Junk Food Facts
Junk food used to be just an occasional "treat" but these days Australians are eating more, and more often.
Junk foods are loaded with sugar, salt, saturated and trans fat while being low in fruit, vegetables, fibre and wholegrains.
Eating junk foods regularly can make you put on weight. This puts you at risk of health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and fatty liver disease.
Alarmingly, Australian adults are getting more than a third of their daily energy intake from junk food. This includes foods and drinks like fast foods meals, sweet bakery products, pastry based savoury foods, chocolate, crisps, processed meat, sugary drinks and alcoholic drinks.
On-the-go snack selector
There's loads of healthier options that you can stash in your bag or car. Perfect when hunger strikes and food options are limited!
Junk Food Calculator
How to save money & fuel yourself right
Junk foods are packed with kilojoules, sugar, saturated fat and salt that your body doesn’t need.
What used to be an occasional treat has become an everyday event. This displaces the healthy foods that we really need.
Junk foods are heavily promoted to us on the tv, on billboards, while at the supermarket - even when trying to buy petrol! Find out what you can do to avoid the junk food trap by scrolling through our top tips.
Pack your lunch the night before. It doesn’t have to be fancy – a sandwich or leftovers, some fruit and yoghurt and a handful of nuts will work just fine.
Ask yourself, is junk food really cheaper? A trolley full of fruit and vegies, wholegrains, reduced-fat dairy, lean meat, canned beans and tins of tuna is a lot better value than a trolley full of junk food.
Keep a stash of nuts and fruit and a water bottle in your bag or car for when cravings hit. That way you’ll be less tempted to buy junk food when you’re out and about. Check out our on-the-go snack selector for more ideas.
When grabbing a snack or lunch on-the-run choose healthier options like sushi, rice paper rolls, sandwiches, wraps, toasted sandwiches or fruit and yoghurt. Instead of sugary drinks, choose plain milk, a lower sugar flavoured milk, tea, coffee or water.
