Today I am sharing a “roundup” of the misleading products I’ve been sharing on Facebook lately. Just in case you missed some or need a friendly reminder…please don’t let the food industry fool you with these products!
Taco Seasoning
I couldn’t believe it when I looked at the back of this taco seasoning packet and saw “Maltodextrin” as the first item on the ingredient list (meaning what it contains the most of). Maltodextrin is a filler found in highly processed foods and is usually made from corn. I don’t know about you but it’s not an additive I cook with at home. So then why would it be the main ingredient in something as simple as taco seasoning?
Pasta “Plus”
This is the pasta I used to buy before we cut out processed food because I thought it was the “healthier” stuff. But, the thing that makes pasta “real” is being made with whole grains. The first ingredient in this pasta (and what it contains the most of) is “semolina” flour, which is actually a refined grain. The whole grain version of semolina is called whole durum wheat.
Real Food Alternative: Whole-wheat pasta is pretty easy to find and usually only contains 1 ingredient: whole durum wheat. And the word “whole” is very important! If you are new to understanding grains check out our post about grains for more info.
Breadcrumbs
It’s amazing how the food industry can take something as simple as plain breadcrumbs and make them full of so much junk. This one has more than 30 ingredients including high-fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (a.k.a. trans fat)! Not to mention it’s made with highly refined white flour (labeled as enriched flour).
Real Food Alternative: It’s easy to make your own bread crumbs (there’s a recipe at the end of this post), but if you don’t have time I like “Ian’s Whole-Wheat Panko Bread Crumbs” made with only a few simple ingredients. It comes in a yellow bag and is available in some grocery stores and on Amazon.
Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal
Out of all the label reading I do this one really upsets me. Quaker (you know the “heart healthy” breakfast) says this on their website about their Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal, “Imagine a warm summer morning and a fresh bowl of juicy, sun-ripened strawberries topped with rich, dairy cream. Now imagine all of that warmth and rich flavor in a bowl of Quaker Oats.” Yet, when you actually read the ingredients you’ll find that the pictured red fruit chunks aren’t even strawberries! They are dehydrated apple pieces treated with artificial strawberry flavor and red dye. Not to mention this product also contains partially hydrogenated oil (a.k.a. trans fat), and a few other strange things I would never make oatmeal with at home.
Crystal Light
This “lemonade” product is another one that’s rather disturbing. Crystal Light’s “Natural Lemonade” mix doesn’t even contain a single drop of lemon or lemonade! Plus both its sweetener (aspartame) and yellow tint (yellow 5) are completely artificial. There are currently no regulations for slapping the word “natural” on a food package so don’t let this terminology fool you.
Real Food Alternative: Unfortunately even if you make REAL lemonade from scratch at home it calls for quite a bit of sugar. You are better off just squeezing a little fresh lemon juice in your water or saving lemonade for an extra special occasion!
Ranch Dip
This packet of Hidden Valley ranch seasoning looks pretty innocent…you just add sour cream and you have yourself a zesty dip for veggies. Except the fact that, according to the ingredients, it contains more maltodextrin (an additive made from corn), salt, and MSG than it does any actual herbs or spices.
Real Food Alternative: I find this unfortunate when it’s super simple to make your own ranch dip at home. My recipe has been adapted from the $5 Dinner Mom’s ranch salad dressing!
Cool Whip
I know “Cool Whip” is quick and easy, but I find it strange that it contains more water, hydrogenated vegetable oil (i.e. trans fat), high-fructose corn syrup, and corn syrup than it does cream, which happens to be the main ingredient in REAL whipped cream. I know this product doesn’t claim to be “whipped cream” and instead calls itself a “whipped topping,” but let’s face it…we all know what this is trying to imitate!
Real Food Alternative: In case you’ve never tried making your own homemade whipped cream before it’s actually pretty easy…check out the simple instructions at the bottom of this chocolate torte recipe.
Uncrustables
Uncrustables seem to be a pretty popular school lunch item. Just be sure to know they contain high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, AND sugar as well as partially hydrogenated oil (a.k.a. trans fat). This variety also uses bread made from refined white flour, dough conditioners, and quite a lot of other ingredients I cannot even pronounce and would never cook with at home.
Real Food Alternative: I don’t know about you, but when I make PB&J at home it doesn’t contain any of that junk. And you can even make your own “Uncrustable” sandwich with one of these handy little sandwich cutters/sealers from amazon (just wrap it up and throw it in the freezer when you are done)!
“Wheat” Crackers
This product comes to you from the health food store (where you STILL have to read ingredient labels). The front of this healthy-looking brown box says “Crispy Wheat Crackers” but don’t let that lead you to believe there is anything “whole-wheat” about them. Even refined white flour comes from the wheat plant so if it doesn’t say the word “whole” then it’s not a “whole-wheat” product. I don’t understand why our society has given “whole-wheat” the nickname “wheat” because they are NOT the same thing and it makes things confusing! If you look at the ingredients on this box you can see these crackers contain no “whole wheat” flour at all…only refined “wheat flour” a.k.a. white flour.
Strawberry Syrup
I am guilty as charged because I used to buy this stuff for my kids. It was right there by the chocolate syrup, and I thought it would be a fun way to switch things up. But soon after my real food wake-up call I started raiding our pantry and fridge, and I was shocked to see (according to the ingredients) that this “strawberry” syrup doesn’t even contain any strawberries at all. The flavor and color are both completely artificial.
Real Food Alternative: If you are looking for a berry flavored drink try making this homemade berry sauce instead and sieve out the seeds…it would be great in some nice cold (organic) milk.
Bread
If I were to make sandwich bread at home it would take about 5 ingredients (whole-wheat flour, water, yeast, salt, and honey) and even if I were to add a few extras like nuts, seeds, and a different type of flour maybe we are up to 10 ingredients. So why does it take “Arnold” 31 ingredients including white flour (a.k.a. unbleached enriched wheat flour) to make their whole grain “Health Nut” bread?
Nutella
The one that got me this week is Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. Right on the lable it claims it’s made with all natural ingredients, but when you read the ingredients list it has MSG! Ugh!
Yes, this got me too!!! It was one of the chunky varieties and I unfortunately ate it before reading the label….will never make that mistake again!
They can get away with saying it’s “all natural” because some of these ingredients that are terrible for us are “naturally occurring”. Just because it comes from nature and hasn’t been processed by mankind doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy or good for us.
love this!!!!!!! I cook from scratch, always have, love it when articles like yours are posted on Facebook, I definitely will be sharing this!
Good information, but a lot of it has me thinking, “well, duh!” Do you really mean to tell me that you gave your kids strawberry syrup expecting there to be real strawberries in it? You don’t have to read the label to figure that one out. Same with Chrystal Lite. Anyone who thinks that stuff is natural sure is naive. I don’t know anyone who was conned into thinking there were real lemons in it. It’s a powder, after all!
Hi Erica. This blog is geared towards all levels of people on their real food journey. Having said that, while these things may seem obvious to you, for some they are not. Hope that helps. Jill
I think you missed the point of the article. It was not about products that are fooling people into thinking they are natural. It was about products that are misleading PERIOD. This can include misleading consumers into thinking they are overall healthy, natural, or contain the ingredient they claim to be (i.e. strawberry syrup). These products try to pretend to be something they are not in some form or fashion and that was the point of this article. I agree with Jill in saying that not all consumers are on the same level of awareness. These things are deliberately misleading and the information about the ingredients are intentionally hidden from the public. Nutella is VERY misleading with their ads. Instead of trying to belittle others, maybe it would be nice to just thank these wonderful people for trying to get the word out. I know I am very grateful for what they do even when I already know what the post is about!
Very interesting. For the first time I used that taco seasoning the other night. Maybe it explained why I’ve been going to the loo.
I have wondered about the whipped cream too.
Another FYI on reading labels: yeast extract, hydrolyzed anything, autolyzed anything, spice extractives, and even “spices”; can all be “hidden” forms of MSG. So sadly, given our boycott of MSG, we also avoid buying anything that has these ingredients in the label. Some soups say “NO MSG”..yet they have autolyzed yeast extract, or hyrdrolyzed soy protein…both = MSG. Also true of salad dressings and especially true of “cheesy” snacks that people think are healthy like Cheese Nips, Cheez-Its or even GOLDFISH! We buy Annie’s organic Cheddar Bunnies, and make our own soups.
I love your instructions for the taco seasoning and totally want to follow them – one thing I’m just not clear on. The chili powder that I got from the store is actually a mix of chili pepper, cumin, salt, garlic, and oregano. Do you take this and mix it with more cumin, oregano, and salt? Or is there another kind of chili powder I’m supposed to use?
Hi Jill. Yes, that is in addition to what is already in the chili powder. Jill
Pampered Chef also sells a metal round “press & seal” that takes off the crusts and seals the edges for making your own uncrustables. It’s about $10 I think but you can also use it for other things like appetizers, if you want a more multi-purpose tool than the one on Amazon. Other places may sell a similar product for a lower cost as well. But I can only vouch for the Pampered Chef one which I used as a kid (about 20 years ago) and absolutely loved!
While I agree with most of the items on your list, there are so many more worse and misleading products. Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup is just as bad as the Strawberry flavor. The Arnold’s brand “health nut” variety has included nuts and nut products as most of those 31 ingredients.. It isn’t claiming to simply be “whole wheat.” While it contains calcium propionate as a preservative (an anti mold inhibitor), most research shows that this is one of the least harmful. Why not go after all of those cereals with TBHQ? While I agree Nutella’s advertisements are misleading, peanut butter has 14-18 grams of fat and 3-4 grams of sugar. Add the 12 grams of sugar from your average jelly or jam and you are right up there with Nutella on the classic pb&j.
I think some of this stuff, like someone said above, is a “duh” judgement and I think it’s good to hold companies responsible for their misleading statements. BUT is it all really that bad? Take the bread for instance, there’s only 4 of the 31 ingredients that I couldn’t buy off the shelves at the grocery store to make myself. Let’s look at MSG too. Did you know that it’s natural? Found on seaweed? It’s currently made by bacterial or microbial fermentation. Similar to beer … or bread. It was a common food additive used by the Romans. The Japanese call it “umami” or the fifth flavor. It’s not bad for you at all. Look it up. Some people do have some adverse reactions to it but it’s rare. Just like wheat allergies.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t buy most of the gross artificially flavored things. Natural flavor is just that though. That’s an all encompassing term used to protect the recipe. That means that there probably is lemon flavoring in that gross crystal “drink”.
I am a highly allergic to MSG, as most people with gluten or wheat intolerances are. The problem may seem minute to some but for the millions of people who have now discovered that they are gluten intolerant, this poses as a serious health concern. If you remember 20 years ago, no one was allergic to gluten or wheat but the issue is with the fact that food practices are changing and more and more food is being manufactured with ingredients that have been HIGHLY compromised from its natural state. These ingredients that you are reading on the label aren’t actually what they seem. “Natural flavoring” may seem harmless and may not require a second thought, however these natural flavors could be almost anything. It’s essential that those who are concerned about their health and well being pay closer attention to what we are putting in our bodies. Most of you don’t trust the government as far as you can throw it… why would you put all of your trust in the chemicals, biochemically engineered and altered “food products” that are being manufactured by the government?
The definition of natural flavor under the Code of Federal Regulations is: “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional” (21CFR101.22).
[...] Misleading Products @ 100 Days of Real Food: Is it natural or are you paying money for something that’s laden with chemicals? It’s important to know. [...]
Do you add the water the same way the taco seasoning package states? I missed a part on how to prepare the meat with the seasoning. I”ve got my batch all made. Thanks
Hello Stacey. If it seems too dry when added, I would mix in a little water until you reached the consistency the you desire. ~Amy
I do not personally add any water, but I don’t think it would hurt.
All I can say is wow! My eyes were really opened after reading this, not just these products but the fact that mostly everything I consume has these same ingredients and is extremely processed. I am on my way to reading part 2 of this series. I can’t wait until I am eating 100% unprocessed because I know I will feel so much better! Thank you!
Hi all, I urge each of you to take the time to read the fine print on the front of the packages first. It may tell you what you need to know without reading the ingredient list (although, I also encourage you the read that as well).
I am a food scientist, as well as a mom who is concerned with what her kids are eating, so I balance my science-nerd understanding of the food terms with my mommy side. The front of the Cystal Light actually says “Natural Lemonade flavor with other natural flavors”. This means that the flavor is natural, not necessarily the whole product (and yes, this is legal and we have clear standards for labeling natural flavors in the US). Within the pink rectangle ont he front of the oatmeal box, it says “Artificial Strawberries and Cream Flavors Artificially Flavored Fruit Pieces and Non-Dairy Creamer”. I agree with 100 Days, make the plain oatmeal and flavor it with real food – it tastes so much better and the texture is so much better!
For the taco seasoning, I would add a touch of flour to the mix. That will thicken up the added water, along with any meat juices, so that it goes into your taco instead of leaving that good flavor in the pan.
For the bread crumbs, I don’t toast them like 100 Days, I just let our heels of bread (my family won’t touch them), stale burger buns, rolls, etc., sit on the counter for a couple days until completely dry – and no waste since these are things we wouldn’t eat anyway.
I run them through the processor and keep them in the freezer since the naturally-occuring fats from the whole grains can get rancid-tasting quickly at room temp. Then I always have bread crumbs that I can flavor and use anyway I need.
On my last note, please be very careful with reading the word “natural” on foods. As was stated by 100 Days, there is no legal definition for natural foods (the rules for labeling flavors as natural are clear though – which is why all the small print on the Crystal Light and on the oatmeal). Keep reading the labels – front and back!
NICE article!!!
I am so on your same page. I read all labels too and it is tricky business.
While working on a recent project I’ve been going to Whole Foods, Smiths and Trader Joe’s just to read ingredient labels.
Whole Foods had a lot of products that contained artificial flavor, color and even hydrogenated fats!
Now, Trader Joe’s, who advertise no artificial flavoring or coloring or hydrogenated fats – well, they stayed true to their claims. After looking at everything – really – the only discrepency I could find was in beef jerky – a couple of questionable ingredients, so I asked the manager who said he stood behind their word, but would call the manufacturer and find out and call me the next day. He did in fact call the next day and shared the information with me and I stood corrected. Trader Joe’s remained true to advertising – no artificial flavor or color!! (or trans fats).
Love your website! I agree, read ingredients! :O))
Hi,
I’ve been following your recipes for just a few weeks. I loved your article about Kraft Dinner and even though I live in Canada, your food woes in the US are the same as ours over here in Canada.
I read about your Bread post and I have a dilemma. We don’t have a Great Harvest here and I cannot go to a local bakery because my child has a severe tree nut allergy. I tried using a bread maker but discovered (this is after going through 4 machines) that there were a variety of problems i.e. grease from the machine was found in our bread…gross! So back to store bought I went.
Any recommendations?
Hi Erin. You can always try baking bread the old fashioned way. Here is a recipe from Deliciously Organic: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/everyday-whole-wheat-bread/. I just made this loaf and it turned out really well. Good luck. ~Amy
Or get a starter going. My family did this when I was in high school and since you need to make bread frequently to keep everything going, we always had fresh bread in the house. We would change things up by making white bread one time (this was before white whole wheat flour was available), whole wheat the next, added some cooked oatmeal, made burger buns or dinner rolls, etc. to change it up.
[...] out this post from 100 Days of Real Food on why it’s better to make your own. Also, check out MOMAbles blog- it has lots of great [...]
[...] This weekend a mostly full Costco-size container of “bread crumbs” went into the trash. I was inspired after reading about the ingredients. [...]
[...] http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/11/23/misleading-products/ [...]
Hey this is kind of of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML.
I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding experience so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!