Today I'd like to introduce my very first "regular contributor" on the blog...Vani Hari a.k.a the Food Babe! Vani, a fellow "real food" blogger here in This is a guest post from Vani Hari (a.k.a. The Food Babe) and New York Times Best Selling author. You can read more about her take on the food industry in her second book, Feeding You Lies!
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When Lisa asked me to be a guest on her blog I jumped out of my seat - thrilled at the chance to reach out to all of you - and immediately knew what I wanted to write about.
Hi, my name is Vani, and I share information about organic living, healthy travel and food activism on my blog Food Babe (and on Facebook). The love of real food is just one of the many things Lisa and I have in common, and I'm excited to be here today to share some startling facts about one my favorite foods.
My birthday was last week and I had only one thing on my mind. Can you guess what it was? Nope, it wasn't thoughts about getting older, or what presents I wanted this year or where I wanted to go on my next vacation. All I could think about was “Where am I going to get my birthday cake from!?!"
This is a dilemma for my family and me every single time there is a birthday on the horizon. We sometimes have knock down, drag out fights about where we buy our cakes…and that's because not everyone in my family follows the same real food principles as I do. (I'm secretly hoping they will read this post so they'll think twice about fighting me next time around!)
Growing up we would always get our cake from the local grocery store chain "Harris Teeter.” This was our go-to cake for as long as I can remember. Then in college and in my early twenties I became a Costco member and was thrilled to be able to get such a huge decadent cake for only $14.99 on my college budget.
As I became more refined in my taste for cake, I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade and shop at the Fresh Market because... well... it had to be “fresher" than Harris Teeter or Costco, right? Unfortunately, as you'll find out this couldn't be further from the truth.
When you look into these three different cakes from three very different places – a regular grocery store vs. a huge wholesaler warehouse store vs. a specialty market – you don't see much difference in the ingredients. They all resemble one big science experiment...
Let's take a look at some of the cakes at Harris Teeter. This cake says “Home-style” carrot cake... but when you you look closely at the ingredients it reveals something much different....
We know why Lisa dislikes artificial colors (that are unfortunately in all the cakes I am sharing with you here today.) But let's talk about a new and scary ingredient you may not have heard of - propylene glycol. This petroleum-based chemical food additive - that's been approved by the FDA - is also found in products like brake fluid, acrylic paints, tile grout, primer, shoe polish, antifreeze, floor polish, tire sealant and sealant paste, according to Food Facts.org.
It has been reported on Dr. Mercola.com that the following symptoms can arise after repeated small doses - throat irritation, headache, backache, and kidney problems. Furthermore, ingesting very large doses of this chemical can cause drowsiness, vomiting, respiratory failure, coma, convulsions, or can be fatal.
Yes – you have to ingest a lot of this stuff to see some of these reactions - but is saying “death by a thousand cuts?” taking it too far? I don't know – you decide. And why is this stuff in our birthday cakes anyway?
Even the cakes that Harris Teeter gets from a famous local bakery, “Tizzerts," are just as bad as their store brand cakes because they also contain propylene glycol.
Then you move on to Costco where the ingredient list is so long I literally had trouble keeping count – but it's close to 80 ingredients! The majority of them are fake chemical fillers and food-like substances that are obviously not real food. (Notice the inflation - the price has gone up $3 dollars since the last time I bought one.)
And what's so American about this “All American” chocolate cake? Gosh I didn't know you needed this many artificial colors (6 to be exact!) to color chocolate - I thought chocolate was already brown!
The most upsetting - and most expensive - cakes were from The Fresh Market where I learned they aren't made on premises, but instead by a bread and snack manufacturer named "Vie de France." Again, this name fools you into thinking you are getting a higher quality or fancier product.
I was impressed that The Fresh Market had a book of all the ingredients they willingly shared with me, but when I found the page labeled “bakery goods free from trans fat” (which had only a very small subset of the large amount of bakery goods in the book) I was deflated to say the least. Again, most of their cakes had propylene glycol too and lots of other preservatives.
Regardless of these ingredients being clearly labeled on packaging and readily available, I see these types of cakes at almost every celebration I encounter – baby showers, bridal showers, children's birthday parties, schools, work celebrations, retirement parties, etc. Children's birthdays are probably the worst offender... especially at school, since the opportunities to celebrate birthdays seem endless.
The thought of consuming artificial flavors, artificial colors, transfat, and other food like chemicals made from petroleum willingly on the day we are supposed to be celebrating our life or our children's lives seems a little ironic, doesn't it?
What upsets me the most is that it's possible to make a perfectly delicious homemade cake like Lisa's Tie Dye Cake with around 10 ingredients or to buy one that doesn't have any of these harmful ingredients I described above.
The next time the occasion arises and it's time to get a cake, here are 5 questions you need to ask your baker before reaching into your wallet:
- What ingredients do you use to make your cakes? Always ask this basic question – you may be appalled at what you find. For instance, many cake manufactures use no real sugar at all and the whole cake is made with high fructose corn syrup.
- What kind of flour do you use? The answer should be an unbleached flour, and if it is organic flour, even better!
- Do you use any preservatives in your cake? Propolyne glycol, parabens, and polysorbate are just a few of the laundry list of potential preservatives. If there are any of these ingredients or other preservatives used – I would keep looking.
- Do your cakes contain any partially hydrogenated oils (trans fat)? I would specifically say “partially hydrogenated oil” because legally food manufactures can still include this ingredient and say “no trans fats” at the same time.
- Do you use any artificial colors in your cakes? If you find out the cake is clean, but they still use artificial colors to decorate the cakes, ask for the cake to be made without them and then consider decorating the cake with organic candies, dried fruit, chocolate sauce and/or natural food colorings yourself.
You make a decision to vote with your dollars every time you take out your wallet, whether you realize it or not. With the right information and enough conscious decision making about what we eat and how we spend our money, together we can make a change. They say you can't have your cake and eat it too – but why not?
P.S. Check out a new REAL FOOD cake recipe I made for my Dad's Birthday this week on my blog ...(oh and I'm sorry it's not going to be this gorgeous...this is a cake I had last year traveling in Indonesia!)
Comments have been closed on this article, which was written by Vani Hari. If you have a question or comment you can reach her at http://FoodBabe.com.
kerry says
you 2 girls are awesome. i thank you and hundreds, thousands, millions, more will thank you!!! keep all the information coming. you both are making a change in the food world. it's just sad that so many people trust the food sold in nice markets...having no clue what is lurking inside. we all need all the info you all put out there. bless you!!
FoodBabe says
Your welcome Kerry! Thank you for the encouragement!
Holly says
Thanks for sharing this information. I love making my own cakes and haven't bought a cake for any of my son's birthdays. Unfortunately, our kids go to public school, and they are only allowed to bring store-bought treats for their class. His birthday is in two weeks, and we are trying to figure out what to share.
I'd love to hear ideas!
FoodBabe says
I'd google some bakeries in your area and send them an email questionnaire using the guide on this blog.... and then pick one that uses the least additives and best ingredients. I hate that they make you buy your cakes from a store... you also could try to buy something different too - like mini pies or a cookie cake that has better ingredients... Good Luck!
Danyelle says
Our school system is this way too :( It is sad. I would much rather my child eat betty crocker even than the purchased ones...it is because of allergies they say but at the same time, my kids eat PB at home and go to school..it is in our home..I don't know.
larissa says
Dorothy, why would they require you to purchase something from a store? that is crazy. i would probably just tell them my son had an allergy and i had to make his food (b/c yes he is sensitive to these horrible chemicals). ick :(
FoodBabe says
I know - I hate this rule! Especially since what they make at most stores is thousand times worst than what could be made at home!
Dorothy says
I have known about this for a while now. The sad thing is (at least in my DD school district) that when we had my daughter's "un-birthday" (are any other celebration) at her school, I was REQUIRED to purchased the cupcakes from the store. Do you know if a place (or places) that sells cakes that do not have these horrible ingredients?
Holly says
Hi Dorothy,
You'll notice I posted the same issue. We have to have store bought treats. I'm trying to think of a not-too-bad option!
JE says
if you have a whole foods near you, some of their products have very reasonable ingredients. They do not use artificial flavors or dyes. You can see ingredients online on their website.
FoodBabe says
Check above in this post for the ingredients in Whole Food's cakes. They aren't the greatest either unfortunately - margarine, egg replacer, cellulose (wood pulp!) and natural flavors... If you have an Earth Fare in your area - check that out, also try a local baker that prides themselves on good ingredients. Good Luck!
jessica b says
vani! i love your article! lisa has created a fabulous resource for the world to use in eating real food. i make everything my family eats and i am proud that my family eats healthy. cooking does take time but the time spent is well worth your family's health! i wish there was a store you could walk in and pick up anything off the shelf and the product would be safe to consume. sadly this is not the case even in stores like trader joe's, whole foods, and sprouts. sadly knowing what is real food is very frustrating but with advocates like you ladies the word is spread. thank you for all you! :)
jessica b says
do
FoodBabe says
Your welcome Jessica! That store would be AMAZING... a girl can dream!
Julie says
Thank you for this! Now I can tell the people at work what's really in that "delicious" cake that I pass on every time. Growing up with home baked goods was a gift my mother gave me and one I'm passing on to my son.
FoodBabe says
That's one of the hardest places for me trying not to stand out - everyone is eating your boss's birthday cake, except you.... eeeeeeeeeek!
Allison says
GREAT post! I have become obsessed anymore with reading labels. There isn't much you'll find me purchasing at the grocery store any longer.
FoodBabe says
True that! The outer aisles is where it is at!
RJ (Kids and Cast Iron) says
Isn't it amazing. I make my own cakes and frosting so I don't have to worry about what is in it. However, it is sad to think that some people think they are purchasing a real cake when it is in fact full of chemicals and lord knows what else.
Deb says
My mom and Grandma always made birthday cakes from scratch so I always have too, even before I cared about eating real food. My kids are still young enough that they don't care what their birthday cakes look like, but I do wonder what I'll do once they start asking for things like a Mater or hotwheels shaped cake.
Bevin says
Find a home based baker that you can trust. A lot of home based bakers have their kitchens inspected by the department of agricultural. They cannot legally sell anything that has to be refrigerated like carrot cake, red velvet cake, basically anything that has cream cheese icing or fillings that have to be refrigerated. I make cakes for people and use only unbleached flour that is non-GMO, sugar, butter, eggs (that will soon only come from my free range hens), whole milk and natural flavorings. My buttercream is made with powdered sugar, butter, natural coloring if colored decorations are wanted and water. I grow chemical free cut flowers that are used for decorations, silk flowers from craft stores or use chlidrens' toys for themed cakes. There are lots of options for decorations. I bet if you ask around you will find someone in your area that bakes cakes in their home that would be willing to work with you about ingredients and decorations.
FoodBabe says
Great tip! Thanks Bevin.
linda says
Harini, that is a tough one! Perhaps you could use natural fruit roll ups to cut into the cars shapes? Maybe newman's o's for tires? I could see this looking really bad though. You could get a car shaped pan from Michaels and lay some inedible Cars toys and thing on top. You could fashion a sheet cake into a road with crushed cookies and have the licensed paraphernalia situated on top.
Tina Roggenkamp says
Oh, and I've rarely been impressed with the bakery items from Trader Joe's, either. Everything tastes stale when you get accustomed to fresh ;)
FoodBabe says
Yeah the TJ's baked goods are pretty processed... although I've never tried them. If you live in the area - check out Earth Fare's local cakes, they are fabulous. Also Sunflower bakery uses organic flours, good ingredients and will keep the dyes off of your cakes.
Tina Roggenkamp says
DH has a bad habit of picking up something from the bakery at Fresh Market when I ask him to pick up milk or something. It never fails that the item is prettier than it tastes. It's either stale (even in date) or just doesn't taste very good. Like the chocolate cupcakes - the label says chocolate but I don't taste it.
The other store-bought cakes taste too sweet. And it used to be that the icing on HT cakes came in 5 gallon buckets. Tasty! (not.)
Love your blog! I just figured out that you are nearby. Off to check out Food Babe.
linda says
It is really not hard to bake your own cakes. You can even find fun cake pans in kid appealing shapes. I have to second the nomination for Whole Foods market. Their cakes taste like real food. They do cost a lot though. For a big party you could buy a couple of boxed mixes from Whole Foods and do a sheet cake with whipped cream and fruit on top. Whole Foods has strict rules about what they can sell. Go to their website to see their no no list. It is long.
I have even done beautiful vegan birthday cakes using chocolate couscous and whipped silken tofu. So decadent. Had nonvegans begging for recipe.
Harini says
You read my mind Vani! I have been beating myself over this for the past couple of weeks. My son's 5th birthday is coming up and I might need three cakes. One for his school, one for his party at home with some close friends and one at pump-it-up. And he is really looking forward for a cake with cars theme. I'm not much of a cake decorator though I can make a basic cake with basic ingredients at home. And the thought of having a cake from outside with all that red dye is making me feel so guilty. But I don't want to disappoint my son and ruin his cake wish. I was looking for any local cake moms who can make this for me with natural ingredients but haven't found any so far. Is there any good web site that lists such local full-time or part-time bakers?
Holly says
Could you do a simple racetrack on top of the cake with different color frosting and then decorate it with small, clean cars toys? I don't know what you would do for a black track, but for a pavement or sand colored track, you could sprinkle turbinado sugar on the frosting to look like the track.
FoodBabe says
I'd just try the yellow pages or google search for local bakeries. Also look into wedding cake bakers - many of these folks will do one off birthday cakes. One thing I thought of for the race track is black licorice - Newman's own or Panda have some that would be perfect. You could also use crushed cacao nibs too. Good Luck Harini!
Danyelle says
What about chocolate ganache for a track and some new car toys to race on the track? We did something similar one year for horses!
T.J. says
I make no-flour cakes. Even better for you.
Erin in Arizona says
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!! I can't tell you how much I enjoy your blog (been following for over a year now). I am so impressed with what you have done with your family as we journey towards the goal of no processed foods in mine. And let me just say, I think I may have the pickiest family ever. But you inspire me to keep trying and we are slowly making progress. I always look forward to your next update. Thank you again! : )
Kelley says
We do not buy store bought cakes anymore, usually make homemade cupcakes for birthdays, but I did not realize propylene glycol was in them. I had know it was in lotions and shampoos -- however recently we have been seeing it in a lot of food products. We have been looking at ingredients and have found propylene glycol in the shredded unsweetened coconut I used to buy and even in my daughters allergy medicine.
FoodBabe says
Yikes! Why in the world would it be in coconut!?
Charles in Charlotte says
Great post, Your article points out why I bake all my own cakes from scratch. I was not aware of the propylene glycol. That's what antifreeze is made of. I have a killer carrot cake reciepe.
Please keep up the good work :)
FoodBabe says
Care to share? Carrot cake is my favorite!
katy says
So where are you going to buy your cake from?
FoodBabe says
Ha ha! Good question.... my Mom ended up making my favorite, Carrot Cake. But if I had to choose a bakery in Charlotte - it would be the local organic carrot cake that Earth Fare carries or something from Sunflower Bakery or a special order at Luna's Living Kitchen. Edible Art is pretty delicious too and I've quizzed them hard :)
Pam@behealthybehappywellness says
Great post! I've started making cakes for our birthdays for this very reason. I always seem to be staying up late the night before to get it done, but it's so worth it to avoid all those chemicals! The kids love them too. I'll even use ingredients I wouldn't typically use (white sugar for one) as my birthday compromise.
Allie says
Awesome post, ladies! I'm slowly but surely converting my hubby to a real-food diet, and it's taking LOTS of blog posts like yours. THANK YOU for all you do for us!!
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FoodBabe says
Your welcome Allie!
JE says
First, I love this blog and this guest post is great - I'd have though Fresh Market would be "better" than Teeter. Wow.
I have found that Whole Foods has some cakes which are a bit more palatable when you read ingredients. For example, from their website, here are the ingredients for their carrot cake:
Carrot Cake Ingredients: Carrots, evaporated cane juice, canola oil, eggs, rice flour, potato starch, raisins, walnuts, natural vanilla flavor, salt, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon.
Whole Foods also states: "We never allow artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or trans fats in any of the products we sell."
While baking at home is best, sometimes I just do not have time. Up north, I found local, mom and pop bakeries and used them - they tend to bake like we do at home - but down in NC I haven't found many of this kind of bakery. Whole Foods bakery makes for a reasonable alternative for my family. Often, they bake on-premises or nearby. When it comes to foods that are prepared, I tend to buy at Whole Foods (although I still read ingredients, as some of the choices made are not what I include in our family's diet). I also feel like special birthday cakes are a only a 'few times a year'. Still, perhaps WF is also a reasonable option for others who live near a WF?
FoodBabe says
Choosing to buy a WF's cake isn't the worst option. Just beware not all WF's cakes are created equal. The one you posted doesn't look that bad, some others have posted some with margarine, egg replacer and cellulose (wood pulp!)....
Laura says
We got our cake for my sons first birthday from Whole Foods (Harry's Farmer's Market) this is the ingredient list for the yellow cake and the chocolate cake, I checked them with your list, what do you think of these ingredients?
(from their website)
Yellow Cake
Ingredients: Evaporated Cane Juice, Eggs, Margarine ((Natural Oil Blend (soybean, palm fruit, canola and olive oils), filtered water, pure salt, natural flavor (derived from corn), soy lecithin, lactic acid (non-dairy, derived from sugar beets), colored with annatto extract)), Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Applesauce, Vanilla Extract, Egg Replacer ((Potato starch, Tapioca Flour, Leavening (Calcium Lactate(non dairy derived), Calcium Carbonate, Citric Acid), Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, Methylcellulose)), Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cornstarch, Monocalcium Phosphate), Xanthan gum, Salt.
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients: Evaporated Cane Juice, Eggs, Margarine ((Natural Oil Blend (soybean, palm fruit, canola and olive oils), filtered water, pure salt, natural flavor (derived from corn), soy lecithin, lactic acid (non-dairy, derived from sugar beets), colored with annatto extract)), Cocoa, Rice Flour, Applesauce, Tapioca Starch, Potato Starch, Vanilla Extract, Baking Powder (Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cornstarch, Monocalcium Phosphate), Egg Replacer ((Potato starch, Tapioca Flour, Leavening (Calcium Lactate(non dairy derived), Calcium Carbonate, Citric Acid), Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose<----what is this?! , Methylcellulose)), Xanthan Gum, Salt.
thanks! hoping for a reply!
danyelle says
Look up CBS 60 minutes sure on natural and artificial flavors.....what is egg replacer and why are they using margarine and lecithin....
FoodBabe says
Whole Food's cakes are obviously a step above the cakes mentioned in this post - but I still feel like they are very processed especially since they use margarine vs. an unrefined oil or butter, egg replacer vs. real eggs and other ingredients like "natural flavor." The cellulose is a filler ingredient made from wood pulp. It's in all sorts of stuff and it's a cheaper way to bulk out a product vs. using real food ingredients. I've noticed Earth Fare cakes being a step above Whole Food's - if you have one in your area.
To learn more about natural flavor - check out this post from my blog - http://foodbabe.com/2011/12/01/chemical-warfare-with-natural-flavor/
Danyelle says
Ha! You had covered it after seeing it! It was disturbing. Did you see the natural strawberry flavoring... :(
Debbie says
Thank you for Lisa's post. Very good article. I have stopped buying cakes a few years back because my 12 year old daughter loves to make the cakes. Can you tell us how to make safe food coloring?
FoodBabe says
Check out the chart on this blog - It breaks down all the colors and how to get them naturally. http://melisann.hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Make-Homemade-Natural-Food-Coloring-Recipes-Using-Food-to-Dye-Butter-Cream-Frosting-Cake-and-Easter-Eggs
Melissa says
Wow! That is really all I can say. I just discovered propylene glycol due to helping a coworkers find ways to deal with her exzema. I just can not believe that something that is in deodorant and anti freeze is in cakes. Especially at Costco where they make everything in their bakery. Or at least that is the vibe they give off with their big kitchen.
FoodBabe says
Ha! I bet the take a big bag of pre-made mix and pre-made frosting out that is made in some chemical factory somewhere. It's the equivalent of us making duncan hines or betty crocker but worse...
I also used to have eczema, asthma and terrible allergies - They all went away when I cleaned up my diet. To read the story of how I made the switch to real food check this out - http://clclt.com/eatmycharlotte/archives/2012/04/04/eat-with-your-dollars-with-the-food-babe
danyelle says
I would like to add that baked goods do have longer ingredients bc of chemical reactions of rising, flaky, moist etc...making it at home may have a long list too but you know what they are and dont need a chemistry degree to decipher.
FoodBabe says
Are you referring to the baking powder ingredients?
Danyelle says
Well the ingredients necessary to make a cake in general. I use non aluminum powder, etc...but the ingredients on the mixes and storebought have things that you can even BUY in a grocery store! I have seen xantham gum though :) but most of it not...
Janet L. says
You know, I am not surprised. There is nothing worse than getting those awful tasting cakes for a party. The not so pretty cake you make at home taste always taste great.
Julie says
Thank You for this! I'm thinking I should print it out & put it up where I teach. So many parents have their children bring in store-made cupcakes for their birthdays. The frosting stains their faces for hours. What does that tell you?
I am all for good, clean home baking (and cooking). You know what goes in your food.
I'm making homemade carrot cake for Easter.
FoodBabe says
Feel free to post it anywhere and everywhere! Spread the good word Julie!
MMMMmmm and homemade carrot cake is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world.
Kristin says
Yikes, I knew to avoid propolyene glycol in personal care products, who knew I had to avoid it in baked goods. Thankfully my mom made all our birthday cakes growing up, so I feel obligated to do the same. I was planning to take a cake decorating class like she did to improve my piping skills, though now that I am trying to avoid artificial colors I am reconsidering the need. It is REALLY hard to make creative themed cakes and sugar cookies without the use of artificial food coloring. Sadly the natural dyes, are super expensive, have a short shelf life and don't have the extensive color pallet of Wilton. Thankfully my daughter had a snowman theme, so that involved mostly white frosting. My middle girl is getting a white cat cake. Hopefully they are all this easy. Looking forward to more posts from Vani!
FoodBabe says
Thanks Kristin for sharing your woes... There's a lot of beauty that can come from nature, maybe try to decorate your cakes with edible flowers, fresh fruit or dried fruit?
Jennifer says
Kristin I thought you would like this article http://shine.yahoo.com/spring-celebrations/8-ways-organic-diy-food-coloring-220600943.html
I also like the idea of using flowers on the cakes and some flowers can even be candied quite easily using natural sugar syrup and eaten as well :)
Kristin says
So interesting! A friend of mine ordered a birthday cake from the local Safeway BAKERY and was surprised when she stopped by to pick it up to find out that since there was a blizzard in Denver, the store didn't get their delivery of birthday cakes! I wonder how much is actually made in the so-called supermarket bakeries?
It was even frosted in Denver before it made the 6-hour trip to our city.
danyelle says
A lot unfortunately!
FoodBabe says
It was "preserved" probably longer than just that trip into the city!
danyelle says
Oh how I love cake with buttercream frosting... I make my own on occasion but I have used coloring to make character cake but for us at the same time eating once a year for a special occasion is not that bad, but some things can be cut out...usually all of the extra things come down to price and shelf life....we as Americans have to be willing to pay for quality not quantity.
I make cakes at home though if we want cake without all the junk. The things that bother me most are the parabens and poly propylene junk. Read the ingredients on a bottle of miralax... I did after seeing so many suggest it for bowel issues. Parabens are in lotions, shampoos, and other skin care in addition to food..it is a known carcinogen but we ingest it and slather it on us and our children. Food and all of it are very frustrating to me. W wonder why there are so many occurrences of asthma, allergies, autoimmune disorders, autism, psychological issues...look ast what we are doing to ourselves. I feel everyone has a tolerance for a certain alot but we ne ed to cut where we can.
danyelle says
I am sorry,for typos....autocorrect on swipe keyboard is difficult!
Allie says
danyelle--I came across this amazing-looking recipe yesterday . . .
"Refined-Sugar Free Vanilla Buttercream" (as in, no refined sugar, NOT sugar-free! LOL!!)
http://www.modernalternativemama.com/?p=8061
Danyelle says
That looks good...must try but I worry about cooking the eggs when doing those, I can do hollandaise pretty well with eggs, lemon and butter though! Maybe buttercream will be ok too!
FoodBabe says
It's interesting that you mention an over the counter med that also has these terrible chemicals. I try to stay far away from those too - going for a natural alternative whenever possible. Even shopping for cold remedies at natural food stores vs. CVS can save you from ingesting tons of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives added...
Danyelle says
It is frustrating! We eat well and have never had kids with bowel issues but I kept reading about Miralax and hearing about it, walked by a monstrous display at Walmart one day and had to read the ingredients. Gross. It is just all very disturbing. If I choose to eat something junky or "fake" it is one thing but I feel it is pervasive in our society and people think it is food! Like Whonu cookies...ahhhh I could on for days about it all!!LOL
Abby says
Propylene glycol is a laxative. It is the active ingredient in Miralax. It draws water into the colon in order to move things along. I think it's a great thing for people who need laxatives for some specific medical reason (people who are hospitalized and bedridden for long periods of time or on certain pain killers, both which can cause severe constipation), but the majority of people could do away with constipation if they ate real food. But this makes it that much more confusing--why is it in cakes?? If we ate enough fruit and veggies and whole grains, almost nobody would ever need propylene glycol!
Another comment for this article--in Texas it is now legal to sell baked goods. These 80-ingredients lists are all the more reason to buy from a home baker! I do use white flour and white sugar in most of my cakes, but can make them according to any special requests that I get. And even with white flour and sugar, at least there are very few ingredients in the cake and I know exactly what they are!
Abby says
P.S. I meant it is now legal to sell HOME-baked goods. It was never illegal to sell baked goods, that I know of ;).
Abby Smith says
Polyethylene glycol is a laxative. Nevermind! I confused propylene glycol with polyethylene glycol, which is the laxative...
Angi F says
Thank you so much for the post. I usually make our cakes but this post will have me NEVER buying a store bought cake ever again for any reason. We make ours from scratch too and they always taste amazing and we have come up with some great designs.
Mrs. Z's Wonderful Adventure says
I feel sick...that is so beyond disgusting....
Heather Novak says
GREAT article. My family buys bakery cakes, now wondering about them. Just found out the la di dah cupcake place in town uses regular box mix for the cakes!!! I usually skip box mix, kind of wish you covered that vs. from scratch. I make scratch cakes....so fun. Especially with two little girls. OOOH. Maybe I will blog that. YEAH! Tiny Red Kitchen...I will time and note cost and ingredient list to make a box cake vs same scratch cake....more later in that one!!!
FoodBabe says
Do it! It will be interesting to see the difference.
Joe Quinn says
As the father of four children we've hosted and attended many birthday parties.
In my opinion, the worst thing you can ever do is buy a cake or make a cake from scratch but used canned frosting.
The best cakes are homemade from top to bottom and highly decorated or themed to match the party.
These cakes have been treasured memories for them.
AND I know what's in the cake!
FoodBabe says
Couldn't agree more - those canned frostings are terrible! But so is cool whip!
Teresa says
My mom always made us cakes when we were growing up, even if they were out of a box. Now I make my own cakes because I don't want the junk out of the boxes. I know there's a long ingredient list on the box mix but even that seems better than those store cakes. And of course we're leaving to go to a birthday party in ten minutes...we'll see what kind of cake they have!
FoodBabe says
I curious to find out what kinda of cake they had! Keep us posted.
Veronica B. says
Great post! My daughter's birthday is coming up and I always have liked buying the most gorgeous (expensive) cakes. I was more preoccupied with making sure the look of the cake was exactly what my daughter envisioned than about what she was actually consuming!!! I'm so ashamed! This year I'll be making her cake and I told her we would be making it and decorating together and she was so excited. Hope she likes the results! Look forward to reading more from you Vani! Btw, you are GORGEOUS!!!
Veronica B. says
I purchase from a bakery, not a store. Maybe those are not so bad? I'm still making my own this year!
FoodBabe says
Thanks Veronica - you are so sweet. Yes, some bakery cakes are better than the supermarkets - but you've got to call and quiz them hard to find out! Emailing them works great too if you are shy ;)
Jennifer says
I became a self-proclaimed "cake snob" about four years ago, but not for the reasons listed in the article. Now, it's more for the reasons listed in the article. Several of my friends have said to me, "Oh, just get one from Sam's/Costco! They're just as good!" I'm here to tell you that they're not. This article says very clearly why they're NOT just as good.
Now, I buy real ingredients and use them. You CAN make a cake at home with SEVEN ingredients, and it tastes amazing.
FoodBabe says
Cake Snob?! I love it!
maria says
I absolutely hate to say this but I’m just shocked! I don't know why, I guess it's because I am a newbie at this (once I started having kids I started to wonder what's really in my food). Just when I think I'm getting the hang of it it's like "BAM!!" I don't purchase these cakes and honestly I don't really eat much cake in general but to see all this junk... Then I wonder the average person throws a birthday party for their kid and my kid goes and eats this crap. Now I know it's not very often but still it makes me cringe...
Thanks Lisa and Vani...you two are becoming my most favorite blogs! :)
FoodBabe says
Trust me - you are not alone - we've all been shocked at some point during this journey. Aren't you glad you know now though?!