The distinction between healthy food and junk food involves the ratio of calories and quality of nutrients that you get from a standard serving. Healthy food choices derive the greatest amount of beneficial nutrients from the fewest calories. Junk food items tend to have a high amount of one or two detrimental nutrients, such as fat, sugar, cholesterol or sodium, and few, if any, vitamins, minerals or other beneficial nutrients. Package labels can help you decide which foods meet the right criteria.
Grains
Whole grains, such as brown rice and whole wheat, retain their full load of natural dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, vitamin B and other essential nutrients. Refined grain products, such as white rice and white bread, lose nutrients but not calories when processed. Most commercial cereals are made from healthy whole grains, but can become junk food if too much sugar is added. The American Diabetes Association, or ADA, recommends eating cereals with 6 g sugar or less per serving.
Snacks
Snacks with high nutritional value include fruits, nuts, seeds, healthy grain foods and low-fat dairy products. Junk-food snacks are those with greater than 20 percent daily value of total fat, sodium or cholesterol. The Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, considers any added sugar a potential threat to nutritional balance. Salty, fatty and sugary snacks -- such as potato chips, pork rinds and chocolate candies -- fit the junk-food category. Peaches, pears, almonds, sunflower seeds, whole-grain crackers and reduced-fat yogurt all make healthy snack food choices.
Protein
Fat, cholesterol and sodium, which comes mostly from added salt, mark the difference between healthy and unhealthy protein foods, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. Those with less of these harmful nutrients include fish, skinless poultry, and beef and pork loin cuts. Those with high fat, cholesterol or salt include pork and beef ribs, fried shrimp and chicken, and processed meats such as salami and ham.
Beverages
Junk foods includes beverages with large amounts of fat and sugar, such as milk shakes and regular carbonated beverages. While so-called energy and sports drinks contain carbohydrates and/or sodium to replace nutrients lost during vigorous physical activity, they also have large amounts of sugar. Beverages for a healthy diet may contain beneficial nutrients, such as calcium in the case of nonfat milk, and other minerals or vitamins, such as iron or vitamin A in prune juice or carrot juice --- all with very few calories per serving.
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