Artificial Colorings in Pudding and Gelatin Cups
by Shereen Jegtivig
I’m getting into back-school-mode (or maybe my bored kids are getting on my nerves – not sure which) so today I was thinking about things to pack in school lunches, both good things and bad things. Small, one-serving pudding and gelatin cups are popular for school lunches. They’re convenient, properly portioned and they taste good, so kids love them. Of course, most of them are crammed full of artificial colors and other additives your kids don’t need. So what do you do?
One thing you can do is to pack something else for dessert, like dried fruit, but if you want to send pudding or gelatin cups to school with your kids, be sure to do your homework first and find one that contains the least additives. I’ll warn you, it isn’t easy. I looked up coloring free gelatin and pudding cups because more than a few experts believe artificial colorings trigger behavioral problems in kids and it doesn’t seem like a good idea to add artificial colorings to a school lunch, when your kids need to be at their brightest. Of all the varieties of puddings and gelatins, only one has no added colors, the Kraft Mega Cup Chocolate 126 Oz pudding. Read more
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Food Tip: Hummus and Preservatives
by Shereen Jegtvig
I love hummus! It’s delicious and good for you because it contains only healthy ingredients – just chickpeas, tahini (from sesame seeds), olive oil and a little garlic (and maybe some other tasty additions or seasonings). Hummus has healthy monounsaturated fats and protein and when you combine some hummus with whole-wheat pita bread, you’ll have a healthy snack that will keep you feeling full for quite a while.
It’s always interesting to look up a normally healthy food, like hummus, on the FoodEssentials tool, to see just how badly processing can change it. We want convenient foods that last a long time, but that comes with a lot of added preservatives and ingredients that we may not want and definitely don’t need. Read more
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Calcium Propionate: What Is There To Know?
by Shereen Jegtvig
Chances are, that loaf of white bread sitting in your kitchen cabinet contains a little bit of something called calcium propionate, which has been added as a preservative. Calcium propionate keeps bread and baked goods from spoiling by preventing mold and bacterial growth. So if it’s bad for bacteria, does it mean it’s bad for you too?
The answer to that is maybe. Calcium propionate (along with propionic acid and sodium propionate) is used as a preservative in bread, baked goods and some dairy products; however it also occurs naturally in butter and some types of cheese. Rats fed large amounts of calcium propionate and similar chemicals didn’t show any negatives effects, so the FDA allows food companies to use as much as they’d like. And we certainly don’t want to eat bacteria- or mold-infested bread. Read more
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Sweet Substitutes: The Alternatives To Sugar
Sugar. It’s sweet, tasty, and everywhere. It occurs naturally in many foods, and is often added to processed foods, in a variety of forms. Unfortunately, too much sugar can contribute to many health problems: tooth decay, obesity, and related medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Artificial sugar substitutes are often added to foods to replicate the sweetness of sugar, without the added energy or calories. Most are suitable for people with diabetes or hypoglycemia, and are usually much friendlier to your teeth.
However, artificial sweeteners have been the subject of much controversy. Some people claim they have experienced negative health effects after consuming sweeteners, while others question the political motives behind the approval process and labeling protocols for each additive. Many dietitians recommend you avoid some artificial sweeteners, or that you avoid large amounts of sugar substitutes at any one time. (Larsen – Ask the dietitian, 2009)
Before you can decide which additives you want to consume or avoid, you need to know some basic facts about each sugar substitute. Read more
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