Start Reading Ingredient Labels
This week’s challenge is probably one of the easiest to do. It is also the most eye-opening challenge of them all. This week when you do your grocery shopping, simply take a look at the list of ingredients on the items you are buying. I can guarantee you will be surprised at what is in some of your foods. I know I was and still am at times. I’m not asking you to change anything at this point (unless you want to be an overachiever). I just want you to get an awareness for what is in the foods you are buying.
Somewhere along the line, I learned to read
labels. What that meant was looking to see how many serving sizes are in my package and how many calories there are. As I got more sophisticated, I started to look at fat grams and sodium. That is it. If we are what we eat, then I had no idea who I was.
labels. What that meant was looking to see how many serving sizes are in my package and how many calories there are. As I got more sophisticated, I started to look at fat grams and sodium. That is it. If we are what we eat, then I had no idea who I was.
Take a look at the other part of the label. Not the health claims on the front, but the section on the back which lists all of the ingredients. Is there anything there you don’t recognize? Is there anything there you can’t pronounce? Are there more than 5 or 6 ingredients? Do you keep these ingredients stocked in your kitchen? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never bought bromic acid, propylene glycol, or MSG to have on my shelves. So, why is it in the processed foods that I buy?
One big reason is price. The big food companies can make more money if they substitute cheap chemicals for real food. As an example, the propylene glycol that I talked about…………when combined with corn syrup and artificial blue coloring is used as blueberries in bagels, muffins and breads. When this chemical science is used there is no need to worry about farmers getting the blueberries to the food manufacturers. There is no worry about the blueberries going bad. Saves lots of money. Now there is a bigger profit for the big food company. And, by the way………….propylene glycol is also used to winterize RVs and a de-icer at airports. Yum!
I’ll go into greater detail on some of the additives as the challenges continue. Right now just get started looking at those labels and asking yourself the questions that I mentioned. I don’t know which one of those nasty chemicals was making me sick, but when I removed them, I started feeling better within days. It has taken me longer to heal my body from the damage the chemicals had done to me, but I am definitely feeling better than ever now. I want that same Clean and chemical-free feeling for you and your family.Don’t forget you can join us on Facebook for more fun and support along the way. You can also follow us on Twitter @Jugglngrealfood if you are interested in learning more about the Real Food Movement. You can also follow our boards on Pinterest.
I started doing this a while ago. What struck me the most, and what still strikes me, is what is listed as ingredients. I've learned to make a lot more food from scratch at home as a result of wanting to keep my food free of weird chemical ingredients.
I agree Lisa. There are so many strange ingredients in processed food. You have to wonder why some of them are even there. I've found that cooking at home works best for me as well. I try to use as many whole ingredients as possible, but those tricky food people still get me at times.
Wow! Totally eye opening. I mean I have to admit I buy canned food for the price…I'm good at staying away from the boxed dinners for most of the week unless its mac n cheese night but yeah, I have no idea what Bromic acid is…and I'm kinda scared to know now. Thanks for this post. Stopping by from the Weekend Blog Post Showcase!
Heather from Mommy Only Has 2 Hands
Price is important so I've had to be creative and learn to chop a little faster. Small changes can have huge changes in health. I found that I could buy a lot of the same things if I just looked at labels and picked out the brands that had better ingredients. Knowledge is power. Thanks for sharing your experience with everyone.
Ok, here from the weekend showcase and I'll start looking at my labels. But not the chocolate labels- not quite ready to face that one. ; ) BB2U
I'll take it. I will let you know that I haven't completely given up chocolate either. I keep a bar of dark chocolate hidden from my family and dig into when the cravings hit. I have a huge sweet tooth and was pleasantly surprised that my change to real food really helped me with that. I'm still human though so I keep the bar of chocolate as a safety net.