The main difference between junk food and fast food is that junk food basically refers to food with extremely low nutritional value, while fast food refers to easily accessible food that can be bought quickly from restaurants.
Both junk food and fast food are two types of food we buy from restaurants instead of eating home-cooked healthy diets. Excessive intake of fast food and junk food can increase the risk of getting diseases such as diabetes, cancers, and heart disease.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Junk Food
– Definition, Features
2. What is Fast Food
– Definition, Features
3. Similarities – Junk Food and Fast Food
– Outline of Association
4. Difference Between Junk Food and Fast Food
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Junk Food, Fast Food
What is Junk Food
Junk food is a category of food that includes food containing extremely low nutritional value. They are quite high in kilojoules, added sugar, salt, or saturated fat. Therefore, you should not take junk food as a part of any main diet. Junk food is also called food rich in “empty calories”.
If you are a person with a healthy BMI value, it won’t be a huge issue to consume junk food occasionally in small quantities. However, if you are conscious about losing weight, it would be better to restrict yourself from eating junk food on a daily basis. Junk food can increase the chance of you getting fat and obese. Excessive intake of junk food can also increase the risk of contracting some chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
What is Fast Food
Fast food basically includes quick and processed meals easily prepared and served in restaurants and snack bars. You can easily identify fast food by its easily accessible nature. They are basically a cheaper alternative we can have instead of home-cooked meals. However, just like junk food, fast food can also be high in sugar, salt, calorie, and saturated fat content.
The fast-food culture has bloomed as a result of the busy and tight lifestyle of the modern-day man who is unable to spare time to prepare a healthy home-cooked meal. However, as an alternative for this, some fast food owners have taken a step to open salad bars, grilled chicken, lean meats, and whole-grain buns in their fast-food restaurants. This helps serve nutritious fast food to nutrition-conscience consumers.
Although some fast-food restaurant owners are concerned about offering the customer a healthier menu, the majority still cook their food using lots of butter and gallons of cooking oil. Therefore those with diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, or diabetes should limit consuming fast food since most of them are rich in sugar, salt, and fat.
Similarities Between Junk Food and Fast Food
- Both junk food and fast food are two alternatives the modern man eats instead of home-cooked healthy diets.
- Fast food can also be junk food.
- Both fast food and junk food are food sources rich in sugar, salt, calories, or fat.
- Excessive intake of fast food and junk food can boost the risk of getting diseases such as diabetes, cancers, and heart disease.
Difference Between Junk Food and Fast Food
Definition
Junk food is a category of food that includes food containing an extremely low nutritional value. Fast food basically includes quick and processed meals easily prepared and served in restaurants and snack bars.
Nature
Junk food basically refers to food with extremely low nutritional value, while fast food refers to easily accessible food that can be bought quickly from restaurants.
Nutritional Value
Junk food is always low in its nutritional value. However, fast food can come in both high nutritious and low nutritious options.
Conclusion
The main difference between junk food and fast food is that junk food is a variety of food with an extremely low nutrient profile, whereas fast food refers to a variety of easily accessible quick meals served at fast-food restaurants. Unlike junk food, which is frequently considered unhealthy, some healthy fast food options like green salads, corn, and chicken are also available in modern-day fast-food restaurants.
Reference:
1. Lebofsky , Samantha. “11 Surprisingly Healthy Fast Food Orders.” Eat This Not That, 22 Apr. 2021.
2. “The Bad Effects of Eating Junk Food: How to Change Your Diet.” Southbank Medical Centre, 19 Oct. 2021.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Sugar in Junk Food – Doughnuts, Biscuits, Chocolate and Cake” By formulatehealth (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Fast food background – food from McDonald’s” (CC BY 2.0) By Marco Verch Professional Photography
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