How do you say "junk food" in Spanish?

Question

My students are working on a unit on healthy living and they asked me this question. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

comida chatarra

Isn't chatarra used mostly with scrap metal? - lazarus1907, Oct 31, 2010

yes, that´s another use of the word. scrap metal is also ´escoria´, I think. - mediterrunio, Nov 1, 2010

Answer 2

basura.

1. f. coloq. U. en aposición para indicar que lo designado por el sustantivo al que se pospone es de muy baja calidad. Comida, contrato basura.

chatarra.

1. f. México. y Uruguay. U. en aposición para indicar que lo designado por el sustantivo al que se pospone es de muy baja calidad. Comida chatarra.

Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados

Examples of "comida basura" in Argentina

Examples of "comida basura" in Colombia

Examples of "comida basura" in Venezuela

Examples of "comida chatarra" in Mexico

When are we going to overcome the myth that all countries in Latin America speak exactly the same Spanish, and Spain is radically different from all of them?

Comida basura is the common phrase in Ecuador as well. - lorenzo9, Nov 1, 2010

You mean that Mexico and Spain aren't actually the same country? :-) - 008f2974, Nov 1, 2010

Answer 3

basura.

1. f. coloq. U. en aposición para indicar que lo designado por el sustantivo al que se pospone es de muy baja calidad. Comida, contrato basura.

Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados

Answer 4

You've probably noticed it's regional. I think chatarra (literally junk, like scrap metal) is used more often in Mexico and Latin America. Basura (trash) is used more often in Spain.

I've checked, and cccording to the RAE, only in Mexico and Uruguay, not in the rest of Latin America, where basura apparently is also used. - lazarus1907, Oct 31, 2010

Why everytime a word is different in Spain and another country, everyone assumes that it is another case of ALL Latin America is different from Spain? - lazarus1907, Oct 31, 2010

Definitely not. Every neighborhood in Latin America seems to have a different vocabulary. When I speak Venezuelan the Mexicans laugh at me. - KevinB, Oct 31, 2010

Mexican Spanish seems to be less similar to other countries sometimes. Have you seen my post below? - lazarus1907, Oct 31, 2010

Wait, no, A L L of Latin America is different from Spain. You guys talk funny. It's like English English and American English. Same language, some differences in vocabulary, big differences in pronunciation and rhythm. - KevinB, Oct 31, 2010

I think Mexican Spanish tends to absorb a lot of influence from English because so many people from both countries go back and forth. - KevinB, Oct 31, 2010

Plus they absorb a lot of words from the indigenous peoples. - KevinB, Oct 31, 2010

I haven't heard the Quechua word for junk food yet :) - lorenzo9, Nov 1, 2010

Do they have one? They probably had to borrow one. - KevinB, Nov 1, 2010

maybe because salchipapa is not considered junk food :-) - mediterrunio, Nov 2, 2010

Answer 5

we say comida basura

Answer 6

In Spain people say "comida basura".

Answer 7

comida basura

Answer 8

comida basura

Answer 9

In Mexico - "comida chatarra"

Answer 10

chatarra

Answer 11

Comida rápida

This link also backs up comida chatarra for real 'junk' food with no nutritive value as opposed to comida rápida which may have some Comida chatarra

Answer 12

I use comida chatarra, if it's comida basura I'm going to have to update my notes.

Answer 13

junkfood= chuchería