There are lots of ingredients in processed foods that I try to avoid, but the number one ingredient is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS can be found in almost anything; from canned tomatoes to children’s apple juice. Because corn is one of the most subsidized products in America, you can find this highly sweetened, processed product in just about everything.
Continue reading “Beware of High Fructose Corn Syrup”
You could easily say that a “gluten-free” diet has become a trendy thing to do, but is it really a diet that people should follow? Is it something that should be adopted by everyone? Should you really spend ten dollars for a little loaf of gluten free bread? And what even is gluten, and why is it so “bad”?
Many people that are on a gluten-free diet don’t even know what gluten is, and why it is supposedly bad for you. This Jimmy Kimmel video sums up most people’s idea of what gluten is…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdJFE1sp4Fw
Unfortunately, this video is quite accurate of the general knowledge gluten. Most people don’t understand why they are not eating it, and this can be dangerous for people to cut something out of their diet without full research and understanding.
So what is gluten, and is it really necessary to eliminate it from your diet?
Gluten is a protein that is found in some grains (primarily wheat) which provides stretch and binding in the product the grain is in. Unfortunately, gluten can often get added to almost anything to provide texture and consistency so it can be difficult to identify what contains gluten.
Continue reading “My Thoughts: Gluten”
Sometimes picking up a food product and trying to read the food label can be very confusing. Many people don’t know what to look for, or what everything means and then end up choosing foods that may not be very healthy. I thought I’d share with you guys what I look for, and what I think are the main things you should look at when reading a food label. Here are a few things you should take a look at when checking out a food label:
**Start at the top (servings per container)…
Many food products are packaged to look like they are one serving size, when really it may be several. Take a look at the serving size, as well as the servings per package. The servings per package will let you know how many people/servings is in the whole package.
Example: This item has two servings that are one cup each. So this item is two cups, and is meant for two servings.
**Look at the fat (saturated and trans fat/calories from fat)…
Continue reading “Deciphering the Food Label”
In the winter time, fresh produce is often difficult to find and afford. Also, our lives can get pretty busy, and we may not have a bunch of time to spend on cutting up fresh fruits and vegetables. So when you can’t get fresh produce or don’t have time to prepare it, what should you do? Buy it frozen, or buy it canned?
Here are my thoughts on these two options:
Canned foods may be cheap, but you are losing lots of nutrients when you buy canned foods. Often times the foods are cooked at a high temperature, causing it to lose many of its nutrients. Canned foods are also packed with salt and preservatives in order for it to stay “fresher” longer. Also, canned fruit is usually canned in syrup that has a bunch of added sugars that you don’t need. So, in other words….canned foods are probably not your best option. But things like beans, beets, and pumpkin are fine to buy canned, just make sure you RINSE the beans and beets to remove as much salt/preservatives are you can. Rinsing goes for any canned foods you eat, always always rinse off canned produce! Rinsing removes preservatives, sugars, salts, and other chemicals they may be on the food.
Continue reading “My Thoughts: Frozen or Canned?”
theplantedvegan.com 