November 18, 2009

Healthy Food

What is healthy food?

It is so hard to know these days because of marketing and the new idea of "natural". Lays Potato Chips started marketing their potato chips as Natural because of this new craze. Did they change their recipe? No, it is still sunflower oil, potatoes and salt. But is that really healthy?

Also if you just read the packing, it can be misleading. Just because the box says it contains "whole grains" it might not contain as many as you think. If I am looking for a whole grain cereal or bread the first word on the ingredients list must be "whole grains" not enriched whole wheat flour. They are not same. Enriched whole wheat flour is similar to white flour - none of the good stuff is still there. Also if I am looking for something healthy the second ingredients or third or fourth for that matter cannot be sugar. Sugar is in everything. Why - because it helps the shelf live of the product. Check out bread - do you put sugar in your bread when you make it at home? Maybe just a little bit to help the yeast but not enough for it to be listed as the second ingredients.

Here are two links I found to help you figure out what really is healthy eating.
30 Healthy Foods That Are Not

Healthy Eating

2 comments:

Melissa said...

Thanks for the links. Sometimes I think the packaging is misleading and I hate not knowing!!
I figured out that your blog doesn't crash my home computer, just my work one. WOO HOO!

Heidi said...

Very interesting! I guess it is a good thing we don't really eat at restaurants very often, although it is nice sometimes to not have to cook or do dishes and go out.