Junk Food in American Diets
Junk food makes up nearly half of the food in American diets.
Based on a duo of nationally representative surveys of food intake among 10,001 U.S. adults, 47% of calories hail from junk food in the typical American diet. Yikes! As reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 75% of total sugar, 46% of sodium and 48% of saturated fat consumed by adults is derived from junk food sources like soda, chips and pastries. Non-Hispanic Black adults had the highest intakes of sugar, sodium and calories derived from these foods and drinks, while non-Hispanic white adults had the highest saturated-fat intake from junk foods.
See also: Americans Are Still Eating a Lousy Diet
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
