There are many popular foods in India that would be
classified as junk food due to their high content of
unhealthy fats, sugar, salt, and low nutritional value.
Here are some common examples, categorized for
easier understanding:
Fried Snacks:
* Samosa: A deep-fried pastry with a savory filling
(often potatoes, peas, and spices).
* Pakora: Vegetables (like onions, potatoes,
cauliflower, spinach, or paneer) coated in a batter and
deep-fried.
* Vada Pav: A deep-fried potato fritter (vada) served
in a bread bun (pav) with chutneys and chili.
* Bhujia: Crispy fried savory snacks made from gram
flour and spices.
* Kachori: A deep-fried pastry filled with lentils or
spices.
* Aloo Tikki: Spiced mashed potato patties, often
shallow-fried or deep-fried.
* Banana Chips: Deep-fried slices of bananas.
* Mirchi Bada: Large chili peppers stuffed with spiced
potato filling and deep-fried.
* Bread Pakora: Bread slices dipped in batter and
deep-fried.
* Bonda: Deep-fried fritters made from various
ingredients like potatoes or lentils.
* Farsan: A general term for various savory fried
snacks.
* Sev Puri: A type of chaat with crispy fried dough
wafers (puri) topped with potatoes, onions, chutneys,
and sev (thin gram flour noodles).
* Bhel Puri: Another popular chaat made with puffed
rice, vegetables, and chutneys.
* Dahi Puri: Puri shells filled with potatoes, chickpeas,
yogurt, and chutneys.
* Papri Chaat: Similar to sev puri, but with flat crispy
dough wafers (papri).
* Batata Vada: Similar to vada pav filling, deep-fried
as a ball.
* Chakli/Chakodi: Crispy, spiral-shaped fried snacks
made from rice flour or wheat flour.
* Ganthiya: A deep-fried Gujarati snack made from
chickpea flour.
Street Foods (often fried and high in carbs/fats):
* Pani Puri (Gol Gappa/Puchka): Hollow, crispy-fried
dough balls filled with spiced mashed potatoes or
chickpeas and flavored water. While the water might
seem "light," the puris are deep-fried.
* Pav Bhaji: A thick vegetable mash (bhaji) served
with buttered bread rolls (pav).
* Chole Bhature: Deep-fried bread (bhature) served
with spicy chickpea curry (chole).
* Dabeli: A spicy potato mixture in a bun, often with
sweet and tangy chutneys.
* Misal Pav: A spicy lentil curry (misal) served with
bread rolls (pav).
Sweets (high in sugar and often fat):
* Jalebi: Deep-fried wheat flour batter soaked in
sugary syrup.
* Gulab Jamun: Deep-fried milk-solid balls soaked in
sugary syrup.
* Most Indian Mithai (sweets): Many traditional Indian
sweets are rich in sugar, ghee (clarified butter), and
sometimes deep-fried.
Other Processed Foods:
* Chips (Potato Chips, Banana Chips - packaged):
Often high in sodium and unhealthy fats.
* Instant Noodles: Typically high in sodium and low in
nutrients.
* Packaged Cookies, Cakes, and Pastries: Usually
made with refined flour, sugar, and unhealthy fats.
* Sugary Drinks (Sodas, ﺑﻌﺾpackaged juices): High
in empty calories and sugar.
* Processed Meats (though less common than other
junk food categories): Sausages, etc.
Fast Food (Indian adaptations and international
chains):
* Pizzas: Often with refined crusts, processed
toppings, and cheese.
* Burgers: Especially those from fast-food chains,
often high in fat and sodium.
* Fried Chicken: Deep-fried and often heavily
seasoned.
It's important to remember that moderation is key, and
occasional consumption of these items is generally
fine for most people. However, a diet heavily reliant on
these "junk foods" can lead to various health issues.
