That which we call food by any other name would taste as sweet...
"Everything in moderation" is usually okay advice when it comes to you diet; but now days, there are things put in our food that should really never enter our mouths. There are thousands of ingredients making their way into your food that are simply put, not food. The best advice now, quite simply, read. Read the ingredient list on the packages. Can’t read/pronounce it? You probably shouldn’t consume it. Here, a list of “foods” that really aren’t food.
When Peanut butter isn’t peanut butter
When it has anything other than “Peanuts and oil/salt” in the ingredient list. “Peanut-flavored sugar oil” probably wouldn’t sell, but it’s more accurate a name than your average peanut butter. What shouldn’t contain added sugar typically has at least two types, plus partially hydrogenated oil (code for trans fat).
When Bacon isn’t bacon
Bacon isn’t the healthiest staple to begin with. But eating using the “everything in moderation” approach is okay. When it’s not okay is when it contains everything except bacon. Ever wonder what’s in bacon bits? Not bacon. Bac’n Pieces™, for example, has 12 ingredients, lots of unpronounceables, and not one ‘bit’ of bacon. Ingredients: Textured soy flour, canola oil, salt, caramel color, maltodextrin, natural and artificial flavor, lactic acid, yeast extract, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate (flavor enhancers), and FD&C Red 40.
When Lemonade isn't lemonade
When it doesn’t have any lemons in it. Even if life doesn’t give you lemons, apparently you can still make lemonade. This powdered lemonade drink mix ingredient list mentions nothing about a lemon, but plenty other random things. Because nothing cools you off in the summer quite like Yellow #5. Ingredients: Sugar, fructose, citric acid, contains less than 2% of maltodextrin, natural flavor, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium citrate, magnesium oxide, calcium fumarate, soy lecithin, artificial color, yellow 5 lake, tocopherol (preserves freshness). Contains soy.
When Orange juice isn’t orange juice
When it contains anything other than “orange juice”. Plain and simple, there should only be one ingredient listed. Fruit concentrates are basically syrup, usually added to drinks and foods as additional sweeteners.
When Tea isn’t tea
When it’s SoBe. Tea, tea+water. It's the easiest recipe on earth, yet they manage to cram 11 ingredients and no less than five weird extracts into their green tea. It’s a shame, because in it’s pure form, green tea is packed with antioxidants. Ingredients: Filtered water, sugar, natural flavor, citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), green tea extract, caramel color, Reb A (purified stevia extract), guarana seed extract, panax ginseng root extract, rose hips extract.
This is just a small list of foods that really aren’t what they appear to be. There are thousands of others that contain lists of chemicals and carcinogens. So instead of advising “everything in moderation”, take these facts into consideration and eat “according to the ingredient list. The fewer the list, the better. And make sure you don’t need a chemistry degree to read and interpret what it is.
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