New England’s Favorite Junk Foods, for National Junk Food Day

National Junk Food Day took place over the weekend, apparently. So let's take a look at New England's favorite junk foods.

Again, I have to take issue with the timing here. Last week, I wrote this piece about Fenway Franks topping a list of MLB stadium hot dogs. It was for National Hot Dog Day, which I noted took place a week late on 7/19. Move it back a week and you get 7/11 back-to-back with National Hot Dog Day. 7-Eleven Big Bites for two days straight. It would be a hot dog lovers dream.

Now, we have National Junk Food Day, which hits the calendar on 7/21 each year. You see where I'm going with this, right? 7-Eleven snacks are primo junk food. And that's not a criticism! I encourage you to celebrate National Junk Food Day belatedly with a trip to your local for all the taquitos, nachos, and other 7-Eleven treats your tummy can handle. Hell, I threw back a Slurpee over the weekend myself.

Looking past 7-Eleven and into the entire junk food spectrum, we have something from Casinos.com. It's called United States Favorite Junk Food By State 2023. In the piece, the analysts use Google Trends "to measure the level of interest in 32 of the nation's favorite junk food/snacks." Fast food was excluded, as was soda and gum. This one's all about the junk you grab at the store.

I'm always interested in seeing what my fellow Massachusetts residents are munching on in pieces like this, so obviously I'm featuring that. But I'm also digging into the junky goodies that are being gobbled up all over New England. Take a look for yourself below, and if you want to see the rest of the 50 states, check out the rest of the Casinos.com piece.

Granola bars, Sour Patch Kids, Nerds - I was going to make fun of Connecticut choosing granola bars, as those are typically thought of as a healthy snack, but have you checked the label on a grocery store granola bar lately? They're pretty much glorified candy bars.

Animal Crackers, Kit Kat, Pringles - Animal crackers are an underrated junk food, imo. On their own, they're pretty basic. Dunk them in some Nutella or lemon curd and you're talking a next-level snacking experience.

Sour Patch Kids, Starburst, KitKat - As a former endorser of KitKat (yes, they paid me to pitch KitKat on the radio. No, I was not paid in KitKat), I approve that third choice. Advertising works!

Milky Way, Sour Patch Kids, KitKat - No quasi-healthy snacks here. Just a straight up sugar rush in the Granite State. Dentists from the MA border to the White Mountains are rejoicing.

Animal Crackers, Swedish Fish, M&Ms - Ah, the dreaded Swedish Fish rears it's ugly, misshapen head. Literal "junk food," as in it's junk. Do not show me this. I will never eat this.

Animal Crackers, M&Ms, Starburst - A little crunchy, a little chocolatey, a little fruity. I would expect nothing less from such a well-balanced state. Good job, Vermont.