Thursday, December 10, 2009

Read the Labels

[Edited to add: This is a rant, and I apologize. Yesterday I had a serious case of homesickness for Italy so today crappy stuff in America is pissing me off. Tomorrow we will return to our regularly scheduled pre-Christmas, joy-focused programming. Thank you! :)]

When Jason and I went out to dinner last Friday night, I asked how a lot of things were prepared because I'm on this diet. The waitress was really nice and later on in the meal she told me that she'd lost 15 pounds by eating Special K Bars... she said she had one for breakfast and it filled her up so she didn't eat again until dinner.

I was skeptical but decided to check them out at the grocery store today when I happened to stroll past that aisle. The ingredients shocked me so much that I took a couple photos and I must share:


Okay, here's the item I'm talking about, the strawberry ones. I didn't look at any of the other flavors but I'm sure they're all similar. And what are the ingredients in this magical health food bar that will help me drop a pants size in just 2 weeks (advertised on the front of the box)?


They always try and confuse people with parenthesis, so let me break it down. Here are the ingredients, in order, with the parenthesis taken out.
  1. Cereal. Which seems fine, but the second ingredient in the parenthesis after rice? Sugar.
  2. Corn syrup. In case you don't know, corn syrup is what America started using in place of granulated sugar because it's cheaper and America has a crapload of corn. So corn syrup=sugar.
  3. Sugar.
  4. "Strawberry flavored fruit pieces," the first parenthetical ingredient of which is, you guessed it, sugar.
  5. Vegetable oil.
  6. Fructose. Fructose is a monosaccharide that's almost twice as sweet as table sugar; it's yet another form of sugar.
  7. Dextrose. Watch out for those ingredients ending in -ose; they're just sugar.
I'm not saying sugar is evil. I'm just saying that it's not a health food. The fact that this fake food crap exists and they market it as a diet food just makes me mad. Before I go off on a rant about how much money big food corporations spend on marketing and lobbying, trying to keep the American public fat dumb and happy, I'm just going to say, READ THE LABELS.

Love,
The Hippie Whole Foods Lived-in-Italy-and-Knows-How-Good-Real-Food-Is Crazy Lady

6 comments:

Unknown said...

I just saw a show on Rachel Ray on this yesterday! It is so disturbing-how things can be labeled a health food. I am sure why the waitress could exist on this all morning is due to her sugar high:) Seriously thank you for breaking this down for me.
I have a blog post request:) Please do share about Christmas in Italy:) All the details!!!!

Ingrid Parmeter said...

This afternoon, I bought a cheap, plastic radio with the name, "I can save the Environment". That is the radio's name. And how am I going to do this saving of the environment? By buying plastic electronic goods from China? Yeah! That must be it!
I am such a good person for doing my part for the environment.

I don't know if there is a name for the fakey health food labeling, but I am getting really upset by the green-washing of consumer goods. Marketing is an evil empire.

Sooz said...

amen sista. I am guilty of NOT reading the labels - thanks for the reminder. : ) you are my hero!

Anonymous said...

I think the blog world keeps me sane because i can find people WHO THINK JUST LIKE ME! and then i don't feel like the ANTI-WALMART HEALTHCARE FOR ALL RECYCLE EVERYTHING BUTTER IS EVIL crazy lady.... :) merry merry, d

Anonymous said...

Hi Cameron, Sheila here, not sure if you'll remember me I'm Debi Ellis' cousin we met in the hotel hallway during Inspired (you found her sewing machine). Anyhoo...love your blog, loved loved the European Market and the glass ornaments (my crack) love Mark Wallburg and I love and work for Whole Foods Market...do you shop there? If so which one do you go to, just curious...have a great day and keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

Hi Cameron, Sheila here, not sure if you'll remember me I'm Debi Ellis' cousin we met in the hotel hallway during Inspired (you found her sewing machine). Anyhoo...love your blog, loved loved the European Market and the glass ornaments (my crack) love Mark Wallburg and I love and work for Whole Foods Market...do you shop there? If so which one do you go to, just curious...have a great day and keep up the good work.