The US Is Divided On Its Most Popular Junk Food

Oh, junk food, how we love you and how we hate how you make us feel sometimes. Nevertheless, we soldier on, occasionally — or frequently — succumbing to our cravings for chips, fries, pizza, and other treats. Unsurprisingly, the U.S. is reported to be the world's top consumer of fast food, from which we can surmise that Americans are fans of junk food overall. But how to pick your poison, when there are so many tasty options to be had?

As it turns out, certain states profess an affinity for certain junk foods. According to Google trends research recently conducted and published by Bid-On-Equipment, America is divided on its favorite splurge meal. In Florida, for example, they're ultra-specific, favoring Häagen-Dazs ice cream, while one state north, in Georgia, sweet potato pies are the dessert of choice. Read on for more state favorites, and to see if your favorite junk food aligns with your neighbors' choice.

Although the data represented reveals favorite junk foods in the U.S., only a couple of states went savory, with the rest skewing sweet. In Montana, the junk food of choice is chicken pot pie (weird flex, Montana, but OK), and in Nebraska, it's the humble cheeseburger. Every single other state went sweet, with donuts, ice cream, and cake being the overwhelmingly popular choices.

Across the western states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado, donuts are the favored junk food. Strangely, apple crumble represents strongly on the map of favorites, with Idaho, the Dakotas, Kansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa pledging allegiance. Over on the East Coast, it's all about ice cream, with New Hampshire and Vermont spooning Ben & Jerry's, and New York favoring Häagen-Dazs. Random selections across other states include chantilly cake in New Mexico, small cake in Arkansas, and goo goo clusters in Tennessee. So there you have it, Americans have a sweet tooth, and they have it bad.