1. French fries
   Potato pancakes
2. Potato skins
   Mashed potatoes

The origins of french fries are somewhat murky, with some giving credit to the Belgians and some to the French. Fun fact: When you're writing about them, the "french" should be lowercase, since it refers to the way the potatoes are cut rather than the country of France.

1. Waffles
   Fried chicken
2. Pizza
   Chicken nuggets

Fried chicken is a staple in so many cuisines, but the South really does it best. The recipes are past down from generation to generation, and in some restaurants, the oil they fry their chicken in is over 50 years old. Trust us, that's a good thing.

1. Onion rings
   Chicken wings
2. Mozzarella sticks
   Chips and dip

Go to any restaurant and they'll have some version of this junk food. If they're fancy, they might call it mozzarella fritti, fritta or crispy mozzarella. But they're all basically mozzarella sticks. Don't forget the marinara sauce for dipping!

1. Water ice
   Sorbet
2. Cheesecake
   Ice cream

There are maybe endless ice cream flavor combinations out there right now since the birth of artisanal ice cream and the resurgence of classic, hand churned ice cream. But nothing can beat the ice cream truck in the summer.

1. Nachos
   Burrito
2. Enchiladas
   Corn tortillas

Nachos can really be topped with anything, and the base doesn't have to only be tortilla chips. It feels like every region has their own version, and every cuisine has their own take on it. In most cases, guacamole isn't extra.

1. Chocolate eclair
   Doughnuts
2. Profiterole
   Churros

Doughnuts have become a real art form. There are filled doughnuts, frosted, glazed, cake, pastry and more if you can believe it. There are places like Voodoo Doughnuts that do crazy toppings, and more classic places that stick to the delicious basics.

1. Babyback ribs
   Cheeseburgers
2. Hot dogs
   Brats

While hot dogs are most known for being enjoyed at baseball games and summer barbecues, they can actually be eaten at any time and in any place. Squiggle some mustard or ketchup on there for good measure.

1. Cheddar and sour cream chips
   Salt and vinegar chips
2. Barbecue chips
   Nacho chips

We all know and love nacho cheese chips, those triangle ones that slightly burn your tongue from the salt, but fill your mouth with flavor. It's like two snacks in one, too, since you definitely have to lick your fingers after.

1. Pizza
   Calzone
2. Pot stickers
   Popcorn

We're basically programmed to love pizza as human beings. Some people like white pizza with veggies on it while other go with the classic pepperoni and red sauce. But there are so many other toppings, it could take a lifetime to get through them all.

1. Sausage
   Bacon
2. Country ham
   Pork roll

You can't go to a diner and not find bacon. You probably can't even go to someone's house and not find bacon. It can be eaten by itself, of course, but it's also the perfect salty element in many other foods like BLT sandwiches and even an ice cream sundae.

1. Waffles
   French toast
2. Pancakes
   Bagel

The word cake is in it, so you really could have this on your birthday. It's a batter (same as cake) but it gets cooked in a pan instead of the oven. The best part? It can take on almost any addition and topping you can think of.

1. Root beer float
   Egg cream
2. Creamsicle
   Milkshake

Hit up your local ice cream parlor and get a milkshake. It's even better if it's a malted one! Take any ice cream you wish and then let your mix-in freak flag fly. Anything you like to eat on its own can be put into a milkshake.

1. Birthday cake
   Cupcakes
2. Ice cream sandwich
   Popsicle

Birthday cake can be a few things. It's usually the name of a certain type of cake, but it's also just any cake you eat on your birthday. But we don't want to have to wait for a birthday in order to eat cake, and neither should you.

1. Potato sticks
   Cheese curls
2. Popcorn chicken
   String cheese

There's so many options out there for this junk food that it really comes down to what texture you like. If you like super crunchy, classic Cheetos is the way to go. But there are also puffier ones and paw shaped ones. At least there used to be.

1. Yogurt raisins
   Chocolate covered peanuts
2. Cookie dough
   Brownie batter

If you can whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies without eating four cookies worth of batter before getting around to baking them, you're our hero. There's just something about the texture of raw cookie dough that makes it super appealing.

1. Gummy bears
   Jello
2. Twizzlers
   Fruit snacks

Fruit snacks are the gummy snacks of your childhood that were somehow branded as healthy. They definitely weren't, but they were absolutely delicious. The ones shaped like the fruit were the real winners.

1. Macaroni and cheese
   Caesar salad
2. Shepherd's pie
   Quiche

Yes, macaroni and cheese is fantastic on its own. But after a lifetime of eating it, you might be ready to jazz it up a bit. Add some bacon or vegetables, and make sure you add some crunch on top for texture.

1. Toaster strudel
   Muffins
2. Pop Tart
   Frozen waffles

Muffins are great. Almost everyone can agree on that. A streusel topping makes them even better. But where the separation starts is whether or not muffins are breakfast or dessert, especially the chocolate chip variety.

1. Kombucha
   Sparkling water
2. Soda
   Lemonade

While delicious, soda is the one junk food that people are so staunchly against these days. But it just tastes so good! It's perfect on a really hot day when you just need something cold, sweet and carbonated.

1. Fruit crumble
   Sheet cake
2. Cookies
   Brownies

Brownies are perfect on their own, but they're also the perfect vessel for other candies, nuts and peanut butter. Just like cookie dough, brownie batter is a junk food all on its own and makes an appearance in many ice cream flavors.

1. Breakfast cereal
   Oatmeal
2. Peanut butter toast
   French toast sticks

If you're one of the many adults who doesn't indulge in the breakfast cereals anymore, it is sad, but you'll never forget the taste of your favorite one. Then, you get another treat when you get to sip the cereal-infused milk at the bottom of the bowl.

1. Almond milk
   Coffee creamer
2. Half and half
   Whole milk

If you can't stand the bitterness of black coffee, adding milk or cream will sure help, but there's nothing like the sweet, flavored cream-like consistency of coffee creamer. Drink it while you still don't care about preservatives.

1. Sourdough bread
   Pita
2. White bread
   Crackers

Maybe one of the most unhealthy breads out there, white bread also happens to be one of the most common and popular among sandwiches. It's soft, absorbs mayonnaise like a champ, and is bland enough that you can put anything you want on it and it won't impact the taste.

1. Burrito
   Grilled cheese sandwich
2. Mini doughnuts
   Hand pies

Pies are great, but it's also a known fact that miniature versions of things are so much better. No one really knows why, but pies are no different. It's all the best parts of your favorite pie but in a convenient package you can take with you wherever you go.

1. Fudge
   Saltwater taffy
2. Non perells
   Chocolate covered pretzels

It's sweet, it's somehow chewy but not, and it literally melts in your mouth. It's fudge! Smooth doesn't even begin to describe the amazing texture of this treat, and it's only broken up if you decide to add nuts or chocolate chunks to it.

1. Breadsticks
   Soft pretzels
2. Croutons
   Cheese crackers

Soft pretzels have a cult following. Philadelphia natives will literally buy them from vendors on the street corner. Who knows why they're so good. Maybe it's the salt or the chewy interior protected by a thin crust.

1. Hot wings
   Spinach and artichoke dip
2. Chicken tenders
   Fried calamari

Some places have really mastered the art of the chicken finger. The breading should be crunchy and craggy instead of thin and uniform. We're talking chunks of just breading to dip in honey mustard sauce, here.

1. Mounds
   Snickers
2. Baby Ruth
   Milky Way

It's amazing that something with all similar textures can be so delicious, but Milky Ways really do defy logic. The soft nougat paired with the soft and chewy caramel is offset by the thin coating of semi-hardened chocolate. It melts in your mouth, and your hands.

1. Frosted animal crackers
   Animal crackers
2. Cocoa Puffs
   Pudding

Of course not getting the frosted ones will save you a few calories, but at what cost? If you want the real deal, the frosted animal cookies are the only way to go. Break through the candy shell and be rewarded with a sweet, cinnamon cookie.

1. Malted milk balls
   Jelly beans
2. Cream eggs
   Marshmallow chicks

If you like sugar coated in more sugar, jelly beans are just the junk food for you. You can get fruit-flavored or coffee-flavored, or if you're feeling really brave, you can get the ones from Harry Potter that taste like ear wax.

1. Pirate's Booty
   Chex Mix
2. Caramel corn
   Seasoning packets

If you've never had a tin with three compartments consisting of three different flavors of popcorn, you haven't lived. Something about artificial flavoring makes popcorn taste so much better.

1. Waffle cone
   Puff pastry
2. Beignets
   Funnel cake

Go to your local fair or boardwalk and make sure you don't leave without one of these. It's fried dough, so how could that be bad? But then, you can top it with any number of things that will elevate the experience.

1. Fried green tomatoes
   Fried oysters
2. Fried green beans
   Fried Oreos

Green tomatoes are just begging to be fried, and that's just what the good people of the southern United States did. Depending on where you get them, the flavor and technique will be a little different, but no matter what, you're eating a fried vegetable. Or fruit, actually.

1. Marshmallow cups
   Peanut butter cups
2. Caramel chocolates
   Chocolate wafer cookies

You may not think there would be a difference in taste depending on the shape or size of a peanut butter cup, but you would be wrong. Ask anyone, and they will go into a full-fledged defense of why one is better than the other.

1. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
   Grilled cheese
2. Cheeseburgers
   Fried chicken sandwich

Cheeseburgers, no matter how thin or thick, are mouthwatering. The new trend is super thin with a crisp crust just like you used to get at the drive-through, but the classic half-pounder still reins supreme for many people.