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
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!
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 (might contain 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
Gina says
What are your thoughts on "all natural" Popchips????
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Gina. I'm not familiar with them. I would have to see the ingredient list to be able to comment. Jill
Diana says
I was glad to see that I was already aware of the sketchy ingredients in most of these things! :)
You mention that whole wheat pasta should contain only one ingredient (the whole durum wheat). I've seen pasta like that in stores and thought that ingredient list couldn't possibly be quite true. Is pasta just wheat and water? (And are they not required to list water in the ingredients?) I've made homemade pasta before and it called for an egg, but maybe not all pasta is egg pasta? If you know, I'd love to hear your answer! :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Diana. I can't answer your question for certain because I am out of the whole wheat pasta (the BioNaturae brand that Lisa uses as well). There is a recipe for pasta though that you may want to try and, you are correct, it does call for eggs. https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/09/01/recipe-butternut-squash-ravioli/. Sorry I couldn't give you a more definitive answer. Jill
Karen says
No, not all pasta is egg pasta - only the products that list it (and they have to list egg since it's a allergen). And water doesn't have to be listed because the pasta is dried out, effectively removing the water.
Kristy says
I enjoy your blog and love your advice and the information you provide, especially the misleading products. It would be great if you could add more to the list and what to use instead, like butter spreads, cereals, etc... Thank you for informing me and educating me. You have changed my family of 6's eating habits.
Sara K says
I am guilty of buying some of the above, thanks for reminding me to continue to be more informed when I try to make healthy food for my family. I make great homemade ranch dressing, but lots of recipes my family enjoys call for ranch dressing packets. Any ideas on how to make it "dry" at home? Thanks!
Kristin says
Not sure what recipes you are using the ranch seasoning for. If it is something like chicken, couldn't you dredge the chicken in buttermilk or mayo, then sprinkle it with the herb blend you use for your own ranch dip. Otherwise, I would think you could just add the herb blend from your own ranch mix to recipes, possibly replace some of the liquid called for with buttermilk if appropriate as well.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Sara. I would try the dry ingredients from this recipe here...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/12/01/recipe-ranch-flavored-dip/. Jill
Dr. Mark Smith says
Another home run. You do a great job at busting out the truth. So many people are misinformed about what goes in our food. It's overwhelming, really. But there is a reason our country is racked with disease, and all this hidden nonsense in our food is part of it. The simple advice I give people is that if it comes in a wrapper, bag, or box...you don't want to eat it. Great post!
Martha says
A greater part of our country's chronic disease is caused by animal foods, meat, eggs, dairy. If you're a medical doctor, please read T. Colin Campbell's "The China Study", and or Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease", a similar title by Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Joel Fuhrman's "Eat to Live", etc. All share a whole plant foods basis. All have copious references to peer-reviewed scientific research reports indicating that whole plant foods are more than sufficiently nutritious, animal foods are toxic to the body in many ways and promote heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. You owe it to your patients to inform them. So many diseases are lessened or cured by this style of eating.
Dr. Mark Smith says
While I agree that dairy is harmful, I have to disagree that animal meats and eggs are dangerous as long as they are chemical free. The human body was genetically designed to eat meat, although I advise patients to make this about 5-10% of their diet. There is ample research supporting the benefits of the healthy fats found in animal products. I will indeed check into these books. Thank you for the recommendation.
Martha says
Genetically designed to eat meat? Hmmm. Certainly not genetically designed to capture and rend prey. Can we survive on meat. Apparently, yes, for a while, in some cases even for long lifetimes. But, as the prevalence of those chronic diseases indicates, not healthily.
Campbell's longtime work with rats in which cancer was initiated with aflatoxin, indicates that diets with casein, milk protein, less than 5% of calories, did not promote cancer, but bumping percentages over 5% made the cancers grow again. You're fairly safe with your 5%, but getting in the danger zone with 10%. (I think his using humans in those experiments would have been rather frowned upon, and it would have taken him several lifetimes to accumulate the data that he did with the rat subjects.)
Dr. John McDougall, The Starch Solution (hadn't yet read his book at my previous posting), describes the presence of atherosclerosis and other chronic diseases in Egyptian mummies. Only royalty and the wealthiest would have been mummified, and only royalty and the wealthiest would have been eating meat (maybe an occasional fish or fowl, probably considered poached). Don't think they were putting any dangerous chemicals in that meat; if so, I suppose the pharoah's tasters would have sucumbed and probably not been mummified.
I don't think there are any healthy fats in animal foods, even chicken containing cholesterol. What is that ample research supporting the benefits of the healthy fats found in animal products? But I'm not qualified to debate this issue. Try posting that information on any of the named gentlemen's websites.
All of these doctors cite studies indicating that lifelong vegans are the healthiest populations.
Bored says
GEt over it. AMericans want cheap quick food and then complain none stop that in contains things they don't recognize. WELL DUH.
How do you think these items have shelf life? How do you think these things are so cheap?
Get over it - stop complaining. Make your own.
The Sadder But Wiser Girl says
HA! I have been throwing a fit for awhile about Nutella. My mom bought it for my picky eater because he won't eat peanut butter (or much of anything for that matter). I couldn't get over how much sugar is in it! He was honest "Mom I don't like it because it's too sweet." Good boy. What happened to the Nutella? His mother ate it all-straight from the jar. Evil, pure evil! I even wrote a blog post about it! I won't be buying that again!
Cathy says
The current issue of Bon Appetit (December 2012) also has a great recipe for hazelnut spread. Creamier and richer than the Weelicious one, with butter and cream in it. The recipe calls for sugar, but you can sub a less processed sweetener, of course. I used organic cane sugar and used less than the recipe called for.
Eliza says
Dear 100 days, I am fairly new to your blog,but let me say 'thank you'--I love all the advice, information,& encouragement you & your team provide. I have become much more aware of labels thanks to you. This weekend I looked at the ingredients of Nilla Wafers...I became interested because the packaging says 'simple goodness' on the box under the name. 'Simple'--LOL!! This sweet looking box contains white flour, sugar, soybean oil, HFCS, PH-Cottonseed oil, 'natural & artificial flavor, mono- and diglycerides, & soy lecithin! If you ever do a Misleading Part II, consider the innocent looking Nilla Wafer!
Kristin says
You should try making your own with white whole wheat flour. http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-whole-wheat-vanilla-wafers
They are really yummy. Though they still have sugar in them, (I use organic brown sugar) so they qualify as a dessert in our house. Also, if you ever need a vanilla wafer crust, you can pat the dough into your desired pan and bake it that way, saving time and the added butter.
Martha says
Those used to be named Vanilla Wafers. They changed the name when they took out the real vanilla.
Vanessa says
I bought Nutella for a peanut butter replacement for my younger son who is allergic to peanuts. We have since found a nut butter that he likes and I think I will be throwing away the rest of that Nutella! I had no idea that I was essentially putting frosting on my child's sandwiches!
Thank you for sharing this information. While we don't use most of the items that you mentioned, it does make me more aware to check labels before I buy food. I'm looking forward to learning more about replacing processed foods with healthy ones!
Kathy Webb says
Hi Lisa. I know many people I would like to share some of your postings with via e-mail, but I don't see an option for that?
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Hi Kathy - I just added the "share this" button at the end of posts. Hover over it and you will be given the option to share via email (among other methods). Happy sharing :)
Lori B. says
I laugh at people who comment trying to attack you guys who are trying to educated and protect us. Those exact people are the ones that I want to just say,... "Your right, just keep eating as much of that as you want." "The large food companies care about you and the rest of us are just stuck up snobs." "Yep, THAT is what is happening here."
I wouldn't care at all if these fools were not knowingly killing their children in the name of "Special Treats" and jacking up our healthcare costs!!!! Keep up the great work and these chemicals will ironically weed those fools out "naturally".
Critical Reader says
Although I agree with you, that most of the products you have listed are junk, barely any of them are actually misleading. Misleading would be, when a company promises you something on the front label or in a commercial, but the ingredient list tells you something completely different. For instance, a jar of pesto is labeled as "Original Italian Pesto" and you find in the ingredients sun flower oil, cheap cheese, and hazelnuts, then I would feel tricked. From your examples, the commercials for Nutella is misleading (BTW, it contains 13 % hazel nuts and 7.5 % milk powder). Hershey Strawberry Sirup I find misleading too. Clearly NOT misleading are the Wheat Crackers. With no word or picture does the company claim, that whole wheat is used. You can't just denounce anything as misleading if it doesn't fit your taste/eating habits. All the other products contain way too many ingredients and I would not buy them, but they are not really misleading. The surprising thing is, you can buy the same product in other countries and they only contain a fraction of the ingredients.
Cool Whip - the first week I moved to the US I took a picture of cool whip and sent it home, because I could not believe that you can buy pre-made whip cream.
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Critical Reader - The point of this article is not to say "How could these food companies do this to us?!" but rather to educate people that these are some products that can easily trick the average consumer (even if just by the appearance of the package). While you or I would look at that box of wheat crackers, read the ingredients, and then make an informed decision on whether to buy or not, a lot of people don't even read ingredient labels. We get about 50% new readers every month, and try to provide information that speaks to our broad audience at various stages in their real food journey.
It does anger me though that food companies have different formulas for the same products in different countries, as you mention. I am all for capitalism but the influence food companies have on our government policies in the US disgusts me. But this blog is focused on practical ways to avoid processed foods, so we don't get into the political side of things much here except through guests posts/interviews.
Melissa says
Just a small clarification, the ingredients are listed in descending order by their weight, not volume. So maltodextrin being the first ingredient in OEP's taco seasoning doesn't mean that there is more of it in the mix than any other ingredient, it just means that whatever amount that's in it is heavier than anything else... 2 chickpeas weigh more than probably 5 tablespoons of dried parsley, so they would be listed first. Not saying that taco seasoning shouldn't be free of maltodextrin, I also believe that it's misleading for food companies to list ingredients in order of weight simply b/c it would take a chemist to figure it out, but if you're going to pose this as a threat to health it should be posed with accurate information.
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Hi Melissa - I'm no chemist but I am a mechanical engineer, and I have to respectfully disagree with you. We understand that ingredients are listed in descending order by weight...that's how you know how "much" of an ingredient is there. And yes, since maltodextrin is listed as the first ingredient, the product does contain the most of that ingredient. Ingredient lists are standardized this way and it is not deceptive. Here's an FDA link about ingredient labels. It would be much more confusing if ingredients were listed in order by volume. For example the dried parsley you mention could be 5 tablespoons in one product and 4 in another if the leaves were more finely chopped and therefore more compressed (but they could have the same weight).
Kim @ What's That Smell? says
It's so terrible what they put in food that people just don't realize. It really is so easy making many of these things yourself from scratch.
Colleen (www.fresh-you.com) says
Hi Lisa! For sure, I don't want most of these "foods" in my house or in the tummies of my family! Companies are allowed to be so deceitful. Still, while plus pasta contains a non-whole grain first ingredient, it at least has a lot of great ingredients (lentils, chickpeas, flaxseed, barley, spelt, oats, egg whites, and oat fiber). It's high in fiber and protein, and probably due to the semolina content, it tastes a lot more familiar to the average American. So they are choosing a healthier option compared to most. I think you will appreciate some other "pasta" alternatives besides whole wheat pasta: http://fresh-you.blogspot.com/2012/06/pasta-is-good-for-you.html ...the Jerusalem artichoke pasta is "durum semolina" so that's too bad, but at least it offers inulin, an ingredient that promotes healthy bacteria in our bodies! Thanks for the really cool interview in the previous post! Dr Campbell of the China Study would be a great person for Jason to interview next! Thanks as always for your super blog!!
Kristin says
I agree, sometimes families need to start with part whole grain pasta before going to 100% whole wheat. Barilla whole grain is a good option. It is 51% WHOLE grain wheat and contains only 4 ingredients, whole grain durum wheat flour, semolina, durum wheat flour and oat fiber. Not to mention, 6 grams of fiber per serving. I realize the second and third flours listed are white, but Barilla whole grain pasta is still better then regular white pasta. It is a good transition pasta when going from white to 100% whole wheat.
Chris says
Thanks so much for opening my eyes on all of this. Common sense is to look at the label but I rarely even glance at it - thanks again it was a great post
Robin Jingjit says
Hahaha... i guess those quaker oats guys did say we should "imagine" a bowl of steamy strawberry oatmeal. You just keep imagining that it's strawberry the whole time you're eating it.
Holly says
only two things on the list we ever eat -- the crackers which are still better imho than others and the Nutella which isn't going away anytime soon :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Holly. A couple of readers have posted homemade recipes for Nutella if you're interested. Jill
Aggie says
Really great post. Food labels shock me every day. I will be making my own taco seasoning from now on, too easy not too! Thanks for this
Vinny Grette says
Informative, as usual. Shows how important it is to read the labels! I've found phoney blueberries in many processed foods boasting blueberries. Really!!! I've posted a homemade nutella that is delicious with just 2 Tablespoons maple syrup for sweetener n the whole recipe(plus the sugar in the chocolate). Haven't run the recipe through a calorie tracker yet, but plan to do so for all my recipes - Keep up the good work! - http://cookupastory.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/hazel-tames-the-giant-nutella/
Karla Archer says
happy to say that I was already aware of these things.
Kristel says
I have been making my own taco seasoning for years now. It's so easy, and tastes just as good as the store bought, but not bad for you! My recipe has a few more spices than yours does. I love that you show alternatives to the things people take for granted.
Blueberry says
I have almost never used convenience products. Compared to making your own, they come with a horrendous price tag. Dollar wise and health wise. I'm not a pushy 'do-this-not-that', but holy gosh. This information has been out there for years. It's personal responsibility. Manufacturers depend on the public being gullible and are we ever. JUST because you read it in the paper or hear about it on TV doesn't make it true. They have marketers and psychologists on staff. Slick marketing campaigns work. They know what sucks people in. And they laugh at us. All the way to the bank.
Jane Scruggs says
I commented on facebook also, but here you may see me better--you mentioned Great Harvest bread as an alternative to Arnold. I thought Great Harvest used HFCS in its bread. Am I mistaken? That would be great if I am!
Jason Leake with 100 Days of Real Food says
Hi Jane - Our location uses a small amount of honey, but after reading their website it sounds like you should verify the sweetener used at your location. Apparently different franchises may use slightly different ingredients. http://www.greatharvest.com/bread/ingredients.html
Jane Scruggs says
Thanks Jason! I'll ask. It's really close by and I'd love to patronize them.
Jane Scruggs says
Hey Jason, my local bakery got back to me. Here's what they said when I asked them about baking with HFCS: Only in our sweet bread like apple scrapple and cinnamon swirl. We only use a small amount in these bread.
So, good to know! I'll message them now with a follow up asking them to try using a different sweetner.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jane. No, Great Harvest does not use HFCS. According to their website, the only ingredients in their honey whole wheat are whole wheat flour, yeast, salt, water and honey. Jill
Jane Scruggs says
Thanks Jill--check the thread above. It depends on the franchise.
Jane Scruggs says
Jill, it's all explained in the comments above (in the comment thread on the blog page). As Jason suggested, I contacted my local franchise. They told me that they do use HFCS in their sweeter breads.
Beth in TX says
Great post! The Hershey's syrup really gets my goat because I have a friend in England who buys candy for me for special occasions (European laws don't allow all they stuff into food items that the FDA allows here) and one time she included some strawberry syrup for milk. Guess who it's made by? And guess what's in it? Real strawberries! Absolutely burns me up that they have the ability to do it and yet choose not to because they aren't forced to.
Kristen says
Such a great post! I used to use foods like this without even thinking about it. It took me 6 months to realize that it was these foods that were giving my toddler constipation, keeping her from sleeping, making her itchy, giving her pins and needles... As soon as I took away processed foods, she slept 2 hours a day more and was so happy. And most of the doctors don't even think that a change in diet will make any difference like this. I love that you give a great real food alternative. It's one thing to say that something is bad, but you're not going to change anyone without a good solution. Thank you! This is so helpful!
tiffany says
Funny that you included bread crumbs because it's the most recent thing I was turned off to. I've made my own breadcrumbs, but was going to buy spme because it's quicker. I actually put it back and told my husband that's too many ingredients for BREAD CRUMBS!
We also make our own taco seasoning, which my husband prefers :)
Jennie says
Thank you for this. I'm an avid label reader, and you still opened my eyes to a lot (fake strawberries, what the heck?!?).
What do you think of the palm oil in Nutella? Isn't it one of the least healthy oils, as well? It does make a very tasty hot cocoa... :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jennie. Yes, as you guessed, Nutella is not a product we would promote. The palm oil, sugar and artificial flavor are all red flags. Jill
Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama says
My kids love lemonade -- made with fresh lemon juice and raw honey. We don't use much honey and we tend to like things mildly flavored so it's mostly water anyway. (Even if we bought store-bought "better" lemonade we would water it down a lot.) Sometimes we add a pinch of real salt and then it's a sports drink stand-in.
I also make chocolate hazelnut spread at home on occasion and usually use grade B maple syrup to sweeten. With a little real cream too it's great. The kids eat it like frosting. (Not that I make it that often, but I do love chocolate and hazelnuts!) I also saw a brand at Whole Foods today called Justin's, and it's expensive $10 for a 16-oz. jar) but it's made with much better ingredients -- if you just want a treat and don't want to make it.
I like to make a big batch of taco seasoning all at once and keep it in a mason jar -- so easy.
Sometimes we blend homemade kefir with strawberries and honey and we call that "strawberry milk." (It's pretty tart though!)
I make soaked whole wheat bread when we need bread...and also use that for breadcrumbs (which I keep in the freezer) and stuffing.
We stick to brown rice pasta mostly (ingredients are brown rice and water). Trader Joe's has a great price on it.
I just bought a half gallon of grass-fed heavy cream, which I will be using for real whipped cream for a fruit dip as well as apple pie topping! (And making butter.) Love that stuff. It isn't cheap, but it's a wonderful treat. My kids love that too. In fact, we like to make our own apple pie filling, then soak oats and sometimes nuts and make our own apple crisp (low-sugar, with sucanat). We top this with real whipped cream. It's a super yummy and fairly healthy breakfast!
There's very little that's "safe" in a grocery store. But there are SO many yummy and easy options at home!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Kate. Thanks for sharing such wonderful ideas with us and our readers! Jill
[email protected] says
Whoa! Great post. There's always an alternative. Some of these products are downright scary.
Robin (RsIslandCrafts) says
Wonderful post. Nutella is actually being sued for misleading people about the nutritional value of their product.
Amy says
Thanks! What a well written and informative post.
Another one to look at is the mighty tortilla shell. Flour, water, oil, correct? The ingredient list on the ones on the grocery store shelf is so long that it fills up most of the (large) space on the back.
And people who see nothing wrong with these foods also gross out over hot dogs because they aren't sure what was ground up in them.
Prairie Mother says
Great Post! I was happy to find that NONE of those foods (or anything similar, except pasta) are in my kitchen :)
Sarah says
Great list. Thank you!
As you point out, whole foods are best, but as I've tried to find healthier treats that travel well for my toddler, I've been offended by the popular organic brands trying to fool parents with "dehydrated organic cane juice". Just call it what it is - sugar. On a quick scan, which is what most of us only have time for, the word "sugar" doesn't show up, so we feel good about finding a healthy snack for our little ones. It's technically not dishonest, but it's definitely purposefully misleading.
Heather Johnson says
I went on a tour of a plant that made instant oatmeal and they said that ALL flavors are actually apple with the powdered flavoring squirted on top.
so if you want something real out of it - you should only eat the apple flavor.
Pattie says
This should be required reading. Thanks for the great post!
Alisha says
The Justin's hazelnut spread is much better! Still a treat but not nearly as bad as nutella!
Melissa @ My Whole Food Life says
Thanks for the great post! I have been finding out about these products recently and actually wrote a blog post quacker oatmeal. It makes me so angry that they are trying to deceive consumers. Honestly, I used to buy the Back to Nature brand of crackers. That was one that shocked me the most. Thanks fordoing all you can to bring this to peoples attention. :) Love your blog.
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says
This is such a great post! Sharing now on Twitter :)