My friends on my personal Facebook page like to mock me for my posts about food facts. They think it’s funny, but I take the whole thing pretty seriously. I believe most people are uninformed about the food industry so I post articles to hopefully get people to really THINK about what they are eating.
Many years ago, people did not believe that smoking was bad for them and we all now see how that turned out, right?
I will spare you my personal rant about our food system (it’s TOXIC! and the government is ok with that! They are making billions off us!) and instead tell you about this book. I’m not a food person……I absolutely HATE cooking……but I’ve come to realize that most packaged foods out there are garbage. If I want my family to be healthy, I’m going to have to serve them healthier options.
Not sure where to get started with healthier/smarter foods? Get this book–> Rich Food Poor Food: The Ultimate Grocery Purchasing System (GPS). It is a great QUICK read with a lot of valuable information!
Here are a few facts that stood out for me:
- Aunt Jemima original pancake syrup has 32 grams of sugar in each serving which is more than 5 rolls of Smarties! It also has high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sodium benzoate, and MSG. (switch to 100% pure maple syrup)
- When buying produce, look for one that has a PLU code that starts with ’9′ as that means it’s organic. Anything that starts with a ’8′ means it grown unnaturally through genetic modification. (GMO! Run away from those!!)
- Gatorade G series citrus cooler has 56 grams of sugar, yellow dye #6 and brominated vegetable oil—2 ingredients that have been banned in other countries. (my son loves to drink this after soccer games! Sorry kid, not anymore!!)
The book covers everything at the grocery store and includes some great recipes too.
It is ESSENTIAL to read labels and understand what you are reading. Some of those Lunchables have 61 ingredients! Who wants that?!
Be your own food detective and make smart choices for you and your family.