and just under 10% of the U.S. diet consists of vegetables and fruit.



http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/h...79/detail.html

rank percentage

1 \tSweets, desserts \t12.3 (obviously junk)

2 \tBeef, pork \t10.1 (most of this is highly saturated: junk)

3 \tBread, rolls, crackers \t8.7 (most of this is refined: junk)

4 \tMixed dishes \t8.2 (most of this is probably junk, too)

5 \tDairy \t7.3 (most of this is full fat, probably: junk)

6 \tSoft drinks \t7.1 (obviously junk)

7 \tVegetables \t6.5 (most of this is fried potatoes: junk)

8 \tChicken, fish \t5.7 (most of this is fried: junk)

9 \tAlcoholic beverages \t4.4 (no nutritional value, just calories: largely junk except for certain red wines)

10 \tFruit, juice \t3.9 (this is mostly juice, no fiber: mostly junk)



Block said. "A large proportion of Americans are undernourished in terms of vitamins and minerals. You can actually be obese and still be undernourished with regard to important nutrients.



I'd say the diet is more like 95% junk.

even in certain junk foods you can get good nutrients. Hell, falafel is deep-fried (Or at least it should be!!!) and it's got some good stuff in it.



But if one does assume that 30% of a diet consists of stuff liek hamburgers, coke and fries, and other things which most people would generally call junk food, then it doesn't reflect well upon the people who choose to eat it. Surely, they must have better taste than to eat sh*te. (Hell, mcdonalds isn't even food! It's crap. I can remember eating chicken mcnuggets in my omni days and they didn't compare to a good curry, or another example of proper food.)



There's a lot of crap in everyone's diets. I have nothing against people eating junk food. I just wish people would eat less, and would be more sensible in regards to their eating.

Sometimes it's hard to know though what's considered junk food. Where do you draw the line? Is a granola bar junk food?

In food, relative junkiness is more of a continuum but most people easily recognize the junkiest foods to be junk.



In the case of granola bars, about half the carbohydrate fraction is refined sugars. The polyunsaturated fat fraction is very high in omega6 and virtually devoid of omega3; the ratio of these is optimally about 2:1 or lower; in the granola bar it is more like 1000:1. Granola bars tend to have a low nutrient density as well, which is the key: how many vitamins, minerals, and other essentials do they contain compared to how many calories they deliver. One might also consider how many antinutrients or actually bad things (like trans fats) they contain compared to how many calories they deliver.



Frying destroys at least 50% of the water soluble micronutrients and tends to turn good cis configuration fats into their carcinogenic and atherogenic cousins, the trans fats. Fried food, like granola bars, tastes good, but both are best consumed only infrequently.

Even being vegan, I know my fruit and veggie intake isn't where it should be. It makes me quite sad to think how much junk is rotting in other people's colons.

Yeah I think it's higher than 30%. I use to hardly eat veggies & fruit and ate lots of junk food. I loved fatty french fries and pizza. I became veg. about a year ago and slowly changed my eating habits. I am not perfect yet, but I'm defintely eating healthier. I notice a difference in how I feel now that I eat better. I'm eating much more veggies, fruit and less junk. I don't even crave junk food much anymore. I barely ever drink soft drinks and don't crave them either. It doesn't surprise me considering all the processed food & fast food out there today that people don't eat healthier.