FitSugar

Good News For Oreo and Velveeta Lovers: Kraft Cutting Sodium

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:30:30 PDT

All you Oreo, Velveeta, Philadelphia cream cheese, and Oscar Mayer bologna lovers out there will be pleased to know that Kraft, the maker of all those foods, plans to cut sodium levels in its North American brands by about 10 percent. The reduction will take place over the next two years, which isn't exactly soon, but at least a change is in the air. It's the latest company trying to address health concerns since high blood pressure and other conditions associated with a high sodium diet are so prevalent now. Kraft's president of health and wellness said, "A growing number of consumers are concerned about their sodium intake and we want to help them translate their intentions into actions."

I know many of these products might not be on your weekly grocery list, but tell me, will the decrease in sodium make you think about buying them?

Processed Food Wars: Popular Brands vs. Health Food

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:00:08 PST

I grew up with processed mainstream foods like most kids. Kraft Mac & Cheese, Ellios Pizza, and Ore-Ida Tater Tots were some of my faves. Since processed foods like those aren't the most nutritious, natural foods companies decided to make healthier versions. Are they really better for us? I've already compared cereals and found the natural versions contained less sugar and sodium. So let's see how other foods compare.

Food	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
Triscuits (6 crackers)	120	4.5	180	19	3	0	3
Kashi Heart to Heart Original (7 crackers)	120	3.5	85	22	4	0	3

I compared some other foods so to see the stats

Deconstructing the Twinkie

FitSugar — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:00:00 PDT

Happy Birthday to the Twinkie, which turns 77 this year. I'll admit that growing up, I was a huge fan of this cream-filled spongy yellow cake, but I know now that it's made with a whole bunch of junk.

Steve Ettlinger saw the list of 39 ingredients and didn't think much of it until his daughter asked, "Daddy, what's Polysorbate 60?" So he set out to discover the answer and also figure out what all the other strangely named ingredients were, such as calcium sulfate and cellulose gum. On his journey, he found out some surprising news about the ingredients in tons of other processed foods, where they come from, how they're made, and why they're used. Ettlinger learned the number of ingredients in Twinkies that are more closely related to rocks and petroleum than to any major food groups! Gross. If you're curious to find out more details about the Twinkie and the weird ingredients in the foods you eat, he shares his findings in the book, Twinkie, Deconstructed ($19).

To see a video about Steve and what's in a Twinkie

Do You Avoid Processed Foods?

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:00:00 PST

Salt is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of processed foods because so many of them contain high levels of sodium. This is one of the many reasons that I try to limit the amount of processed foods in my diet. And including more natural food just takes a little planning ahead - it doesn't get much simpler than throwing a banana or apple in your bag for an afternoon snack. What's your attitude toward processed foods?

Source

Another Reason to Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup: Mercury

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:00:00 PST

The Corn Refiners Association has been hard at work trying to change our perceptions about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), but they may have a new public relations battle on their hands. Two new US reports found mercury in both commercial samples of HFCS and products that listed high fructose corn syrup as the first or second ingredient.

Almost half the commercial samples of the corn sweetener tested positive for mercury, and almost a third of the tested food and beverage products contained detectable levels of the heavy metal as well. The products include beverages and foods manufactured by Quaker, Hershey's, Kraft, and Smucker's. The highest levels of mercury were detected in dairy beverages like chocolate milk, dressings, and condiments (BBQ sauce), followed by snacks and desserts, including cereal bars.

To see how mercury ended up in this corn-derived sweetener,

read more. Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that can lead to organ and heart damage, as well as impair the immune and nervous systems. While high mercury levels have been associated with eating too much of certain kinds of fish, like in Jeremy Piven's case, finding mercury in HFCS is a bit startling for the average consumer. The mercury found in HFCS is a byproduct of the caustic soda used, among other applications, to separate the starch from the corn kernel. While many processing plants that manufacture this industrial soda have altered their methods to eliminate the use of mercury, four plants in the US still employ the old mercury-based technology. If you already avoid HFCS, this is no time to stop. Keep reading labels and be sure to visit the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to read their very detailed report on this matter. Source

Would You Eat This Cheeseburger?

YumSugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:43:18 PST

The other day, a delicious photo of a cheeseburger circled around the internet. Only the weird thing is, it was a Cheeseburger in a Can ($5.80). Something tells me it won't look so tasty once you open up the can. So tell me, would you try this canned cheeseburger?

5 Things About Salt

FitSugar — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:30:00 PST

Since the FDA is considering regulating sodium in processed foods, I have been hearing more and more about the reasons why. Here are five things to ponder about the sodium content in your diet.

Seventy-five percent of the salt we consume comes from processed food and food from restaurants, not from the salt shaker.
Your tongue cannot adequately discern how much salt is in your food. If the salt is on the surface of the food, like a potato chip, it will taste salty. However, when the sodium of a serving of frozen mac-n-cheese is 500 mg chances are your tongue will not register that this portion of food contains 25 percent of your RDI (recommended daily intake) of sodium. You really need to read the nutritional label on processed foods to know.
Processed foods in the US generally contain more sodium than the same product in the UK. McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets is a great example – in the US they contain more than twice as much sodium as the United Kingdom version. Breakfast cereal is not exempt either – Kellogg’s Special K (advertised as "super healthy") has 58 percent more sodium per serving in the US version than the UK cereal.

There are two more reasons so

Not only does sodium content of specific products vary widely country to country, within the same type of product, like different types of canned tuna and corn chips, the sodium content can be drastically different. Once again I remind you to read the label.
Sodium is added to processed food to prevent it from spoiling. The salt draws moisture out of food so bacteria can't grow. It also helps to thicken soup and reduce dryness in crackers and pretzels.

Source

Processed Food: News Roundup

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 02:00:00 PDT

The health food nut's arch enemy has been in the news a lot lately. Yep, I am talking about processed food. In this day and age, with our busy lives, it is hard to live without some processed foods. Here are three news stories that might just sway us to make a little more time when it comes to food and nutrition.

A microwave popcorn enthusiast was diagnosed recently with "popcorn lung" - a rare life threatening disease with the medical name broncheolitis obliterans. The diagnosing doctor believes the onset was caused by inhaling fumes of the extra buttery flavored microwave popcorn that contains the chemical diacetyl, which has been linked previously to the disease. The man ate two, and sometimes three, bags of the popcorn daily!
Just a caution, especially if you are looking to sleep, citrus flavor sodas can have more caffeine than colas. The consumer groups involved in a recent study are not anti caffeine; they just think caffeine content should be listed in the packaging.
This really comes as no surprise, but a new British study found food additives may make children more hyper active. The culprit here is artificial food coloring and preservatives. Although the study was not conclusive and is being questioned by some experts, the U.K. Food Standards Agency, which funded the study, has already revised its advice to parents about what to feed their children.

Source

A Doctor Dishes: Which "Superfoods" Are Worth the Cost?

LearnVest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most people you speak to these days are trying to stretch every dollar as far as possible - even the ones they spend buying apples and oranges.

Food prices are expected to increase yet again this year, and food manufacturers are making portions smaller without reducing prices. Not surprisingly, a recent Rasmussen poll found that 93 percent of adults report paying more for groceries now than they did a year ago.

So how can we supercharge our grocery dollars and get them to do overtime for us?

Yes, some foods are obviously a better nutritional deal than others (think apples vs. potato chips), but there’s another class of foods that blows the rest of the field away in terms of nutrients and health-protecting qualities: superfoods.

Superfoods can help prevent diabetes and heart disease, repair damage to your body’s cells, and more. But before you go piling them into your cart, know that some superfoods are better nutritional bargains than others. As a doctor and a mom, I’ve sleuthed out which ones are worth the extra cost in terms of their long-term health benefits. Below is the scoop on which ones may help you age better, ward off cancer, and more.

What to Know Before Buying Superfoods

Before we dive into what to buy, there are a few important things to remember about consuming these foods:

Eating foods fresh and in their natural state, especially fruits and vegetables (rather than in pill or powder supplement form), usually allows us to absorb the greatest amount of their nutrients. The way a superfood is processed or cooked can significantly lower its antioxidant content.
If the superfood can’t be eaten fresh, look for easy and appetizing recipes containing it. No matter how “super” a superfood may be, if you don’t know how to cook it, you’ll probably let it go to waste.

Are Superfoods "Good Buys" If I’m Shopping on a Budget?

Read on to find out.

NurturMe's Caroline Freedman: An Easy Way to Get Lil Ones to Eat Their Fruits and Veggies!

Kate Stahl — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:02:14 PST

As a soon-to-be first-time mom, a pregnant Caroline Freedman was obsessed with all things baby (sound familiar?), including what she would eventually feed her new lil one once she advanced past breast milk and bottles. "I was shocked at how little innovation there had been since I was a baby. It was still Gerber jarred foods," says Austin, TX-based Freedman, now mom to a 3-year-old and a 4-month-old. "Considering how parents are eating a lot differently now, it seemed so out of sync."

Freedman, along with her business partner Lauren McCullough (a former culinary arts teacher) decided to do something about the discrepancy. The result: NurturMe, the first certified organic, all-natural, gluten-free baby food made from quick-dried fruits and veggies. If a dehydrated baby food isn't inventive enough - each pouch is light as a feather and makes about 2.5 ounces of baby food when mixed with water, breast milk, or formula - NurturMe has yet another selling point: it's also an easy way to sneak fruits and veggies into older tots' meals. Keep reading for more from our interview with Freedman.

Food	Calories	Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Sugars (g)	Protein (g)
DiGiorno Four Cheese Thin Crust Pizza (1/5 pizza, 130 g)	310	13	660	32	3	5	18
Amy's Kitchen Cheese Pizza (1/3 pizza, 123 g)	290	12	590	33	2	4	12