1.Junk food is an informal term for food that is of little nutritional value and often high in fat, sugar and or calories.

2. What is Junk Food? Junk food isn't just greasy burgers from fast food restaurants. Junk food includes overly salty foods such as potato chips and pork rinds. Foods loaded with sugar such as packaged cupcakes and candies are also junk food. Foods that are high in saturated fats, sodium and refined sugar usually provide little or no nutritional value. Your body can't convert junk food into bone, muscle or healthy organ cells. 3. Junk foods typically contain high levels of calories from sugar or fat with little protein, vitamins or minerals. Common junk foods include salted snack foods, gum, candy, gum, sweet desserts, fried fast food and carbonated beverages. 4. Fats Saturated fats and trans fats, like those found in junk food, get dispersed throughout your body and can lead to fat build-up in your blood, thereby increasing your blood pressure. These fat build-ups clog your arteries and increase your risk for heart disease. 5. Sugar Refined sugar is linked to tooth decay because sugar breaks down calcium. This means excess sugar not only causes cavities, it puts you at risk for osteoporosis. Sugar is stored in the liver as glucose, but the liver can only store a finite amount. Excess sugar enters the bloodstream as fatty acids, which the body stores as fat. Eating too much sugar makes you fat. This fat is difficult to burn off and can ultimately result in obesity, heart disease and other health issues. 6. Sodium Too much sodium increases your blood volume. An excess of salt in your body can result in water retention. Your blood retains salty water and increases your blood pressure. The body requires a small intake of sodium to function properly, around 2400 milligrams a day. When you consume too much sodium, the balance between fluid intake and outgo is disturbed. The kidneys cannot properly convert the excess to waste, resulting in edema and kidney disease. 7. What is a healthy balanced diet? The two keys to a healthy balanced diet are: eating the right amount of food for how active you are, and eating a range of foods this is what balanced means 8. The Best Food is Healthy Food 9. should include: 1.plenty of fruit and vegetables 2.plenty of bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods (choosing wholegrain varieties when possible) 3.some milk and dairy foods some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein 4.just a small amount of foods 10. Healthy eating tips 11. Base your meals on starchy foods as these give you energy. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables every day. Eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and veg a day. See 5 a day: what counts? for more information. Eat more fish. Eat at least two portions of fish every week, including one portion of oily fish like mackerel or sardines. If youre vegetarian and dont eat fish, seefive essential nutrients for vegetarians for more information on a healthy vegetarian diet. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar. Seehealthy food swaps for healthier choices. Eat less salt no more than 6g a day for adults. For tips on how to do this, see say no to salt. Get active and be a healthy weight. Use thehealthy weight calculator to check if your weight is healthy. Drink plenty of water, about 6-8 glasses of water (or other fluids) every day. To find out why this is important, see water and drinks. Dont skip breakfast. Always eat breakfast because it gives you the energy you need for the day. Seefive 12. protein - such as meats, fish, poultry, nuts, beans, milk carbohydrate - such as bread, cereal, rice, potatoes, sugar fat - such as butter, cream, oils, fatty meats (hamburger and bacon) fiber - contained in whole grains (whole grain cereals and breads), and in salads, fresh vegetables, and fruits. 13. protein - such as meats, fish, poultry, nuts, beans, milk carbohydrate - such as bread, cereal, rice, potatoes, sugar fat - such as butter, cream, oils, fatty meats (hamburger and bacon) fiber - contained in whole grains (whole grain cereals and breads), and in salads, fresh vegetables, and fruits.