Healthdirect Free Australian health advice you can count on.

Medical problem? Call 1800 022 222. If you need urgent medical help, call triple zero immediately

healthdirect Australia is a free service where you can talk to a nurse or doctor who can help you know what to do.

beginning of content

Junk food and your health

11-minute read

Key facts

  • 'Junk food' is food that contains high levels of fats, salt or sugar, and lacks nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals.
  • Reading nutritional information labels and following the Health Star Ratings system can help you make healthy food choices.
  • Understanding the nutritional value of the food you eat and being aware of advertising 'tricks' can also help you reduce your junk food intake.
  • Eating junk food, and having sweet drinks, can lead to short- and long-term health complications, including weight gain, diabetes and heart problems.

What is junk food?

'Junk foods' are foods that lack nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and are high in kilojoules (energy), salts, sugars, or fats. Junk food is so called because it doesn't play a role in healthy eating, especially if you eat too much of it. Junk food is also known as 'discretionary food' or 'optional food'.

Some examples of junk food include:

  • cakes and biscuits
  • fast foods (such as hot chips, burgers and pizzas)
  • chocolate and sweets
  • processed meat (such as bacon)
  • snacks (such as chips)
  • sugary drinks (such as sports, energy and soft drinks)
  • alcoholic drinks

If your diet is high in fats, salt and sugar and you are not receiving essential nutrients, your risk of obesity and other chronic (long-term) diseases may increase.

These diseases include:

How do I know if a food product is 'junk food'?

While finding healthy alternatives to junk food can sometimes be difficult, the Health Star Rating system is a convenient tool to help you know how healthy a product is. It's a quick and easy way to compare similar packaged foods.

The Health Star Rating system rates packaged foods between half a star and 5 stars, based on how healthy they are. These ratings are found on the front of packaged items. However, it is important to note that this system is very general, and the nutritional value of some products may not be accurately expressed by the rating they receive.

Remember also that the Health Star Rating system is designed only for packaged products sold in shops, so it won't include some healthy foods — including fresh unpackaged food such as fruit and vegetables.

How do I make healthy food choices?

It's important to understand the nutritional value of the food you are buying. You can do this by reading the nutrition panel found on the back of all packaged items in Australia.

Food labels can tell you things like the amount of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, sugars, fibre and sodium (salt) in each product, as well as the recommended serving size.

Understanding health claims

When checking a product for its nutritional value, make sure you look at the health claims such as 'low in fat' or 'sugar free', as these can be misleading. When a product is advertised as 'light' or 'lite', this may refer only to the product's colour or flavour. This means that the product may still be 'full-fat' — be sure to read the nutrition information panel at the back of the package for the actual fat content.

Another common claim is that a product is 'sugar-free' or has 'no added sugar'. In truth, this means that a product has no added sucrose or table sugar, but it may still contain other types of sugar. The product may also contain salt or fat and may be high in kilojoules, so even sugar free products can be junk foods.

Note also that products known as 'health foods' such as some fruit juices and muesli bars can actually be junk food if they contain high levels of sugar, salt or fat. Check a product's Health Star Rating for a better guide to how healthy the product is. Keep in mind that this rating system is limited in accuracy, but may be a better guide than advertised claims.

Can I include a small amount of junk food in a healthy diet?

Yes, in line with the Australian Dietary Guidelines, a small amount of junk or discretionary food can be included in a healthy, balanced diet. This means you should only have junk food occasionally and in small amounts. In general, most Australians eat too much junk food and should work on eating less of it, less often.

It is important to balance your junk food intake with increased exercise to help burn off extra energy. This will help you avoid gaining excessive weight.

When thinking about how much junk food you eat, remember that everybody is different — if you are shorter or smaller than average, or you do less exercise than the average person, you will also need to eat less than the average person. If you are trying to lose weight, try and keep the amount of junk food you eat to a minimum.

Check the Australian Dietary Guidelines to help you decide if you need to improve your diet, and to guide your food and drink intake.

How can I reduce the amount of junk food I eat?

While it can be challenging to reduce the amount of junk food you eat, you don't have to give up on all your favourite foods.

Here are some tips on how to create healthy eating habits:

  • Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time so you decide what you eat based on nutrition, not based on what is left in your pantry. Planning ahead also helps you keep to a budget and makes shopping easier.
  • Choose wholefood options such as wholemeal and wholegrain carbohydrates like pasta, bread and flour.
  • Choose fresh fruit for dessert instead of junk food to keep away from added salt, sugar and saturated fat.
  • Check your food's nutritional value using the nutritional information panel on the back of the packet.
  • Watch out for advertising 'tricks', including claims that a product has 'no added sugar', since it can still be high in kilojoules, salt or fat. A product can claim to be 'reduced in fat' as long as it has less fat than an earlier version of the product — but it may still be high in fat.
  • Use the Health Star Rating system to compare similar packaged items and choose the healthiest one.

NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT? — Use the BMI Calculator to find out if your weight and waist size are in a healthy range.

Why is junk food so appealing?

While you may feel that you enjoy junk food just because it tastes so good, there is a scientific explanation for why you want to have more of it. The brain naturally encourages you to seek experiences that you find pleasurable, including eating tasty food. This encouragement from the brain is known as the 'reward' system.

When a person eats tasty food (including junk food) the reward circuit in the brain is switched on. This releases a brain chemical called dopamine. The chemical rush floods the brain with pleasure and so the brain creates more receptors for dopamine in response. In the same way that people with a drug or alcohol addiction require a bigger dose over time, you crave more junk food the more you eat it.

Does eating junk food cause health complications?

Eating too much junk food can have a negative effect on your general health and wellbeing and can also reduce your ability to be active.

Short-term effects of junk foods

As well as causing you to gain weight, the other short-term effects of eating junk food include:

Long-term effects of junk foods

In the long-term, eating junk food can lead to:

These complications are all associated with a diet high in sugar, salt, trans- and saturated fats and with a lack of essential nutrients like fibre, vitamins and minerals.

ARE YOU AT RISK? — Are you at risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease? Use the Risk Checker to find out.

Is it more expensive to eat healthily?

Eating healthily doesn't have to be expensive, and can even save you money if you cut down on junk food purchases.

Here are some tips to help you eat healthily on a budget:

  • Plan ahead and make a list you can stick to in the supermarket.
  • Shop smart — buy what's in season and what's on special.
  • Use the fresh fruit and vegetables you already have at home first, before buying more.
  • Meal preparation means you can buy and cook in bulk, which will save you both time and money.
  • Only buy what you need.

Resources and support

For more information and support, you can visit the following websites:

Call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 at any time to speak to a registered nurse (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria) for more information and advice.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Last reviewed: June 2023


Back To Top

Need more information?

These trusted information partners have more on this topic.

Top results

Junk food

Junk food is used to describe food and drinks low in nutrients (e.g. vitamins, minerals and fibre) and high in kilojoules, saturated fat, added sugar and/or added salt. They are also known as discretionary choices.

Read more on WA Health website

Junk food

Kids may love junk food, but they should not form part of a regular, healthy diet.

Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website

LiveLighter - Junk Food Facts

Junk food used to be just an occasional “treat” but these days Australians are eating more, and more often. Find out how it all adds up.

Read more on LiveLighter website

Choosing nutritious foods | Eat For Health

The Australian Dietary Guidelines, recommend that we choose widely from the Five Food Groups and limit discretionary foods that are higher in saturated fat, added salt and added sugars.

Read more on NHMRC – National Health and Medical Research Council website

Discretionary food and drink choices | Eat For Health

What are discretionary food choices?

Read more on NHMRC – National Health and Medical Research Council website

Healthy diet for children - MyDr.com.au

The average child's diet now gets over 40% of kilojoules from junk foods and drinks. Find out how to encourage better food choices.

Read more on myDr website

Low Gi Living | GI Foundation

CSIRO’s new tool to combat Australia’s #1 diet issue by sveas | Apr 7, 2021 | Gi Science, Latest news, Low Gi foods and lifestyleLow nutrient, high kilojoule food continues to be the top choice for Australians, with new research from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, showing that nearly 4 out of 5 Aussies overindulge in junk food every day! The new findings come from the recent

Read more on Glycemic Index Foundation website

Food cravings during pregnancy

Food cravings are sudden urges to eat a particular type of food. They are a real phenomenon and affect many females during pregnancy.

Read more on Pregnancy, Birth & Baby website

Healthy food groups: preschoolers | Raising Children Network

Preschoolers need foods from all five healthy food groups: vegetables, fruit, grain foods, dairy and protein. Try to limit salty, sugary and fatty foods.

Read more on raisingchildren.net.au website

Nutrition and healthy food for teenagers | Raising Children Network

When teenagers eat a range of healthy food from the five food groups, they get the nutrition they need for health, growth and development in adolescence.

Read more on raisingchildren.net.au website

Healthdirect 24hr 7 days a week hotline

24 hour health advice you can count on

1800 022 222

Government Accredited with over 140 information partners

We are a government-funded service, providing quality, approved health information and advice

Australian Government, health department logo ACT Government logo New South Wales government, health department logo Northen Territory Government logo Queensland Government logo Government of South Australia, health department logo Tasmanian government logo Victorian government logo Government of Western Australia, health department logo

Healthdirect Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners and to Elders both past and present.