Junk food is ubiquitous across America.
And while the definitions differ, I think we can all agree that it boils down to something like “stuff that’s prepackaged and tastes good but doesn’t have any nutritional value.”
According to one study published by NIH, from 2015-2018 US adults ate an average of 4.8 junk food items every day.
Imagine that!
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So – yeah, we’re eating a lot of junk food.
Which junk food do we love best?
Well, our good friends at YouGov have published new data from Q4 2024 resulting from their polls and surveys, and the results were surprising to me to say the least.
I mean, I really thought chips (Lay’s? Pringles?) would rank at the top, or maybe Oreos. Or barring both of those, at least Reese’s, right?
But no – none of them won. So here are America’s top 10 most favored junk foods – did any of your favorites make the list?
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 97%
Percent of Americans who like it: 76%
My take: Hershey’s is a megabrand that includes lot of candy not sold under the “Hershey’s” name (a few examples: Heath, Almond Joy, Kit Kats, Rolos, Twizzlers, Milk Duds, Brookside, Cadbury, York, and more) – but I think most people just think of it as the waxy, mostly tasteless chocolate bars bearing its name.
And if so, then this should definitely not have made the top ten list, in my opinion. There’s a lot better junk food out there! (And some of its more beloved brands – like Kit Kats – separately made the rankings higher up.)
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 96%
Percent of Americans who like it: 77%
My take: My kids and I ate Ritz crackers last night as a snack before dinner, and it reminded me how good they are. Honestly, I think they’re the best cracker to pair with meat and cheese – they have a neutral yet buttery taste that enhances the toppings, rather than being just a cardboard-y base (water crackers) or adding new flavors that might distract (most fancy crackers).
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 97%
Percent of Americans who like it: 77%
My take: I’m wondering if a lot of people have heard of Dove chocolates but haven’t had any. Because, man, those are some good chocolates. Even their original milk chocolate is just…better than most candy bars out there.
In my personal ranking, these would have scored better. But I don’t make the decisions here!
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 97%
Percent of Americans who like it: 77%
My take: Snickers is one of my personal favorites, but it hasn’t changed the fact that there are clearly better candies out there.
But let’s face it – that combination of caramel, peanut, chocolate…delicious every time!
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 98%
Percent of Americans who like it: 77%
My take: Honestly, I’m shocked Lay’s didn’t rank higher. (Full disclosure: “Lay’s Chips” – which is somehow different from Lay’s? – scored 98% / 77%.) Their chips are great and cover all kinds of different tastes. That said, I wonder if most people just interpreted Lay’s as the one, kind of bland, eponymous potato chip. If so, it kind of makes sense.
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 97%
Percent of Americans who like it: 78%
My take: Kit Kats are great, but they serve a very specific niche – you have to want chocolate, but also crunch, and not too much of either. And while most people I know like Kit Kats, it rarely extends to love (my spouse being a clear exception).
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 97%
Percent of Americans who like it: 80%
My take: I’ve always loved Pringles, and I’ve never been sure exactly why. Is it the saddle shape? Is it the subtle saltiness? Is it the fun flavors? (BBQ is a personal favorite.) It’s a mystery! But they are somehow elevated vs your typical potato chip.
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 96%
Percent of Americans who like it: 80%
My take: I understand why Reese’s isn’t #1 (see my explanation in the next slide), but – man, it’s still a big disappointment!
Reese’s are easily my favorite candy – when you get that chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio exactly right (which they do in the Reese’s trees, not the eggs), they’re incredible.
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 98%
Percent of Americans who like it: 82%
My take: Like America’s favorite junk food (next slide), Oreos benefit from how flexible they are. You can get thin Oreos, regular Oreos, double stuffed Oreos with extra creme, and, of course, Oreos with tons of extra flavors.
From mint, to chocolate, to peanut butter, to lots of more esoteric flavors, Oreos fit plenty of different tastes and needs.
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Percent of Americans who have heard of it: 98%
Percent of Americans who like it: 82%
My take: I think one of the reasons M&Ms are so popular is that there are so many to choose from! Love peanuts? Pretzels? Peanut butter? Chocolate in a candy coating? Caramel? There are M&Ms for all of those flavor needs, and more. Truly they’re one of the most flexible brands out there, and it shows!
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So there you have it – America’s ten favorite junk food brands, according to data from YouGov.
And here’s the big question:
What do you think of the list?
Where has America got it wrong?
Let us know in the comments!
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