Do you consider chips & salsa a junk food?

[Anonymous]

Chips are junk food. If there's no (or very little) nutritional value then it's junk food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think salsa (especially a pico style salsa, which is just a chunky salad basically) is junk food, but chips and salsa definitely is. It’s the chips. I wouldn’t snack on chips of any kind every day, I consider them to be a treat.

There are definitely worse junk foods out there, but yes, I would consider this junk food.

Re the bolded- makes me wonder how you define "junk food".

Is everything you consider "a treat" also "junk"?

To me, "junk food" would be anything made with a ton of chemicals/preservatives AND almost zero nutritional value- Doritos, popsicles that are primarily high fructose corn syrup and food die, Fuit Loops, etc.

"Treats" are things like my aunt's apple pie, incredibly decadent mashed potatoes, a great slice of pizza, etc.

Not all "junk food" is a treat. Not ever "treat" is junk food.

PP here. I take your point, but I consider junk food to be anything processed/packaged with zero or minimal nutritional value. I’d put chips of all kind into that category, even the organic corn ones made by artisans in Mexico.

I agree that I would consider other things you describe - homemade apple pie, buttery mashed potatoes, etc. - to be a treat. I don’t really see the difference between treats and junk food to be particularly relevant to my diet.

I consider both (per your distinction) to be occasional indulgences, not a regular thing. Junk food because it’s very processed, contains additives, and is very calorie dense, and “treats” because they’re extremely high in calories, sugar, and/or fat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Not really. All you've really been doing is saying things like "sodium bomb" over and over and think you're making some great point.

Let them have their good will hunting guy in a bar moment repeating something somebody else figured out like they are some sort of genius. Figuring out that shelf stable food has an assload of sodium isn’t exactly rocket surgery.

And you can also have health problems going the other way. Sometimes, dumb asses drink so much water they end up with hyponatremia and end up in a medical tent or worse at the hospital when they don’t appreciate their own electrolyte requirements.

In the end, a little chips and salsa never hurt anybody. Complete lack of it may turn you into a butt hurt hyper dork

Perfection

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think salsa (especially a pico style salsa, which is just a chunky salad basically) is junk food, but chips and salsa definitely is. It’s the chips. I wouldn’t snack on chips of any kind every day, I consider them to be a treat.

There are definitely worse junk foods out there, but yes, I would consider this junk food.

Re the bolded- makes me wonder how you define "junk food".

Is everything you consider "a treat" also "junk"?

To me, "junk food" would be anything made with a ton of chemicals/preservatives AND almost zero nutritional value- Doritos, popsicles that are primarily high fructose corn syrup and food die, Fuit Loops, etc.

"Treats" are things like my aunt's apple pie, incredibly decadent mashed potatoes, a great slice of pizza, etc.

Not all "junk food" is a treat. Not ever "treat" is junk food.

PP here. I take your point, but I consider junk food to be anything processed/packaged with zero or minimal nutritional value. I’d put chips of all kind into that category, even the organic corn ones made by artisans in Mexico.

I agree that I would consider other things you describe - homemade apple pie, buttery mashed potatoes, etc. - to be a treat. I don’t really see the difference between treats and junk food to be particularly relevant to my diet.

I consider both (per your distinction) to be occasional indulgences, not a regular thing. Junk food because it’s very processed, contains additives, and is very calorie dense, and “treats” because they’re extremely high in calories, sugar, and/or fat.

Are you overweight? Pre-diabetic? Or you just hate yourself that much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Not really. All you've really been doing is saying things like "sodium bomb" over and over and think you're making some great point.

Let them have their good will hunting guy in a bar moment repeating something somebody else figured out like they are some sort of genius. Figuring out that shelf stable food has an assload of sodium isn’t exactly rocket surgery.

And you can also have health problems going the other way. Sometimes, dumb asses drink so much water they end up with hyponatremia and end up in a medical tent or worse at the hospital when they don’t appreciate their own electrolyte requirements.

In the end, a little chips and salsa never hurt anybody. Complete lack of it may turn you into a butt hurt hyper dork

Rocket surgery?

[Anonymous]

Chips and salsa is better than chips and sour cream or chips and dip. It’s kinda junky, but now and again it’s fine imo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Not really. All you've really been doing is saying things like "sodium bomb" over and over and think you're making some great point.

Let them have their good will hunting guy in a bar moment repeating something somebody else figured out like they are some sort of genius. Figuring out that shelf stable food has an assload of sodium isn’t exactly rocket surgery.

And you can also have health problems going the other way. Sometimes, dumb asses drink so much water they end up with hyponatremia and end up in a medical tent or worse at the hospital when they don’t appreciate their own electrolyte requirements.

In the end, a little chips and salsa never hurt anybody. Complete lack of it may turn you into a butt hurt hyper dork

Rocket surgery?

New PP - I saw that too and I love it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Not really. All you've really been doing is saying things like "sodium bomb" over and over and think you're making some great point.

Let them have their good will hunting guy in a bar moment repeating something somebody else figured out like they are some sort of genius. Figuring out that shelf stable food has an assload of sodium isn’t exactly rocket surgery.

And you can also have health problems going the other way. Sometimes, dumb asses drink so much water they end up with hyponatremia and end up in a medical tent or worse at the hospital when they don’t appreciate their own electrolyte requirements.

In the end, a little chips and salsa never hurt anybody. Complete lack of it may turn you into a butt hurt hyper dork

Rocket surgery?

New PP - I saw that too and I love it

Only thing of value in this lengthy chips 'n salsa debate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a new WSJ piece detailing a WSJ editor's journey on Mounjaro (similar to Ozempic). He claims as soon as he jumped off it, the first "bad" food he immediately craved was chips & salsa. Bad? That kind of popped off the page to me.

Am I just naive or is chips & salsa (or chips & guac) really not that unhealthy? Or maybe there are wide variances of tortilla chips people consume and there are some super unhealthy tortilla chips? Or jarred salsas full of tons of sodium?

We make fresh or buy the fresh salsa (or guac) at WF and use organic blue tortilla chips. I honestly never considered it a bad snack.

Here's the article.

What Happened After I Stopped Taking a Weight-Loss Drug
Four months ago, I wrote about losing 40 pounds on Mounjaro and wondered how I would do without the drug. It’s been an odyssey of binges, diets and exercise, but I’ve kept the weight off.
https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/what-happened-after-i-stopped-taking-a-weight-loss-drug-124abfb4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Not really. All you've really been doing is saying things like "sodium bomb" over and over and think you're making some great point.

Let them have their good will hunting guy in a bar moment repeating something somebody else figured out like they are some sort of genius. Figuring out that shelf stable food has an assload of sodium isn’t exactly rocket surgery.

And you can also have health problems going the other way. Sometimes, dumb asses drink so much water they end up with hyponatremia and end up in a medical tent or worse at the hospital when they don’t appreciate their own electrolyte requirements.

In the end, a little chips and salsa never hurt anybody. Complete lack of it may turn you into a butt hurt hyper dork

Rocket surgery?

Yes, please explain this.

[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.

How many times are you going to use the word “bomb?” I cannot take anyone who uses that word in the context of food seriously.

[Anonymous]

Chips are a junk food and salsa is a condiment. This combination is "junk" because it doesn't fill you up and lacks protein and fiber. The amount of tomato you get from salsa is pretty small, unless you eat the entire bag of chips with the entire jar of salsa in one sitting. The chips may or may not be made with healthy fats, but it's not like olive oil is inaccessible. The chips may or may not be made with whole grains but let's not pretend that eating a loaf of bread is the epitome of health. The loaf of bread would actually be healthier because it's more filling. Chips and salsa are ultimately just a mix of fats and carbs that don't make you feel full, which is like any other unhealthy food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Not really. All you've really been doing is saying things like "sodium bomb" over and over and think you're making some great point.

Let them have their good will hunting guy in a bar moment repeating something somebody else figured out like they are some sort of genius. Figuring out that shelf stable food has an assload of sodium isn’t exactly rocket surgery.

And you can also have health problems going the other way. Sometimes, dumb asses drink so much water they end up with hyponatremia and end up in a medical tent or worse at the hospital when they don’t appreciate their own electrolyte requirements.

In the end, a little chips and salsa never hurt anybody. Complete lack of it may turn you into a butt hurt hyper dork

Rocket surgery?

Yes, please explain this.

It’s a joke!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think salsa (especially a pico style salsa, which is just a chunky salad basically) is junk food, but chips and salsa definitely is. It’s the chips. I wouldn’t snack on chips of any kind every day, I consider them to be a treat.

There are definitely worse junk foods out there, but yes, I would consider this junk food.

Re the bolded- makes me wonder how you define "junk food".

Is everything you consider "a treat" also "junk"?

To me, "junk food" would be anything made with a ton of chemicals/preservatives AND almost zero nutritional value- Doritos, popsicles that are primarily high fructose corn syrup and food die, Fuit Loops, etc.

"Treats" are things like my aunt's apple pie, incredibly decadent mashed potatoes, a great slice of pizza, etc.

Not all "junk food" is a treat. Not ever "treat" is junk food.

PP here. I take your point, but I consider junk food to be anything processed/packaged with zero or minimal nutritional value. I’d put chips of all kind into that category, even the organic corn ones made by artisans in Mexico.

I agree that I would consider other things you describe - homemade apple pie, buttery mashed potatoes, etc. - to be a treat. I don’t really see the difference between treats and junk food to be particularly relevant to my diet.

I consider both (per your distinction) to be occasional indulgences, not a regular thing. Junk food because it’s very processed, contains additives, and is very calorie dense, and “treats” because they’re extremely high in calories, sugar, and/or fat.

Are you overweight? Pre-diabetic? Or you just hate yourself that much?

I’m 5’4” and 112 pounds. In large part because I consume treats in moderation. What’s it to you?

[Anonymous]

Usually a pile of salt. Not great.