July 21st marks National Junk Food Day, a date designated to celebrate foods often characterized as high in sugar, salt, and fat with minimal nutritional value. While the term "junk food" lacks a formal definition by U.S. government agencies such as the USDA or CDC, these entities utilize functional classifications to identify foods high in solid fats and added sugars, including candy, soda, fried snacks, and pastries. Public health organizations, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), define such items as foods providing little nutritional benefit. Despite health cautions, National Junk Food Day serves as a focal point for food service brands to distribute promotional offers and freebies to consumers.
National Junk Food Day Promotions
According to a 2025 survey referenced in the provided data, America's favorite "junk foods" include chips, chocolate candy, and soda. Brands within the food and beverage sector frequently utilize holidays to drive traffic through limited-time offers.
Official Brand Offers
Specific promotional details for National Junk Food Day 2017 were limited in the provided source material. However, the data highlights the general practice of brands offering free products or discounts on this date.
Other Food and Beverage Holiday Freebies
Beyond National Junk Food Day, the provided source material details promotional strategies utilized by various restaurants and food brands during other specific holidays throughout the year.
National Cookie Day
National Cookie Day 2017 saw participation from several chains offering free cookies, though often with specific eligibility requirements: * Insomnia Cookies: Offered a free traditional cookie to customers making a purchase in-store. Varieties included chocolate chunk, double chocolate chunk, peanut butter, M&M, snickerdoodle, sugar, oatmeal raisin, double chocolate mint, and white chocolate macadamia nut. * Mrs. Fields: Provided a free regular-sized chocolate chip cookie to the first 400 customers at each location. * Great American Cookies: Distributed one chocolate chip cookie per person. * Cinnabon: Featured a new product, the Cookie BonBite (Cinnabon inside a chocolate chip cookie). Customers purchasing this item received a free side of milk. * Whole Foods: Offered 50 percent off the cookie bar.
National Mac & Cheese Day
Dickey's Barbecue Pit promoted National Macaroni and Cheese Day on July 14, 2017. The offer included a free small side of signature home-style macaroni and cheese with the purchase of any Classic or Westerner sandwich and Big Yellow Cup. This promotion required a coupon found on the promo page of Dickeys.com. Dickey's reported selling over 4 million pounds of macaroni and cheese in the previous year, highlighting the item's popularity as a side dish.
National Donut Day
June 3rd is National Donut Day. In 2017, Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts offered promotions: * Krispy Kreme: Provided a free donut of any variety at participating locations. * Dunkin’ Donuts: Required the purchase of a beverage to receive a free donut.
Tax Day
April 18 is Tax Day. In 2017, several brands offered free food or discounts to consumers: * Arby’s: Select locations offered free curly fries with no purchase necessary. * Bob Evans: Offered a 30 percent discount on the bill with a coupon. * Boston Market: Offered a half-chicken individual meal with two sides, cornbread, a regular fountain soda, and a cookie for $10.40. * Bruegger’s Bagels: Offered Big Bagel Bundles (13 bagels and two tubs of cream cheese) for $10.40 with a coupon.
Halloween
Taco Bell offered a free Black Jack taco on October 31, 2009, from 6pm until midnight. This offer was a promotional tie-in for the holiday.
NFL Season Kickoff
T.G.I. Friday’s offered six free buffalo wings on September 13 and 14 (specific year not provided in source material). The offer required customers to be sitting at the bar.
Conclusion
National Junk Food Day serves as a specific date for food brands to engage consumers, though the term "junk food" remains a colloquialism rather than a regulated category. The provided data confirms that food and beverage companies frequently utilize holidays such as National Cookie Day, National Mac & Cheese Day, National Donut Day, Tax Day, and Halloween to distribute free products or discounts. These promotions often require specific actions, such as coupon redemption, beverage purchases, or dining in at specific locations.