Thought it would be time to become conscious about reading food labels with the new year. Most of us are far too trusting when it come to packaged and canned foods. Here is one example of what I am talking about:
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Packets Fruit and Cream Variety:
In front of me is a box containing 10 individual packets of oatmeal. There are two strawberries and cream packets, two blueberries and cream packets, 4 peaches and cream packets and 2 bananas and cream packets.
To the casual eye, even when you open the packets it looks like dehydrated strawberries, blueberries, peaches and bananas. IT ISN'T.
(TO BE FAIR to Quaker oats since they have been around since 1877, they do spell it out right on the front of the box in smaller print that the fruit is artificial and it is simply flavored to taste like the real thing.) They also do make a variety of other all natural oatmeal without flavorings which is what I am going to be eating from this point on.
Let's take the strawberries and cream FLAVORED PACKETS FOR EXAMPLE:
Again KUDO's to Quaker oat since the first ingredient is whole grain rolled oats.
The second thing listed is SUGAR
The third thing listed is flavored and colored fruit pieces (in this instance your strawberry packet is actualy dehydrated apples treated with sodium to promote color retention)
Then they list artificial strawberry flavor, citric acid, Red -40, creaming agent (maltodextrin, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, whey, sodium caseinate, salt, calcium carbonate, guar gum, artificial flavor, citric acid, niacinamide, reduced iron, vitamin A palmitate, pyridoxine hydrocholoride, , riboflavin, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, contains milk ingredients.
In the other packets which I am not going to fully list here, the blueberry packets are blueberry colored fruit pieces (dried figs and corn syrup solids).
The Peaches and Cream package the peaches are actually dehydrated apples with artificial flavor and colorings
The bananas and Cream lists "banana flake powder". I can't comment on that one since I am NOT sure what that means.
Please don't think that I am picking on Quaker Oats Company. If you read enough labels, you will soon find out they are on the better companies out there and at least the first ingredient is "WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS". I like that. I grew up on Quaker Oats. I like Quaker oats.
I have just decided for myself to become more LABEL CONSCIOUS and IF a product I am already eating exists in a more natural healthier form without all the artificial ingredients, dyes, and especially HYDROGENATED OR PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS etc. then I am going to buy the natural product.
In fact, I just happen to have a box of Quaker 1-Minute oats on hand. Here are the ingredients:
You are going to LOVE this............are you ready?
The number One ingredient is: ROLLED OATS
The number two ingredient is: NONE listed, ZIP, NADA, , ZILCH.
If you do the math on this you can buy 42 ounces of rolled oats without all the dyes, chemicals, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavorings etc. along with (fresh in season) OR a frozen bag of real blueberries, or strawberries etc. for a LOT less money than you can buy the instant artificially flavored product.
Each 10 packet box of the instant microwaveable flavored packets contains a total of 12.3 ounces of oats and the big carton contains 42 ounces and costs around 30% of what the 4 boxes of instant costs at least locally where I shop.
Wouldn't you really rather have the REAL thing with fresh or frozen fruit than all those artificial INDIGESTIBLE dyes, food colorings, artificial flavors, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils etc.?
Think about it. Read the labels for yourself and next time you go shopping for your family's cereal, buy the rolled oats and the fresh or frozen fruit.
Dan
Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue"
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