar spike and then crash after breakfast. I typically don’t eat again until mid afternoon and that’s my last meal of the day because I can still feel the beans, which are basically nature’s semaglutide in terms of radically reducing hunger.

The salsa I use is called Green Mountain Gringo. Ingredients are Ripe Tomatoes, Onions, Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, Tomatillos, Fresh Serrano Peppers, Apple Cider Vinegar, Cilantro, Parsley, Fresh Garlic, Sea Salt, Cumin. One serving is 2 tablespoons (I measure it when serving like I do all my food) and has 10 calories and 75mg sodium, or 3% RDA. I never meet the RDA for salt because I home cook almost all my food and use salt sparingly, mostly utilizing other spices especially capsaicin which is very healthy.

My chips and salsa and bean breakfast is 450-600 calories depending on whether I have one or two servings of chips. It’s loaded with fiber and good micronutrients. It has some salt, a necessary element for proper bodily function. It has complete protein. It is freaking delicious.

It is food, not junk food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ANY food described at such a generic level can be healthy food or junk food depending on how it is made.

A hamburger from McDonald's is junk food. A burger made with high quality ingredients and eye toward macros is healthy.
Stouffer's frozen mac and cheese is junk food. A mac and cheese made with high quality ingredients and eaten in moderation is healthy.
Tostitos chips and Chi-chi's salsa is junk food. Pico de gallo with fresh made chips including high quality ingredients is healthy.

To be clear, I eat a good mix of both health food and "junk food." No judgment.

Burgers and Mac and cheese made at home are also basically junk food, if you ask the average cardiologist. They are not healthy foods and should not be consumed with any regularity at home or out of the home.

PP here. The bolded is the key point. I never said I eat them regularly. I said I don't consider them junk food.

The problem here is a lack of a common definition of "junk food."

And no cardiologist would tell an otherwise healthy person to not consume quality burgers or mac and cheese ever.

You are either taking the piss or you are nutritionally clueless. Red meat and cheese are loaded with saturated fats and cardiologists ALL OVER THE WORLD have been telling their patients to avoid those foods for at least 7 decades.

There are healthy fats, but burger and the cheeses that go into a mac & cheese are not among them. Burgers and mac and cheese are not. healthy. foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ANY food described at such a generic level can be healthy food or junk food depending on how it is made.

A hamburger from McDonald's is junk food. A burger made with high quality ingredients and eye toward macros is healthy.
Stouffer's frozen mac and cheese is junk food. A mac and cheese made with high quality ingredients and eaten in moderation is healthy.
Tostitos chips and Chi-chi's salsa is junk food. Pico de gallo with fresh made chips including high quality ingredients is healthy.

To be clear, I eat a good mix of both health food and "junk food." No judgment.

Burgers and Mac and cheese made at home are also basically junk food, if you ask the average cardiologist. They are not healthy foods and should not be consumed with any regularity at home or out of the home.

PP here. The bolded is the key point. I never said I eat them regularly. I said I don't consider them junk food.

The problem here is a lack of a common definition of "junk food."

And no cardiologist would tell an otherwise healthy person to not consume quality burgers or mac and cheese ever.

You are either taking the piss or you are nutritionally clueless. Red meat and cheese are loaded with saturated fats and cardiologists ALL OVER THE WORLD have been telling their patients to avoid those foods for at least 7 decades.

There are healthy fats, but burger and the cheeses that go into a mac & cheese are not among them. Burgers and mac and cheese are not. healthy. foods.

Even for a healthy person, consuming burgers and mac and cheese is a path to eventual poor health. They are junk food and should only be occasionally consumed, if at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ANY food described at such a generic level can be healthy food or junk food depending on how it is made.

A hamburger from McDonald's is junk food. A burger made with high quality ingredients and eye toward macros is healthy.
Stouffer's frozen mac and cheese is junk food. A mac and cheese made with high quality ingredients and eaten in moderation is healthy.
Tostitos chips and Chi-chi's salsa is junk food. Pico de gallo with fresh made chips including high quality ingredients is healthy.

To be clear, I eat a good mix of both health food and "junk food." No judgment.

Burgers and Mac and cheese made at home are also basically junk food, if you ask the average cardiologist. They are not healthy foods and should not be consumed with any regularity at home or out of the home.

PP here. The bolded is the key point. I never said I eat them regularly. I said I don't consider them junk food.

The problem here is a lack of a common definition of "junk food."

And no cardiologist would tell an otherwise healthy person to not consume quality burgers or mac and cheese ever.

You are either taking the piss or you are nutritionally clueless. Red meat and cheese are loaded with saturated fats and cardiologists ALL OVER THE WORLD have been telling their patients to avoid those foods for at least 7 decades.

There are healthy fats, but burger and the cheeses that go into a mac & cheese are not among them. Burgers and mac and cheese are not. healthy. foods.

Even for a healthy person, consuming burgers and mac and cheese is a path to eventual poor health. They are junk food and should only be occasionally consumed, if at all.

You do you.

I pay a lot of attention to my overall health as well as focus on balance and enjoying the life I am working hard to prolong.

I will continue eating a burger, a slice of pie, a gelato, a slice of pizza when it is high quality and delicious...in moderation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have to say more about salsa. Nobody would put tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, salt, and lime juice in a bowl and call it junk food. Why would throwing that in the food processor put it into the junk food category?

Lets be honest. The vast majority of people aren't making their own salsa. They're buying it from the store. Just take whole foods salsa as a standard example:

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/organic-thickand%20chunky%20mild%20salsa,%2016%20oz-b07nsq98r9

Only 2 tablespoons alone has 6% DV for sodium! Most people will probably consume 2 tables spoons of salsa in 2-3 bites. In a session, everyone knows they'll probably have 10-20 bites. Salsa is often a highly processed salt bomb. Many also contain preservatives.

Sure, this is DCUM where absolutely zero people buy pre-made salsa though and only make it at home. Yeah, suuuuure.

This is why Americans are so fat and why cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America. Americans have an extremely hard time figuring out what is junk food. Oh, salsa must be healthy because all it is is tomatoes, onions, lime, and maybe olive oil and cilantro. Except they completely ignore the huge amounts of sodium that goes into many brands' salsas.

Sodium doesn’t make you fat.

Too much is bad for your heart and salty foods can make you want to eat more than you would. But in and of itself sodium is not loading you up with calories.

Omg, you must have an IQ of 180. Pure genius pointing out that sodium in of itself has no calories.

That is entirely missing the point. The typical American diet is absolutely LOADED with far too much sodium. Many people only focus on things like calories and grams of saturated fat. That's not the only thing that's important - controlling your sodium intake is too. Excessive sodium intake is associated with all sorts of health problems like high blood pressure, kidney disease, stroke, and heart disease.

I dare you to try to follow the recommended daily guidelines for sodim in take. It is by far and away the most difficult to control aspect of a diet. Way more so than sugar and fat, because many foods that aren't raw are absolutely loaded with sodium.

Most prepared salsas that come in a package are junk food because they contain a lot of sodium relative to the size of the serving. Tack on chips on top of it and chips and salsa are nothing more than a health bomb where people blow out their daily allowance of sodium on a snack or appetizer alone.

Too much sodium in American diets is a huge offender and one of the most difficult to control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have to say more about salsa. Nobody would put tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, salt, and lime juice in a bowl and call it junk food. Why would throwing that in the food processor put it into the junk food category?

Lets be honest. The vast majority of people aren't making their own salsa. They're buying it from the store. Just take whole foods salsa as a standard example:

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/organic-thickand%20chunky%20mild%20salsa,%2016%20oz-b07nsq98r9

Only 2 tablespoons alone has 6% DV for sodium! Most people will probably consume 2 tables spoons of salsa in 2-3 bites. In a session, everyone knows they'll probably have 10-20 bites. Salsa is often a highly processed salt bomb. Many also contain preservatives.

Sure, this is DCUM where absolutely zero people buy pre-made salsa though and only make it at home. Yeah, suuuuure.

This is why Americans are so fat and why cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America. Americans have an extremely hard time figuring out what is junk food. Oh, salsa must be healthy because all it is is tomatoes, onions, lime, and maybe olive oil and cilantro. Except they completely ignore the huge amounts of sodium that goes into many brands' salsas.

I mean, the fact that so many people think that salsa is junk food does make me agree that Americans have a hard time figuring out what is and isn’t junk food. First of all, it isn’t highly processed. It’s chopped up and canned. Second of all, yes it has a good amount of sodium but that’s merely something to be conscious of, not avoided entirely, assuming you’re generally healthy. Foods with a similar amount of sodium include milk, sauerkraut, and cheese. Tuna has 23% of your DV for sodium, and a slice of bread has 10. Spaghetti sauce and pre-made salad dressings have a ton too. And one restaurant meal, well, goodness knows. And let’s not forget that you actually need sodium to survive and most people obviously don’t have that problem, cutting it out entirely isn’t the goal. Plus it you don’t have salsa, you miss out on all those vegetables!

The worst foods are fried sweet goods, potato chips, French fries, and processed meats. If you avoid those, eat vegetables and healthy fats (hello guacamole!), smoke or drink, and exercise and you are doing great.

I mean, you are kind of half right and you’re getting to the core of the issue. Look how much food is total garbage. Yes, pasta sauces, dressings, salsas, sauerkraut, cheese……all salt and fat bombs. People completely ignore how much sodium they’re consuming per day, and it is why this country has so many problems with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Breads are one of the worst offenders out there. Yes, n9wmyiure getting it. Many people will consume something like two slices of bread, which is a sodium bomb. Take for example someone making a ham egg and cheese sandwich with some WF pico de gallo as a topping. That little meal right there alone probably has almost 30-50% of your entire daily allowance for sodium. We haven’t even gotten to snacks, lunch, dinner and drinks yet for more sodium and sugar.


A can of tuna might have 23% dv for sodium, but look at the portion size. Compare that to two table spoons of WF pico, which has almost no calories and 5% dv of sodium. The issue is portion size two. It is much better to spend 23% dv sodium on an entire can of tuna that is going to be far more filling than 2 tbl of pico with 115 mg of sodium. A typical person is going to easily consume 4-6 tbl of pico like nothing.


Everything about food in the U.S. sucks. It is loaded with salt, fat, sugar, and empty cals. Even when people think they’re eating healthy they’re unwittingly consuming huge amount of sodium, because food makers have to cover up bland taste somehow.

You are now not in any way talking about an answer to OP's question.

I'll agree with you that as a general rule the average American diet is bad. But that isn't the question. The specific is whether a generic "Chips and salsa" is junk food. There are only two answers to this, either:
1. no, or
2. really depends on the quality and quantity of chips and salsa you are eating (which would be true of any food this question is asked about)

It’s junk food because it has far too much sodium per serving. Most people will consume many multiples of a serving. It’s a sodium bomb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have to say more about salsa. Nobody would put tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, salt, and lime juice in a bowl and call it junk food. Why would throwing that in the food processor put it into the junk food category?

Lets be honest. The vast majority of people aren't making their own salsa. They're buying it from the store. Just take whole foods salsa as a standard example:

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/organic-thickand%20chunky%20mild%20salsa,%2016%20oz-b07nsq98r9

Only 2 tablespoons alone has 6% DV for sodium! Most people will probably consume 2 tables spoons of salsa in 2-3 bites. In a session, everyone knows they'll probably have 10-20 bites. Salsa is often a highly processed salt bomb. Many also contain preservatives.

Sure, this is DCUM where absolutely zero people buy pre-made salsa though and only make it at home. Yeah, suuuuure.

This is why Americans are so fat and why cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America. Americans have an extremely hard time figuring out what is junk food. Oh, salsa must be healthy because all it is is tomatoes, onions, lime, and maybe olive oil and cilantro. Except they completely ignore the huge amounts of sodium that goes into many brands' salsas.

I mean, the fact that so many people think that salsa is junk food does make me agree that Americans have a hard time figuring out what is and isn’t junk food. First of all, it isn’t highly processed. It’s chopped up and canned. Second of all, yes it has a good amount of sodium but that’s merely something to be conscious of, not avoided entirely, assuming you’re generally healthy. Foods with a similar amount of sodium include milk, sauerkraut, and cheese. Tuna has 23% of your DV for sodium, and a slice of bread has 10. Spaghetti sauce and pre-made salad dressings have a ton too. And one restaurant meal, well, goodness knows. And let’s not forget that you actually need sodium to survive and most people obviously don’t have that problem, cutting it out entirely isn’t the goal. Plus it you don’t have salsa, you miss out on all those vegetables!

The worst foods are fried sweet goods, potato chips, French fries, and processed meats. If you avoid those, eat vegetables and healthy fats (hello guacamole!), smoke or drink, and exercise and you are doing great.

I mean, you are kind of half right and you’re getting to the core of the issue. Look how much food is total garbage. Yes, pasta sauces, dressings, salsas, sauerkraut, cheese……all salt and fat bombs. People completely ignore how much sodium they’re consuming per day, and it is why this country has so many problems with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Breads are one of the worst offenders out there. Yes, n9wmyiure getting it. Many people will consume something like two slices of bread, which is a sodium bomb. Take for example someone making a ham egg and cheese sandwich with some WF pico de gallo as a topping. That little meal right there alone probably has almost 30-50% of your entire daily allowance for sodium. We haven’t even gotten to snacks, lunch, dinner and drinks yet for more sodium and sugar.


A can of tuna might have 23% dv for sodium, but look at the portion size. Compare that to two table spoons of WF pico, which has almost no calories and 5% dv of sodium. The issue is portion size two. It is much better to spend 23% dv sodium on an entire can of tuna that is going to be far more filling than 2 tbl of pico with 115 mg of sodium. A typical person is going to easily consume 4-6 tbl of pico like nothing.


Everything about food in the U.S. sucks. It is loaded with salt, fat, sugar, and empty cals. Even when people think they’re eating healthy they’re unwittingly consuming huge amount of sodium, because food makers have to cover up bland taste somehow.

I’m half wrong? What am I half wrong about? Where is my error? I just don’t see it.

Maybe I can make myself a little more clear this way:

If you’re going to say that salsa is a junk food, you also have to say that pasta sauce made at home with San Marzano tomatoes is too. Same with some canned and drained tuna drizzled with olive oil on a bed of greens. Etc etc.

That poster is so determined to be right about how bad pico is but has made no argument against it whatsoever. We have to have sodium in our diet. I'll take it with salsa over white bread all day long. Salsa is actually quite satisfying--for me, much more satisfying, and healthy, than a can of tuna fish.

The nitwit thinks we're talking about $2 jars of Pace Picante with enough sodium and preservatives to last on a shelf until 2030. lol

You’re an absolute moron. You were linked to the fresh pico de gallo from WF. It contains lots of sodium. You’re just being obtuse about it because let’s be honest, you’ve never carefully tracked your total sodium in take like most Americans that eats tons of foods that come out of packages. Sure, your food is low cal and made from plants, that doesn’t change the fact that it has an obscene amount of sodium in it because it was commercially prepared. Many foods that aren’t raw are drowning in sodium. Ask someone with kidney disease how hard it is to manage sodium in take while trying to shop for food in American stores. No need to be willfully ignorant about it like a tool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have to say more about salsa. Nobody would put tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, salt, and lime juice in a bowl and call it junk food. Why would throwing that in the food processor put it into the junk food category?

Lets be honest. The vast majority of people aren't making their own salsa. They're buying it from the store. Just take whole foods salsa as a standard example:

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/organic-thickand%20chunky%20mild%20salsa,%2016%20oz-b07nsq98r9

Only 2 tablespoons alone has 6% DV for sodium! Most people will probably consume 2 tables spoons of salsa in 2-3 bites. In a session, everyone knows they'll probably have 10-20 bites. Salsa is often a highly processed salt bomb. Many also contain preservatives.

Sure, this is DCUM where absolutely zero people buy pre-made salsa though and only make it at home. Yeah, suuuuure.

This is why Americans are so fat and why cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America. Americans have an extremely hard time figuring out what is junk food. Oh, salsa must be healthy because all it is is tomatoes, onions, lime, and maybe olive oil and cilantro. Except they completely ignore the huge amounts of sodium that goes into many brands' salsas.

I mean, the fact that so many people think that salsa is junk food does make me agree that Americans have a hard time figuring out what is and isn’t junk food. First of all, it isn’t highly processed. It’s chopped up and canned. Second of all, yes it has a good amount of sodium but that’s merely something to be conscious of, not avoided entirely, assuming you’re generally healthy. Foods with a similar amount of sodium include milk, sauerkraut, and cheese. Tuna has 23% of your DV for sodium, and a slice of bread has 10. Spaghetti sauce and pre-made salad dressings have a ton too. And one restaurant meal, well, goodness knows. And let’s not forget that you actually need sodium to survive and most people obviously don’t have that problem, cutting it out entirely isn’t the goal. Plus it you don’t have salsa, you miss out on all those vegetables!

The worst foods are fried sweet goods, potato chips, French fries, and processed meats. If you avoid those, eat vegetables and healthy fats (hello guacamole!), smoke or drink, and exercise and you are doing great.

I mean, you are kind of half right and you’re getting to the core of the issue. Look how much food is total garbage. Yes, pasta sauces, dressings, salsas, sauerkraut, cheese……all salt and fat bombs. People completely ignore how much sodium they’re consuming per day, and it is why this country has so many problems with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Breads are one of the worst offenders out there. Yes, n9wmyiure getting it. Many people will consume something like two slices of bread, which is a sodium bomb. Take for example someone making a ham egg and cheese sandwich with some WF pico de gallo as a topping. That little meal right there alone probably has almost 30-50% of your entire daily allowance for sodium. We haven’t even gotten to snacks, lunch, dinner and drinks yet for more sodium and sugar.


A can of tuna might have 23% dv for sodium, but look at the portion size. Compare that to two table spoons of WF pico, which has almost no calories and 5% dv of sodium. The issue is portion size two. It is much better to spend 23% dv sodium on an entire can of tuna that is going to be far more filling than 2 tbl of pico with 115 mg of sodium. A typical person is going to easily consume 4-6 tbl of pico like nothing.


Everything about food in the U.S. sucks. It is loaded with salt, fat, sugar, and empty cals. Even when people think they’re eating healthy they’re unwittingly consuming huge amount of sodium, because food makers have to cover up bland taste somehow.

You are now not in any way talking about an answer to OP's question.

I'll agree with you that as a general rule the average American diet is bad. But that isn't the question. The specific is whether a generic "Chips and salsa" is junk food. There are only two answers to this, either:
1. no, or
2. really depends on the quality and quantity of chips and salsa you are eating (which would be true of any food this question is asked about)

It’s junk food because it has far too much sodium per serving. Most people will consume many multiples of a serving. It’s a sodium bomb.

So you are assuming that you know: 1) which salsa is being eaten; and 2) how much of it is being eaten.

Try not assuming that and try answering again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a non-American, I've started to understand that a lot of your food is junk. honestly, even your "fresh" and "organic" foods have so much hidden salt and chemicals in them - it's gross.

Yup, +1000

Been trying telling these ignorant doofuses on here. A foreign perspective helps too. So many clownshows have zero perspective on how much sodium they're consuming. It's off the charts in the US.

[Anonymous]

It's actually easy to control sodium if you home cook your meals using fresh ingredients and mostly avoid ultra processed food products.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have to say more about salsa. Nobody would put tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, salt, and lime juice in a bowl and call it junk food. Why would throwing that in the food processor put it into the junk food category?

Lets be honest. The vast majority of people aren't making their own salsa. They're buying it from the store. Just take whole foods salsa as a standard example:

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/organic-thickand%20chunky%20mild%20salsa,%2016%20oz-b07nsq98r9

Only 2 tablespoons alone has 6% DV for sodium! Most people will probably consume 2 tables spoons of salsa in 2-3 bites. In a session, everyone knows they'll probably have 10-20 bites. Salsa is often a highly processed salt bomb. Many also contain preservatives.

Sure, this is DCUM where absolutely zero people buy pre-made salsa though and only make it at home. Yeah, suuuuure.

This is why Americans are so fat and why cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America. Americans have an extremely hard time figuring out what is junk food. Oh, salsa must be healthy because all it is is tomatoes, onions, lime, and maybe olive oil and cilantro. Except they completely ignore the huge amounts of sodium that goes into many brands' salsas.

I mean, the fact that so many people think that salsa is junk food does make me agree that Americans have a hard time figuring out what is and isn’t junk food. First of all, it isn’t highly processed. It’s chopped up and canned. Second of all, yes it has a good amount of sodium but that’s merely something to be conscious of, not avoided entirely, assuming you’re generally healthy. Foods with a similar amount of sodium include milk, sauerkraut, and cheese. Tuna has 23% of your DV for sodium, and a slice of bread has 10. Spaghetti sauce and pre-made salad dressings have a ton too. And one restaurant meal, well, goodness knows. And let’s not forget that you actually need sodium to survive and most people obviously don’t have that problem, cutting it out entirely isn’t the goal. Plus it you don’t have salsa, you miss out on all those vegetables!

The worst foods are fried sweet goods, potato chips, French fries, and processed meats. If you avoid those, eat vegetables and healthy fats (hello guacamole!), smoke or drink, and exercise and you are doing great.

I mean, you are kind of half right and you’re getting to the core of the issue. Look how much food is total garbage. Yes, pasta sauces, dressings, salsas, sauerkraut, cheese……all salt and fat bombs. People completely ignore how much sodium they’re consuming per day, and it is why this country has so many problems with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Breads are one of the worst offenders out there. Yes, n9wmyiure getting it. Many people will consume something like two slices of bread, which is a sodium bomb. Take for example someone making a ham egg and cheese sandwich with some WF pico de gallo as a topping. That little meal right there alone probably has almost 30-50% of your entire daily allowance for sodium. We haven’t even gotten to snacks, lunch, dinner and drinks yet for more sodium and sugar.


A can of tuna might have 23% dv for sodium, but look at the portion size. Compare that to two table spoons of WF pico, which has almost no calories and 5% dv of sodium. The issue is portion size two. It is much better to spend 23% dv sodium on an entire can of tuna that is going to be far more filling than 2 tbl of pico with 115 mg of sodium. A typical person is going to easily consume 4-6 tbl of pico like nothing.


Everything about food in the U.S. sucks. It is loaded with salt, fat, sugar, and empty cals. Even when people think they’re eating healthy they’re unwittingly consuming huge amount of sodium, because food makers have to cover up bland taste somehow.

You are now not in any way talking about an answer to OP's question.

I'll agree with you that as a general rule the average American diet is bad. But that isn't the question. The specific is whether a generic "Chips and salsa" is junk food. There are only two answers to this, either:
1. no, or
2. really depends on the quality and quantity of chips and salsa you are eating (which would be true of any food this question is asked about)

It’s junk food because it has far too much sodium per serving. Most people will consume many multiples of a serving. It’s a sodium bomb.

So you are assuming that you know: 1) which salsa is being eaten; and 2) how much of it is being eaten.

Try not assuming that and try answering again.

You're an idiot.

I bet you you are convinced people eat 6-7 chips and only 2 tableapoons of pico de Gallo in one sitting when they do choose to eat. So dumb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have to say more about salsa. Nobody would put tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, salt, and lime juice in a bowl and call it junk food. Why would throwing that in the food processor put it into the junk food category?

Lets be honest. The vast majority of people aren't making their own salsa. They're buying it from the store. Just take whole foods salsa as a standard example:

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/organic-thickand%20chunky%20mild%20salsa,%2016%20oz-b07nsq98r9

Only 2 tablespoons alone has 6% DV for sodium! Most people will probably consume 2 tables spoons of salsa in 2-3 bites. In a session, everyone knows they'll probably have 10-20 bites. Salsa is often a highly processed salt bomb. Many also contain preservatives.

Sure, this is DCUM where absolutely zero people buy pre-made salsa though and only make it at home. Yeah, suuuuure.

This is why Americans are so fat and why cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America. Americans have an extremely hard time figuring out what is junk food. Oh, salsa must be healthy because all it is is tomatoes, onions, lime, and maybe olive oil and cilantro. Except they completely ignore the huge amounts of sodium that goes into many brands' salsas.

I mean, the fact that so many people think that salsa is junk food does make me agree that Americans have a hard time figuring out what is and isn’t junk food. First of all, it isn’t highly processed. It’s chopped up and canned. Second of all, yes it has a good amount of sodium but that’s merely something to be conscious of, not avoided entirely, assuming you’re generally healthy. Foods with a similar amount of sodium include milk, sauerkraut, and cheese. Tuna has 23% of your DV for sodium, and a slice of bread has 10. Spaghetti sauce and pre-made salad dressings have a ton too. And one restaurant meal, well, goodness knows. And let’s not forget that you actually need sodium to survive and most people obviously don’t have that problem, cutting it out entirely isn’t the goal. Plus it you don’t have salsa, you miss out on all those vegetables!

The worst foods are fried sweet goods, potato chips, French fries, and processed meats. If you avoid those, eat vegetables and healthy fats (hello guacamole!), smoke or drink, and exercise and you are doing great.

I mean, you are kind of half right and you’re getting to the core of the issue. Look how much food is total garbage. Yes, pasta sauces, dressings, salsas, sauerkraut, cheese……all salt and fat bombs. People completely ignore how much sodium they’re consuming per day, and it is why this country has so many problems with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Breads are one of the worst offenders out there. Yes, n9wmyiure getting it. Many people will consume something like two slices of bread, which is a sodium bomb. Take for example someone making a ham egg and cheese sandwich with some WF pico de gallo as a topping. That little meal right there alone probably has almost 30-50% of your entire daily allowance for sodium. We haven’t even gotten to snacks, lunch, dinner and drinks yet for more sodium and sugar.


A can of tuna might have 23% dv for sodium, but look at the portion size. Compare that to two table spoons of WF pico, which has almost no calories and 5% dv of sodium. The issue is portion size two. It is much better to spend 23% dv sodium on an entire can of tuna that is going to be far more filling than 2 tbl of pico with 115 mg of sodium. A typical person is going to easily consume 4-6 tbl of pico like nothing.


Everything about food in the U.S. sucks. It is loaded with salt, fat, sugar, and empty cals. Even when people think they’re eating healthy they’re unwittingly consuming huge amount of sodium, because food makers have to cover up bland taste somehow.

You are now not in any way talking about an answer to OP's question.

I'll agree with you that as a general rule the average American diet is bad. But that isn't the question. The specific is whether a generic "Chips and salsa" is junk food. There are only two answers to this, either:
1. no, or
2. really depends on the quality and quantity of chips and salsa you are eating (which would be true of any food this question is asked about)

It’s junk food because it has far too much sodium per serving. Most people will consume many multiples of a serving. It’s a sodium bomb.

So you are assuming that you know: 1) which salsa is being eaten; and 2) how much of it is being eaten.

Try not assuming that and try answering again.

You're an idiot.

I bet you you are convinced people eat 6-7 chips and only 2 tableapoons of pico de Gallo in one sitting when they do choose to eat. So dumb.

Cool, now you are making further assumptions about me rather than try actually responding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have to say more about salsa. Nobody would put tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, salt, and lime juice in a bowl and call it junk food. Why would throwing that in the food processor put it into the junk food category?

Lets be honest. The vast majority of people aren't making their own salsa. They're buying it from the store. Just take whole foods salsa as a standard example:

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/organic-thickand%20chunky%20mild%20salsa,%2016%20oz-b07nsq98r9

Only 2 tablespoons alone has 6% DV for sodium! Most people will probably consume 2 tables spoons of salsa in 2-3 bites. In a session, everyone knows they'll probably have 10-20 bites. Salsa is often a highly processed salt bomb. Many also contain preservatives.

Sure, this is DCUM where absolutely zero people buy pre-made salsa though and only make it at home. Yeah, suuuuure.

This is why Americans are so fat and why cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America. Americans have an extremely hard time figuring out what is junk food. Oh, salsa must be healthy because all it is is tomatoes, onions, lime, and maybe olive oil and cilantro. Except they completely ignore the huge amounts of sodium that goes into many brands' salsas.

I mean, the fact that so many people think that salsa is junk food does make me agree that Americans have a hard time figuring out what is and isn’t junk food. First of all, it isn’t highly processed. It’s chopped up and canned. Second of all, yes it has a good amount of sodium but that’s merely something to be conscious of, not avoided entirely, assuming you’re generally healthy. Foods with a similar amount of sodium include milk, sauerkraut, and cheese. Tuna has 23% of your DV for sodium, and a slice of bread has 10. Spaghetti sauce and pre-made salad dressings have a ton too. And one restaurant meal, well, goodness knows. And let’s not forget that you actually need sodium to survive and most people obviously don’t have that problem, cutting it out entirely isn’t the goal. Plus it you don’t have salsa, you miss out on all those vegetables!

The worst foods are fried sweet goods, potato chips, French fries, and processed meats. If you avoid those, eat vegetables and healthy fats (hello guacamole!), smoke or drink, and exercise and you are doing great.

I mean, you are kind of half right and you’re getting to the core of the issue. Look how much food is total garbage. Yes, pasta sauces, dressings, salsas, sauerkraut, cheese……all salt and fat bombs. People completely ignore how much sodium they’re consuming per day, and it is why this country has so many problems with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Breads are one of the worst offenders out there. Yes, n9wmyiure getting it. Many people will consume something like two slices of bread, which is a sodium bomb. Take for example someone making a ham egg and cheese sandwich with some WF pico de gallo as a topping. That little meal right there alone probably has almost 30-50% of your entire daily allowance for sodium. We haven’t even gotten to snacks, lunch, dinner and drinks yet for more sodium and sugar.


A can of tuna might have 23% dv for sodium, but look at the portion size. Compare that to two table spoons of WF pico, which has almost no calories and 5% dv of sodium. The issue is portion size two. It is much better to spend 23% dv sodium on an entire can of tuna that is going to be far more filling than 2 tbl of pico with 115 mg of sodium. A typical person is going to easily consume 4-6 tbl of pico like nothing.


Everything about food in the U.S. sucks. It is loaded with salt, fat, sugar, and empty cals. Even when people think they’re eating healthy they’re unwittingly consuming huge amount of sodium, because food makers have to cover up bland taste somehow.

You are now not in any way talking about an answer to OP's question.

I'll agree with you that as a general rule the average American diet is bad. But that isn't the question. The specific is whether a generic "Chips and salsa" is junk food. There are only two answers to this, either:
1. no, or
2. really depends on the quality and quantity of chips and salsa you are eating (which would be true of any food this question is asked about)

It’s junk food because it has far too much sodium per serving. Most people will consume many multiples of a serving. It’s a sodium bomb.

So you are assuming that you know: 1) which salsa is being eaten; and 2) how much of it is being eaten.

Try not assuming that and try answering again.

You're an idiot.

I bet you you are convinced people eat 6-7 chips and only 2 tableapoons of pico de Gallo in one sitting when they do choose to eat. So dumb.

Cool, now you are making further assumptions about me rather than try actually responding.

Respond to what, Janet?

Do yourself a useful experiment. Put two tablespoons of Pico de Gallo in a bowl. Then put 6 chips next to it. Eat. Congrats, you just ate an entire serving. No more allowed.


Yeah right, because I'm sure that's the way you and 95% of other Americans would eat chips and salsa/pico de Gallo. The serving size is insanely small. You're just too stubborn (or maybe just too stupid) to admit you consume multiple servings just for a snack or appetizer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay I have to say more about salsa. Nobody would put tomatoes, onions, cilantro, peppers, salt, and lime juice in a bowl and call it junk food. Why would throwing that in the food processor put it into the junk food category?

Lets be honest. The vast majority of people aren't making their own salsa. They're buying it from the store. Just take whole foods salsa as a standard example:

https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/organic-thickand%20chunky%20mild%20salsa,%2016%20oz-b07nsq98r9

Only 2 tablespoons alone has 6% DV for sodium! Most people will probably consume 2 tables spoons of salsa in 2-3 bites. In a session, everyone knows they'll probably have 10-20 bites. Salsa is often a highly processed salt bomb. Many also contain preservatives.

Sure, this is DCUM where absolutely zero people buy pre-made salsa though and only make it at home. Yeah, suuuuure.

This is why Americans are so fat and why cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America. Americans have an extremely hard time figuring out what is junk food. Oh, salsa must be healthy because all it is is tomatoes, onions, lime, and maybe olive oil and cilantro. Except they completely ignore the huge amounts of sodium that goes into many brands' salsas.

I mean, the fact that so many people think that salsa is junk food does make me agree that Americans have a hard time figuring out what is and isn’t junk food. First of all, it isn’t highly processed. It’s chopped up and canned. Second of all, yes it has a good amount of sodium but that’s merely something to be conscious of, not avoided entirely, assuming you’re generally healthy. Foods with a similar amount of sodium include milk, sauerkraut, and cheese. Tuna has 23% of your DV for sodium, and a slice of bread has 10. Spaghetti sauce and pre-made salad dressings have a ton too. And one restaurant meal, well, goodness knows. And let’s not forget that you actually need sodium to survive and most people obviously don’t have that problem, cutting it out entirely isn’t the goal. Plus it you don’t have salsa, you miss out on all those vegetables!

The worst foods are fried sweet goods, potato chips, French fries, and processed meats. If you avoid those, eat vegetables and healthy fats (hello guacamole!), smoke or drink, and exercise and you are doing great.

I mean, you are kind of half right and you’re getting to the core of the issue. Look how much food is total garbage. Yes, pasta sauces, dressings, salsas, sauerkraut, cheese……all salt and fat bombs. People completely ignore how much sodium they’re consuming per day, and it is why this country has so many problems with hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Breads are one of the worst offenders out there. Yes, n9wmyiure getting it. Many people will consume something like two slices of bread, which is a sodium bomb. Take for example someone making a ham egg and cheese sandwich with some WF pico de gallo as a topping. That little meal right there alone probably has almost 30-50% of your entire daily allowance for sodium. We haven’t even gotten to snacks, lunch, dinner and drinks yet for more sodium and sugar.


A can of tuna might have 23% dv for sodium, but look at the portion size. Compare that to two table spoons of WF pico, which has almost no calories and 5% dv of sodium. The issue is portion size two. It is much better to spend 23% dv sodium on an entire can of tuna that is going to be far more filling than 2 tbl of pico with 115 mg of sodium. A typical person is going to easily consume 4-6 tbl of pico like nothing.


Everything about food in the U.S. sucks. It is loaded with salt, fat, sugar, and empty cals. Even when people think they’re eating healthy they’re unwittingly consuming huge amount of sodium, because food makers have to cover up bland taste somehow.

You are now not in any way talking about an answer to OP's question.

I'll agree with you that as a general rule the average American diet is bad. But that isn't the question. The specific is whether a generic "Chips and salsa" is junk food. There are only two answers to this, either:
1. no, or
2. really depends on the quality and quantity of chips and salsa you are eating (which would be true of any food this question is asked about)

It’s junk food because it has far too much sodium per serving. Most people will consume many multiples of a serving. It’s a sodium bomb.

So you are assuming that you know: 1) which salsa is being eaten; and 2) how much of it is being eaten.

Try not assuming that and try answering again.

You're an idiot.

I bet you you are convinced people eat 6-7 chips and only 2 tableapoons of pico de Gallo in one sitting when they do choose to eat. So dumb.

Cool, now you are making further assumptions about me rather than try actually responding.

Respond to what, Janet?

Do yourself a useful experiment. Put two tablespoons of Pico de Gallo in a bowl. Then put 6 chips next to it. Eat. Congrats, you just ate an entire serving. No more allowed.


Yeah right, because I'm sure that's the way you and 95% of other Americans would eat chips and salsa/pico de Gallo. The serving size is insanely small. You're just too stubborn (or maybe just too stupid) to admit you consume multiple servings just for a snack or appetizer.

To answer your question and in case I wasn't clear: Can you opine on whether chips and salsa are junk food without: 1) commenting on the quality of the average american diet; 2) assuming that these chips and salsa are eaten in large volumes or nearly every day; 3) understanding and acknowledging that there is a wide variety in the ingredients in different types of chips and salsa.

[Anonymous]

It’s my comfort food. It isn’t exactly the healthiest but not exactly true junk food.