Consume This First

Sugar in Chocolate Milk Compared to Other Treats

(Source: Dr. Dina Rose, The (Chocolate) Milk Mistake. Detailed list at bottom.)

THESE NUMBERS ARE ASTOUNDING AND seeing it in black and white (so to speak) drives home how much sugar kids are consuming when they have packaged chocolate milk once or twice every day.

Sugar is only one part of the picture, though, and for sure milk has more nutrients than those other treats. The whole picture includes our entire food culture.

HOW DO WE WANT OUR KIDS TO THINK ABOUT FOOD, portion food, and eat food? Every meal, snack, or grocery shopping trip is a view into our food culture and it’s up to us as parents to consciously decide what food culture messages we want to give our kids.

Chocolate milk is one example of how we can define our family’s food culture. By giving chocolate milk on a daily or regular basis, a parent is making a conscious decision to blur the line between treat and growing food, to say “yes, milk doesn’t taste good enough on its own, so let’s add chocolate”, and to give additional sugar that is basically hidden from the child in a healthy food.

There’s not necessarily a right or wrong here; each family has to make their own decisions and stand behind those decisions.

THE BOTTOM LINE: As parents, only we can and should decide what our kids eat. The food decisions we make should be done thoughtfully and purposefully. We should be able to stand behind them as sending the food culture message to our kids that we mean to send.

Chart Details:

1 cup packaged chocolate milk = 28g sugar
1 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar = 24g sugar
1 serving Cocoa Krispies = 12g sugar
2 Entenmann’s Softees Powdered Donuts = 26g sugar
1 Dairy Queen Child’s Chocolate Cone = 17g sugar
1 Dairy Queen Child’s Chocolate Cone with Rainbow Sprinkles = 22g sugar
1 Dairy Queen Child’s Chocolate Cone with Oreo Pieces = 28g sugar
1 apple fritter at Starbucks = 27g sugar
1 12-ounce can of 7UP = 25g sugar
6 Oreo Cookies = 28g sugar
1 Pepperidge Farm Soft Baked Chocolate Chunk Dark Chocolate Brownie = 13g sugar
1 16-ounce bottle of Nesquik chocolate milk = 58g
1 McDonald’s Hot Caramel Sundae = 44g sugar

Jul 21 / cat

Ortho Ecosense Nonsense

DOES THE PREFIX “ECO-“ MEAN ECOLOGICAL OR ECONOMICAL? Take a look at these products. Which ones are organic or environmentally friendly?

Unless you read the fine print, you could be fooled. I sure was – and so was the Home Depot guy. He recommended Ortho Ecosense to me as an organic solution to my tomato plant blossom rot problem.

Oops.

Luckily, I read the directions and label in more detail before using it. It’s not safe for kids or pets and harmful if inhaled. Definitely NOT “eco” in the way I – and the vast majority of the world – understand the meaning of “eco.”

CONVENTIONALLY, “ECO-“ IS USED TO REPRESENT ECOLOGICAL and “econ” is the short form of economics. The prefix “eco-“ is often used for environmentally friendly products or services – Ecoviva water, Ecosummer Travel Expeditions, Ecover, Eco-Bags, etc. Not one of those companies is promoting its products as economical. Even Wikipedia lists it as “a prefix mostly relating to ecological or environmental terms.”

So, why is Ortho trying to fool everyone into buying their products by using the “eco-“ prefix and even printing it in green? This label is extremely misleading. Shame on you, Ortho.

EVEN THOUGH THIS ISN’T A FOOD PRODUCT, it’s meant to be used on food products people grow in their gardens and is a really good example of how companies use packaging to manipulate people into buying products based on first impression or emotional response.

I really, really wish I had taken the time to read the label completely before I bought this toxic product so I didn’t have to make a trip back to Home Depot. But better that than using this poison on my tomatoes. Yuck.

The bottom line: Don’t rely on packaging. Read the fine print and ingredients on every product you buy that will be ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by you and your family.

Jul 13 / cat

Worst Food of the Week: Pop-Tarts

YOU HAVE TO GIVE KELLOGG’S CREDIT. Through some sort of marketing magic, they’ve convinced everyone Pop-Tarts are a breakfast food. Now, if only we could get them to use that marketing magic for good and not junk food, we might achieve world peace.

At least Quaker had the guts to come right out and call their product a Breakfast Cookie. And in fact, a homemade oatmeal cookie would be healthier than either Quaker or Kellogg’s breakfast treats.

THERE’S NO POINT IN LISTING POP-TART INGREDIENTS. They come in about 30 different flavors (not counting the printed or limited edition flavors) with names like Ice Cream Shoppe™ Vanilla Milkshake, Frosted Wild! Grape, and Frosted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

Some also carry front of box claims like 20% daily value of fiber, one serving of whole grain, and 25% less sugar.

But here are some points to note:

In most (if not all) Pop-Tarts, 5 of the first 6 ingredients are sugars or oils.
Any Pop-Tarts with color, whether on sprinkles, in frosting, or in fruit, is getting its color from dyes. The strawberries aren’t red, the red dye is red.
The fiber in Pop-Tarts is from inulin. Better to get fiber from fruits, whole grains, and veggies – not Pop-Tarts.
25% less sugar means the Pop-Tart “[c]ontains 25% less sugar than 55 to 75 of the top 100 toaster pastries.” It also means more fat content (they have to make up for the lack of sweet somehow).
With any product, it’s important to look at the whole nutritional package, not just the sugar, calorie, or fat content.

POP-TARTS ARE ONE OF THE FOOD PRODUCTS that are continually singled out as nutritionally lacking and inappropriately marketed towards children. In 2006, the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus recommended Kellogg’s remove the phrase “made with real fruit” due to consumer complaint; however, the phrase is still used.

The bottom line: Kellogg’s does seem to think we can be easily fooled by creative use of the truth in marketing. But we know better. Pop-Tarts should be considered treats, not an every day food (and definitely not a breakfast food!)

If you are interested in making some homemade Pop-Tart-like treats or hearty oatmeal raisin cookies, try these recipes. They are delicious and don’t contain synthetic additives or trans fats.

Homemade “Pop Tarts” from Smitten Kitchen (I used frozen pie crust from Whole Foods instead of homemade pastry with great results.)
Vanishing Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies from SparkRecipes

Jul 10 / cat

Everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten

Consume This First is excited to have another guest post from The Non-Toxic Mom. Be sure to visit her blog, where she blogs often and with enthusiasm about living a non-toxic lifestyle.

AHH, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH YOU? I’m not talking to those of you who get it; I’m talking to those of you who are still clueless. Particularly YOU, the administrator who agreed to have a meeting with me and then nearly knocked me out of my chair with absolutely insane comments and a backward philosophy. Why why why did you look at me like I’m a crazy, overbearing, neurotic parent? Did I come to you as the “competitive”mom, and insist on knowing how all the other kids in the class are performing? Did I come to you as the “pushy” mom, and insist that you work harder to teach my 3 year old developmentally ridiculous practices, like reading? Did I come to you as the “entitled” mom, and insist that my extra wonderful child should have every little thing catered to her specific desires? No, no, and no.

I simply asked you to look at the snacks being served to the 2,3, and 4 year olds in your preschool. I excitedly said that we have a great opportunity to advertise ourselves as a school that cares about health and wellness. You said feeding the kids good food is not the school’s responsibility. I insisted that we have a chance to influence the early eating habits of these kids. You told me that I’m the only parent who cares about this stuff; I should just look at the food the other kids bring in their lunchboxes. For snack I suggested fruit; you said they’ll never eat it. Even worse, you said your teachers cannot be expected to take the time to cut it up. I asked you to at least choose crackers and cookies without preservatives and artificial ingredients; you said you’re not convinced there’s anything wrong with serving these things to kids. I gave you 3 types of cereals that have decent ingredients and that my kids love for snack; you warily sneered that you’ll have to “taste test” these cereals to see if they’ll meet the approval of the preschoolers.

WAIT, ADMINISTRATOR X, IF YOU RECALL, THERE WAS MORE. I switched gears and asked you to please stop giving my child Twizzlers, lollipops and Hershey kisses on Thursdays after ballet. You told me that you will not stop because the children work for food. After I caught my breath and picked myself up off of the floor, I mentioned that I was pretty sure that rewarding children with food was not a great practice. With a straight face you told me, “When the girls are not listening during ballet, I tell them that they better dance if they want their treats, and you know what? They start dancing, so IT WORKS!”

Administrator X, I almost dropped dead when I heard this. I have been an educator for 13 years. I have worked with kids of all ages. I have taught lots of preschoolers. I have worked with kids with severe special needs who needed constant reinforcement, but managed to survive not getting it from food. You said it works. Of course it works. That’s hardly the point. Lots of things work in the short term. You can beat the crap out of your kids if you want a temporary measure of compliance; does that mean it’s a good idea? Hardly. Reinforcing and rewarding kids with food works, but it is less than ideal. I’ve been watching kids lately. They are absolutely devastated when everyday activities are not concluded with some sort of food ceremony:

“Hooray, you went to the bathroom. Here’s a cookie.”
“Yippee, you put your dirty tissue in the garbage. Good job. Here’s a jelly bean.”
“Wow, you didn’t hit your brother at all today. Here’s a cake; let’s celebrate.”
“Great, you finished your breakfast…here’s dessert.”

GIVE ME A BREAK. It’s enough already; food is for eating so you can grow tall and strong and remain alive. If you absolutely must hold a reward over their heads, buy some stickers and call it a day. Don’t reward my child with toxic garbage at 10:30 in the morning because she didn’t annoy you while you were trying to teach ballet.

OK, deep breath….so I’m annoyed about the snacks at my daughter’s preschool; the toxicity of them, the way they are being used to manipulate the kids, and the resistance to changing them. I was inspired to think about what I would do if I ran the school. This inspiration was motivated by your snide comment, Administrator X, as we parted ways and you sneered, “Maybe you should start your own school.” So what can teachers and administrators do to promote better habits and food practices in our kids?

Model your own interest in healthy eating by creating a culture of wellness in your class. Encourage kids to bring in fruits and vegetables- if you want to have a star chart, have one for those kids who bring in good snacks. If you provide the snacks to the kids, take the time to wash and prepare healthy snacks together as a class. Praise kids for trying new foods.
Stop using food as a reward. It’s a cheap and dirty trick.
When you serve junk food, don’t also serve chemicals. Cookies and crackers do not need to have hydrogenated fat, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial colors, and GMO’s. Read labels.
Leave the candy out of school. A cookie is one thing; lollipops and gummy bears are a whole other level of ridiculous.

SCHOOL LEADERS, LISTEN UP. I know your job can be very challenging. Most of you deserve all the credit in the world for your dedication to the children in your care. Sorry to add to your “to do” list; I know it’s already quite long. But years after the silly songs and circle time rituals are forgotten, habits will remain. Teach your little students to care about eating well. It’s one of the most valuable lessons you can teach and one they’ll always remember.

And yes, I’d love to start my own school.

Jun 29 / cat

Five Ingredients to Avoid

BRACE YOURSELF. I’m about to go after some of your favorite foods – sodas, snacks, treats, and more. These ingredients can also be found in foods like pasta sauces, cereals, and side dishes – things you eat at meals every day.

All five have all been linked to serious health problems. In some cases the evidence is clear, in others, the jury is still out – we still aren’t sure whether the ingredient is harmful or not – but the risk isn’t worth it.

Getting these five ingredients out of your house will make your family healthier, cut down on useless calories and chemical additives, and could save you money (if you can stop or cut back on buying certain products).

YOU MAY OR MAY NOT THINK YOU CAN ELIMINATE these ingredients completely from your shopping list, but limit them as much as you can. Sometimes an alternative product is available; sometimes the food item can be removed from your family’s daily consumption all together. In some cases, maybe the best you can do is cut back.

But even that will help.

1. Dyes

Used in: Sports drinks, fruit drinks, candy, cereal, crackers, cereal bars, ice pops, most anything with bright colors, even color you think is from fruit.

Usually made from petrochemicals, dyes are used to make food brightly colored and “fun” and/or to make food look as if it contains healthy fruits and vegetables.

Food dyes like yellow 5 and red 40 are linked to various health problems in children such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, learning difficulties, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Studies on the blue dyes show potential kidney problems.

Because of those links, dyes commonly used in the United States in have already been banned in the U.K. Food makers, such as Kellogg’s, make two versions of products, one without dyes (using colorings made from real food ingredients) for U.K. and one with dyes for U.S.

I talked about dyes in more detail (with references) in Red Dye 40 and Its Colorful Friends.

2. Benzoates (Sodium benzoate, Potassium benzoate)

Used in: sodas, sports drinks, salad dressing, vinegars, and more

Benzoates have recently been linked to several health problems, leading scientists to call for the FDA to retest these ingredients. Original tests are quite old.

Professor Peter Piper (okay, it sounds fake, but stay with me) has done research linking sodium benzoate to cellular damage, specifically to cell mitochondria.

When benzoates are combined with ascorbic acid in the ingredients of a food product, benzene, a known carcinogen, is created – albeit in levels not considered dangerous for consumption.

Finally, studies done in the U.K. in 2007 linked sodium benzoate to hyperactivity when used with artificial colors.

3. Trans Fats (Partially Hydrogenated Oils)

Used in: Crackers, fast food, snack foods, cookies, margarines, and more.

Trans fats have been directly linked to coronary heat disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes, obesity, liver dysfunction, infertility in women.

The evidence is so strong, there are movements to ban trans fats in several cities and states in the U.S., including New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Vermont. Denmark already has a nationwide ban and other countries are attempting the same.

4. Artificial sweeteners

Used in: cereals, sodas, low-calorie foods, gum, almost anything that says “sugar-free”

Artificial sweeteners are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. As a result, your palate grows accustomed to needing super-sweet foods. This leads to consumption of more artificially sweetened foods and less naturally sweet foods like fruit.

Studies on animals have been done to see how the body reacts to some artificial sweeteners. The results aren’t pretty. Artificial sweeteners can actually cause weight gain. The sweet taste creates an insulin response, but there is no increase of blood sugars. The result is hypoglycemia and increase food consumption at the next meal.

For every study saying artificial sweeteners are safe, there’s one saying they aren’t. Evidence is far from clear. Here’s a rundown of the five FDA-approved artificial sweeteners.

Saccharin (Sweet and Low, Sweet Twin, Sweet’N Low, and Necta Sweet): Listed as a carcinogen for decades for causing cancer in laboratory animals, it was delisted in the 1990’s after the original studies were criticized for high dosages (hundreds of times the “normal” human intake). As a result, the FDA has strict regulations about allowable amounts and many people believe saccharin should be avoided by infants, pregnant women, and small children.

Aspartame ( Nutrasweet, Equal, and Sugar Twin): Linked to headaches and depression, both of which can be severe in people with mood disorders. Ongoing studies are researching a possible link to cancer and weight gain.

Acesulfame Potassium (acesulfame K, Ace-K, or Sunett): This sweetener has not been subjected to long-term studies. It contains the carcinogen methylene chloride, which can cause headaches, depression, nausea, mental confusion, liver effects, kidney effects, visual disturbances, and cancer in humans with long-term exposure. The FDA has not required any further testing.

Neotame: A new version of aspartame without the phenylalanine dangers, so it can be consumed by people with PKU. The makers of Neotame claim 100 studies have been done, although these studies are not available to the public. No independent studies have been done.

Sucralose (Splenda): Contains chlorine, a carcinogen. There have been no long-term studies on sucralose to determine how it’s digested and absorbed into the body. Short-term studies have linked it to bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea, skin irritations, wheezing, cough, runny nose, chest pains, anxiety, moods swings, depression, and itchy eyes.

More information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_substitute
http://www.medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/article.htm

5. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Used in: drinks, sodas, snacks, cookies, treats, bread, pasta sauce, salad dressing, jams, and more

No point in beating a dead horse; I wrote about why to avoid HFCS before and we’ve all heard about the potential health problems associated with HFCS. The bottom line is that no one yet knows whether HFCS causes metabolism problems, weight gain, or worse. You don’t want to fool yourself into thinking a food is healthy just because it contains sugar not HFCS. But scientists are very clear on how bodies process sugar, while they aren’t 100% certain about HFSC and whether it’s causing unintended effects.

HFCS is often found in highly processed foods – foods that can often be avoided or limited. Why mess around? Avoid HFCS whenever you can.

The bottom line: Avoid buying food products with these ingredients. Find alternatives or skip the product all together. What you can’t avoid, limit. Your family will be healthier and you’ll cut back on unneeded calories and additives. If you need help finding good alternatives, email me and I’ll do my best to help.

Jun 24 / cat

Worst Food of the Week: Motts for Tots juice boxes

AS A MARKETING GIMMICK, MOTTS FOR TOTS CLAIMS “40% less sugar” than other fruit juices. The idea is, since many people cut their kid’s apple juice with water, those people could just buy it already cut with water in a juice box.

BUT HERE’S THE TRUTH:

Motts for Tots juice box – 13g of sugar

Apples and Eve Fruitables juice box – 15g sugar

Juicy Juice 100% Apple juice box – 13g of sugar

Apples and Eve Big Bird juice box – 12g sugar

SO WHILE MOTTS FOR TOTS ISN’T LYING, it is misleading consumers. If you compare Motts for Tots with bottled juices, it does have less sugar. But compared to other juice boxes, it’s about the same.

The bottom line: If you give your child juices boxes you’re not saving on sugars by buying Motts for Tots.

And a few words about apple juice in general:

No matter how many pediatricians recommend it, it’s not the healthiest option for your child.

The vitamin C is put into the apple juice, it doesn’t occur there naturally.

The majority of apple juices (including the three brands above) are made with concentrates from a variety of countries (like China) where regulations differ and sometimes aren’t as rigorous and the U.S.

Some apple juices, such as Motts for Tots are made using natural and artificial flavors, not just apple juice.

Recently, a study was released revealing that most brands of apple juice contain lead.

Regardless of what the government allows food companies to say, juice does not equal a serving of fruit.

The bottom bottom line: I’m not sure how apple juice became the juice of choice for toddlers and kids, but it’s definitely not the healthiest option. If you give your kids juices, go for 100%, non-clear juices which have more nutrients and fewer additives – but remember to check the ingredients!

Jun 17 / cat

Capri Sun Sunrise and 100% Juice Exposed

THIS POST ISN’T ABOUT WHETHER CAPRI SUN IS A HEALTHY OPTION. It is about advertisers bending the truth, food production and marketing tricks and, most of all, knowing what you’re really ingesting.

Capri Sun has been advertising heavily for its two new products: Sunrise, a replacement for boring old orange juice, and 100% Juice, a replacement for boring old juice boxes. The ads and web site focus on how much fun Capri Sun is, especially the pouch. “Fun-for-them, no-fuss-for-you” and “the pouch kids love.” The website says “Keepin’ it real.”

Oh, really, Capri Sun? Let’s see how “real” you’re “keepin’ it”.

Capri Sun Sunrise

Sunrise comes in three flavors: Orange Wake Up, Tropical Morning, and Berry Tangerine. Each has 15 g sugar and 100% vitamin C.

One might think that the Orange Wake Up is made with orange juice, the Tropical Morning is made with tropical fruit juices, and the Berry Tangerine was made with berry and tangerine juices, but, well, one would be wrong.

All three are made with the same exact ingredients:

Water, Sugar, Apple And Orange Juice Concentrates, Calcium Lactate, Citric Acid, Water Extracted Orange Juice Concentrate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Natural Flavor.

While there is orange juice in the Orange Wake Up, it’s also in the other two drinks. In fact, all three of these drinks are apple and orange juice. The ingredient giving these drinks each their unique flavor is the last ingredient: Natural Flavor.

Natural flavor isn’t the natural flavors that come from the fruits in the product name. It’s a flavor concocted by a food scientist from natural ingredients rather than synthetic ones. (Read more about the difference in Scientific American (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-is-the-difference-be-2002-07-29), and note that natural flavor isn’t necessarily healthier or safer.)

As a consumer, it’s important to note that Capri Sun doesn’t call these products orange juice, tropical fruit juice and berry tangerine juice. If it did, then that’s what they’d have to be. In fact, the word juice doesn’t even appear on the front of the pouch.

Similar tactics are used with the 100% Juice.

Capri Sun 100% Juice

This product reminds me of a store I used to drive by when commuting. It had a big sign out front screaming “Bankruptcy Sale!” which turned out to be merely the name of the store, not a reflection of the store’s finances or prices.

Capri Sun does something similar by naming its product “100% Juice” – that is the name of the product, not even a label claim.

Even if it was a label claim, it’s important to understand that in food products, “100%” doesn’t mean the same thing as it does in math. Something can be labeled “100% juice” and still have other ingredients, in this case, citric acid and natural flavor. Whether those ingredients are a problem is a question for another time. The point is, a product can say 100% juice, but it isn’t and you have to check the ingredients.

100% Juice comes in 5 flavors: Fruity Dive, Berry Breeze, Apple Splash, Grape Tide, Cirtus Wave. The reason Capri Sun gives these drinks such fancy names isn’t just to make them sound “cool”, it’s also because the company isn’t then limited to using a certain type of juice.

For example, Berry Breeze does contain strawberry juice, along with pear and grape juices. Last time I checked, pears and grapes weren’t berries. But with the use of Natrual Flavor, Capri Sun can make it taste as berry-like as needed and the Citric Acid makes it taste tart.

The other drinks have a similar composition, relying heavily on apple and grape juice, some other juice, citric acid, and natural flavors to round out the taste.

Fruity Dive: Apple, Grape, And Cherry Juices From Concentrate (Water; Grape, Apple And Cherry Juice Concentrates); Citric Acid (For Tartness); Natural Flavor.

Berry Breeze: Pear, Grape, And Strawberry Juices Form Concentrate (Water; Pear, Grape And Strawberry Juice Concentrates); Citric Acid (For Tartness); Natural Flavor.

Apple Splash: Apple Juice From Concentrate (Water, Apple Juice Concentrate), Citric Acid (For Tartness), Natural Flavor.

Grape Tide: Apple And Grape Juices From Concentrate (Water, Apple And Grape Juice Concentrates), Citric Acid (For Tartness), Natural Flavor.

Citrus Wave: Apple, Grape, Pear, Orange, And Tangerine Juices Form Concentrate (Water; Grape, Apple, Pear, Tangerine, And Orange Juice Concentrates); Citric Acid (For Tartness); Natural Flavor.

The bottom line: Capri Sun Sunrise and 100% Juice aren’t exactly what we’re led to believe based on the advertising. Food marketers routinely bend the truth on packaging – that’s their job, to get us to buy the product. Always check the ingredients – that’s our job, to know what our families our eating.

Jun 14 / cat

Organics: the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15

LIKE MOST SHOPPERS, I PREFER TO BUY ORGANIC PRODUCE when I can. But, also like most shoppers, I have to make choices based on budgetary concerns.

The answer: the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 list which is based on data from the Environmental Working Group on pesticide residue. These lists make it easy to select foods with the least contamination when buying organic isn’t an option.

According to The Daily Green:

“If consumers get their USDA-recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and veggies from the 15 most contaminated, they could consume an average of 10 pesticides a day. Those who eat the 15 least contaminated conventionally grown produce ingest less than 2 pesticides daily.”

Using the lists below (updated for 2010) will limit your family’s exposure to pesticides* while also keeping an eye on your budget.

The Dirty Dozen:
These foods retain the most residue from pesticides, additives and hormones even after washing.

Celery
Peaches
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries
Nectarines
Bell Pepper
Spinach
Kale
Cherries
Potatoes
Grapes

The Clean 15:
These fruits and vegetables were the least likely to have pesticides detected on the parts you eat whether or not they’re certified organic (after washing).

Onions
Avacado
Corn
Pineapple
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas
Kiwi
Cabbage
Eggplant
Papaya
Watermelon
Broccoli
Tomato
Sweet Potato

PRODUCE FROM THE USA LABELED ORGANIC has not been treated with conventional pesticides in any phase of growth and processing. Use of synthetic fertilizers, bioengineering, ionizing radiation, and processing aids (substances used during processing but not added directly to food) are also prohibited. Certain natural pesticides are allowed, but use is restricted and must be documented. (Source: USDA web site.)

Conventional produce has been treated with pesticides at multiple points during growth, processing, and transport.

The bottom line: It’s better to buy organic when buying something on the Dirty Dozen list. Produce on the clean 15 list can be bought conventional with little risk.

*Eating organic isn’t just about eating pesticide-free food. As Michael Pollan explains in The Omniore’s Dilemma, not all organic farming is created equal. But that is a whole lotta discussion for another time (or, better yet, just read The Omnivore’s Dilemma.)

Jun 10 / cat

Worst Food of the Week: Country Time Lemonade

THE IDEA OF LEMONADE IN THE SUMMER CALLS TO MIND kids with lemonade stands, sitting on the porch with friends, and backyard barbeques. Ice cold lemonade on a hot day is delicious and a real treat.

Country Time lemonade takes that idyllic imagery, grinds it into a powder, and captures it in a container labeled “Less Sugar than Soda” making it accessible for everyday consumption.

Is Country Time really lemonade?

Homemade lemonade is made with: Sugar, lemons, and water.

Country Time is made with: Sugar, Fructose, Citric Acid (Provides Tartness), Contains Less than 2% of Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Maltodextrin, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Citrate (Controls Acidity), Magnesium Oxide (Prevents Caking), Calcium Fumarate, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Color, Yellow 5 Lake, Tocopherol (Preserves Freshness).

But where’s the lemon juice?

INSTEAD OF LEMONS, COUNTRY TIME has citric acid is making it tart, manufactured flavorings are making it “lemony”, and dye is making it yellow. It’s cheap ($3.16 for 32 servings) and quick to make, but maybe lemonade doesn’t need to be cheap and fast because it’s definitely healthier to not eat all of these chemicals.

HOMEMADE LEMONADE ISN’T EXPENSIVE (just the cost of 6 or so lemons and a cup of sugar), isn’t difficult to make, and is yummy. Your kids can help make it (instant “family bonding” time) and if you freeze it, you get delicious lemon water ice. Making a special treat from real ingredients, with or without help from the kids, is great for improving our food culture.

The bottom line: Country Time lemonade isn’t really lemonade, but a combination of processed chemical additives which doesn’t contain lemon juice. Stick with the homemade, real food version. Maybe with all that lemon squeezing you won’t want to make it every day, but who needs lemonade every day, anyway?

Jun 3 / cat

Buy This, Not That: Popcorn

In a grocery rut? Don’t have time to read the ingredients? Don’t worry, CTF has you covered with Buy This, Not That.

BUY THIS: Popcorn kernels, preferable organic.

NOT THAT: Microwave popcorn, no matter how many “I’m healthy” messages are on the front of the box.

← Previous

Sugar in Chocolate Milk Compared to Other Treats

Ortho Ecosense Nonsense

Worst Food of the Week: Pop-Tarts

Everything I needed to know I learned in kindergarten