Smart Choices” Food Labeling Program Halts over FDA Concern is an article on the Huffington Post website that discusses the FDA cracking down on food labels that may mislead consumers into thinking they are getting more health benefits from products than what they truly are. The Smart Choices program, which was started in August and includes major food giants: Kellogg Co., Kraft Foods Inc., and General Mills Inc., was intended to highlight foods that meet certain nutritional standards so that consumers would be more likely to make healthier choices when purchasing food products. The boxes of these approved food products are marked with a green check mark.
The Smart Choices program had seemed like a good idea until some of the products marked with these labels went under investigation and were found to be highly processed and to contain large amounts of corn syrup. Until the FDA conducts their own investigations, the officials associated with Smart Choices have, according to Nick Sabloff, agreed to “postpone active operations and not to encourage wider use of the logo while the FDA investigates labeling issues.” Also according to Sabloff, “The FDA said it is working to define the criteria manufacturers must meet to make certain nutrition claims on product fronts and will design a standardized system to help consumers select healthy foods.”
After reviewing the Smart Choices website, and seeing some of the foods marked with this label in grocery stores, I agree that some greater restrictions should be enforced on what products can and cannot be labeled as smart choices. However, I do think that the idea of the program as a whole is great because in this day and age consumers need to be led in the correct direction as far as the consumption of healthy food is concerned. Seeing that the Smart Choices program displays such things as calories, I believe it is a step in the right direction. The journey to a healthier lifestyle has to start somewhere, and this could be it.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Fat-Free Ice Cream. Seriously?
Upon first sighting fat-free ice cream in the grocery store, I was a little excited. Ice cream, one of my favorite guilty treats, had now become fat-free. As I opened the door of the freezer section and began to reach for this new fat-free ice cream, common sense finally took over and made me wonder what the catch to this seemingly healthy ice cream was. My first instinct was to compare the nutritional labels between the original chocolate ice cream and this new fat-free chocolate ice cream. In comparison of calories, the fat free ice cream had 90 compared to the original 140, and the fat calories were reduced from 60 in the original to 0 in the fat-free. Next I compared grams of sugar because a lot of fat free foods jack up sugar content to compensate for taste after removing fat: 16 grams in the original and a surprising 13 grams in the fat-free. After a moment’s thought, I decided to compare the ingredients. Busted.
The original chocolate ice cream contained seven ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, cocoa (processed with alkali), whey, natural tara gum, and natural flavor. The fat-free alternative however contained 16 ingredients: skim milk, sugar, poly-dextrose, corn syrup, maltodextrin, cocoa (processed with Alkali), propylene glycol, monoesters, mono & diglycerides, cellulose gum, natural flavor, carob bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, annatto (for color), vitamin A palmitate, and ice structuring protein; of which 4 of the top 5 were some variation of sugar. Not only that, but the fat-free version is made up of so many different types of gums and additives that it makes me wonder if this supposed fat-free ice cream is even ice cream at all, not to mention wondering what color ice cream makers were trying to cover up by adding the annatto.
I would definitely not recommend this product to anyone because the only resemblances it makes to ice cream are that it is in a container labeled ice cream, and it contains milk and sugar. Clearly the best alternative to this product would be to abstain from ice cream; however, when one’s sweet tooth becomes too much to handle, it’s simply better to stick to real ice cream and enjoy it in moderation.
The original chocolate ice cream contained seven ingredients: milk, cream, sugar, cocoa (processed with alkali), whey, natural tara gum, and natural flavor. The fat-free alternative however contained 16 ingredients: skim milk, sugar, poly-dextrose, corn syrup, maltodextrin, cocoa (processed with Alkali), propylene glycol, monoesters, mono & diglycerides, cellulose gum, natural flavor, carob bean gum, guar gum, carrageenan, annatto (for color), vitamin A palmitate, and ice structuring protein; of which 4 of the top 5 were some variation of sugar. Not only that, but the fat-free version is made up of so many different types of gums and additives that it makes me wonder if this supposed fat-free ice cream is even ice cream at all, not to mention wondering what color ice cream makers were trying to cover up by adding the annatto.
I would definitely not recommend this product to anyone because the only resemblances it makes to ice cream are that it is in a container labeled ice cream, and it contains milk and sugar. Clearly the best alternative to this product would be to abstain from ice cream; however, when one’s sweet tooth becomes too much to handle, it’s simply better to stick to real ice cream and enjoy it in moderation.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sugar Cookie Recipe
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. lard or shortening
2 c. sugar
2 Eggs (Extra Large or Jumbo)
1 c. sour cream
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
4 c. flour
Mix together, until smooth. Chill 4-6 Hours. Roll and Bake @ 375 degrees for 10-12 min.
Frostening:
4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. real butter
2 t. white vanilla
1 t. almond extract
2 T. milk
Dilute frostening with milk as necessary to obtain desired consistency.
This is the recipe I used for my How-To project on how to roll out and cut out sugar cookies.
1/2 c. lard or shortening
2 c. sugar
2 Eggs (Extra Large or Jumbo)
1 c. sour cream
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
4 c. flour
Mix together, until smooth. Chill 4-6 Hours. Roll and Bake @ 375 degrees for 10-12 min.
Frostening:
4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. real butter
2 t. white vanilla
1 t. almond extract
2 T. milk
Dilute frostening with milk as necessary to obtain desired consistency.
This is the recipe I used for my How-To project on how to roll out and cut out sugar cookies.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
My Adventure With Pasta
For this blog assignment, I chose to prepare whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce. The first thing I did in preparing for this meal was to ride my moped to the grocery store where I purchased the following ingredients: whole wheat pasta, bottled garlic and basil flavored tomato sauce, and some shredded parmesan cheese. After paying for my items, I placed them in my backpack and rode back to my dorm. Once I arrived at my dorm, I checked out a large pot with a lid, a small saucepan, and a large spoon from the main desk. Next I ventured to the kitchen on my floor and washed all of my checked out dishes, trying to avoid any previous germs left on them that may make my fellow eaters or me sick. Now, dishes clean, and food at hand, I was ready to begin preparing my meal.
First I filled my large pot with water and allowed that to come to a rolling boil before adding some salt to the water. It is always best to season your food in layers. Once the water returned to a boil, I carefully dumped the box of pasta in the water. By following the directions on the box, the pasta needed to cook for 11-13 minutes for al dente pasta, which is what I like to eat. After about 6 minutes in of cooking my pasta, I emptied the contents of the tomato sauce into the small sauce pan to heat up, stirring both occasionally for the remaining of their cooking times.
After the eleven minutes, the cooking was finished, I drained the water off the pasta, plated it, topped it with the hot tomato sauce and shredded cheese, and served it to my roommate and a couple of other friends.
I I had fun going to the grocery store as well as making the meal because I enjoy cooking. I also enjoyed eating the pasta more because I made it, and I appreciated the time that I spent making it. I agree with Michael Pollen that eating has become more of a nutrionalism concern; however, I don’t think it takes part in the majority of my meal eating, but rather the small portion of time when I have to grab food on the go. Obviously pasta and tomato sauce is not the healthiest food in the world, but I made it because I enjoy the taste of pasta and the company of those who I can enjoy a sit down meal with.
First I filled my large pot with water and allowed that to come to a rolling boil before adding some salt to the water. It is always best to season your food in layers. Once the water returned to a boil, I carefully dumped the box of pasta in the water. By following the directions on the box, the pasta needed to cook for 11-13 minutes for al dente pasta, which is what I like to eat. After about 6 minutes in of cooking my pasta, I emptied the contents of the tomato sauce into the small sauce pan to heat up, stirring both occasionally for the remaining of their cooking times.
After the eleven minutes, the cooking was finished, I drained the water off the pasta, plated it, topped it with the hot tomato sauce and shredded cheese, and served it to my roommate and a couple of other friends.
I I had fun going to the grocery store as well as making the meal because I enjoy cooking. I also enjoyed eating the pasta more because I made it, and I appreciated the time that I spent making it. I agree with Michael Pollen that eating has become more of a nutrionalism concern; however, I don’t think it takes part in the majority of my meal eating, but rather the small portion of time when I have to grab food on the go. Obviously pasta and tomato sauce is not the healthiest food in the world, but I made it because I enjoy the taste of pasta and the company of those who I can enjoy a sit down meal with.
Chicken or Chicken?!
As a child growing up in a small community where my grandmother owned a farm, every fall we would butcher chickens, so I always had plenty of fresh chicken to eat at home.
After turning five and entering the school system, my real chicken eating patterns began to decay. It was here were I got my first tastes of chicken nuggets, chicken patties, chicken strips and so on. Anything with white meat on the inside and a coat of brown seasoning on the outside could be made out as something chicken. Although the fake chicken smells similar to real chicken, it doesn’t quite taste the same. The fake chicken has a lot more salt and seasonings, along with that slight bit of greasiness that we all enjoy, which makes it taste better. Perhaps its better taste is also a subconscious positive association made from the social environment of numerous new friends while first enjoying the fake food.
When the nutrition facts from a typical chicken patty are compared to a serving of the real chicken, one can realize that the real chicken is definitely a better option. The chicken patty has 29% fat whereas the chicken only has 8%. Chicken patties contain 9 grams of protein in relationship to the same calorie amount of real chicken that has 43 grams of protein.
I would love to go back to eating real chicken all of the time, simply due to its nutritional values; however, in our current society real chicken is rarely an option. It is so much easier to access fake chicken via fast food restaurants or our local commons, than to actually go to the grocery store, pick out a chicken breast and prepare it. After I have a kitchen and the time needed to prepare chicken, I will no doubt go back to eating real chicken, but until then, Chicken products will have to do.
After turning five and entering the school system, my real chicken eating patterns began to decay. It was here were I got my first tastes of chicken nuggets, chicken patties, chicken strips and so on. Anything with white meat on the inside and a coat of brown seasoning on the outside could be made out as something chicken. Although the fake chicken smells similar to real chicken, it doesn’t quite taste the same. The fake chicken has a lot more salt and seasonings, along with that slight bit of greasiness that we all enjoy, which makes it taste better. Perhaps its better taste is also a subconscious positive association made from the social environment of numerous new friends while first enjoying the fake food.
When the nutrition facts from a typical chicken patty are compared to a serving of the real chicken, one can realize that the real chicken is definitely a better option. The chicken patty has 29% fat whereas the chicken only has 8%. Chicken patties contain 9 grams of protein in relationship to the same calorie amount of real chicken that has 43 grams of protein.
I would love to go back to eating real chicken all of the time, simply due to its nutritional values; however, in our current society real chicken is rarely an option. It is so much easier to access fake chicken via fast food restaurants or our local commons, than to actually go to the grocery store, pick out a chicken breast and prepare it. After I have a kitchen and the time needed to prepare chicken, I will no doubt go back to eating real chicken, but until then, Chicken products will have to do.
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