Cheetos, chips and chocolate: Why do we hate to love junk food?

What’s your favourite snack?Is it gummy worms?  Maybe a bag of salt and vinegar chips?  Or how about a bowl of your favourite ice cream? In Canada, we are a nation of snackers.  Surveys show about 80% of us have at least one snack a day.   But our relationship with snack foods is a complicated one.  We often feel guilty when we snack.  And we even refer to junk food as a “guilty pleasure.”   But why all the guilt?  Aside from the health implications, why is there such a strong stigma around snack foods?  And who gets to decide what is a snack or junk food? Historian Janis Thiessen has a fascinating look into why snack foods are “loved and reviled.”Now go grab some popcorn and listen!INFO ON GUEST:Janis Thiessen is a Professor of History at the University of Winnipeg.  She’s the author of “Snacks: A Canadian Food History.”  For more on Janis and her books:  https://janisthiessen.ca/about/ The Manitoba Food History Project https://www.manitobafoodhistory.ca/We’d really appreciate your support!  Please rate our podcast and subscribe and follow us on social @CRAMideas.  Support the CRAM Podcast!Research shapes our lives, yet so much of it doesn’t reach the public. CRAM bridges the gap, bringing groundbreaking Canadian research to everyone. To keep this important work going, we need your support.CRAM is a registered charity, and Canadian donors will receive a tax receipt. Help us share the research that matters and donate using the link below. Thank you!https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/124993