Part 3 of my series on Healthy Grocery Shopping takes you on a tour of Safeway, and shows what I found while reading labels in the middle aisles of the store. Many of the products I picked up and photographed were foods I grew up eating regularly. I wish I could see the labels from the late 70's and early 80's to compare with today's versions.
(Did you miss Part 1 or Part 2 of this series?)
(Did you miss Part 1 or Part 2 of this series?)
Hamburger Helper, Beef Pasta Flavor Of the 26 ingredients on this label for Hamburger Helper, I had to describe everything except the pasta, wheat, onions and garlic. That leaves 22 things that need an explanation! The simple lesson here is to avoid buying anything with a long list of ingredients that aren't foods.
Once you've read about the nasty stuff in this box, I'll show you something even more startling! Read on and familiarize yourself with the list of stuff that's in there so you can avoid buying products with these "ingredients".
Once you've read about the nasty stuff in this box, I'll show you something even more startling! Read on and familiarize yourself with the list of stuff that's in there so you can avoid buying products with these "ingredients".
- Corn starch - this may seem harmless but corn starch is most likely GMO. Over 88% of US corn is now derived from genetically modified (GMO) corn. Unless it's organic corn, assume it's genetically modified. Read why that's bad in Part 1 of this series.
- Maltodextrin - a highly processed starch that also is often derived from GMO corn.
- Salt, the 4th ingredient in a long list; it's gotta be quite a bit of salt.
- Monosodium glutatmate, or MSG, is a flavor-enhancing food additive that the FDA regards as safe, but it's an excitotoxin that can have adverse reactions such as headaches, rapid heart beat, diarrhea, nausea and more. A recent study from John Hopkins published in the journal Neurology (26 April, 2013) found a link between MSG and poor sleep due to Restless Leg Syndrome.
- Love the food coloring! Not. Since July 2010, most foods in the European Union that contain artificial food dyes were labeled with warnings that said "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." Stop and think about that. You can also read this article to learn how food dyes are linked to cancer.
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) is produced by boiling foods such as soy (GMO!), corn (GMO!), or wheat in hydrochloric acid and then neutralizing the solution with sodium hydroxide. Does this sound like real food to you? Oh, I can't forget the best part, the acid breaks down the proteins into their component amino acids, one of which is MSG.
- Potassium chloride - this is a chemical compound that when combined with regular salt, is a flavor enhancer.
- Partially hydrogenated soybean oil (GMO!) - science has verified that partially hydrogenated oils (trans-fats) contribute to ill health, yet packaged foods continue to use them. They have to partially hydrogenate soybean oil to make it shelf stable. These man-made fats cause cellular dysfunction. Studies link trans-fats to cancer, diabetes, decreased immune function, reproductive problems, and more.
- Yeast extract, another flavor enhancer with MSG in it.
- Natural Flavor, the word "natural" is the most meaningless word on a food label. Consider is MSG again.
- Spice - code word MSG. Real food tastes good, my questions is why do they need so many flavor additives?
- Monoglycerides are used to blend ingredients that don't mix well, like water and oil. They may contain trans-fats (partially hydrogenated fats) but the FDA doesn't require them to be labeled as such.
- Sugar - mostly from GMO sugar beets, unless it says "cane sugar".
- Beef Stock - the cows were raised on an unnatural GMO soy/corn diet.
- Corn Syrup - GMO, again
- Disodium Inosinate - works well with MSG, this is getting redundant.
- Beef fat - the cows were raised on an unnatural GMO soy/corn diet.
- Sulfiting agents can cause a wide spectrum of adverse reactions including severe asthmatic attacks and anaphylactic reactions, they can be fatal.
- Soy sauce - GMO
- Silicon dioxide - this is actually sand. For real. It's used as a non-caking agent, and also it strenghtens concrete. FYI.
So, there you have one product off the shelf, which I would call a "food-like" substance that isn't really food.
The Most Startling Discovery
Now let's take a look at the common demonitors from the 24 random products I looked at while strolling 2 aisles at Safeway. Hamburger Helper and Safeways Homestyle Gravy are in a tie for getting an "x" in each box! :^(
Here's the chart of what I found to be significant (and scary):
Here's the chart of what I found to be significant (and scary):
Does that startle you? It should! Real food, as noted above, is meant to be nutritive and life promoting. Eating a diet of food-like substances that are made primarily of genetically modified (GMO) corn and soy, flavored with MSG, and colored with chemicals is not food; nor is it life promoting. Below, find all the labels I photographed in a slideshow.
