nutrition what’s in your food?
In 2009, Britain insisted food makers take them out of foods marketed to kids. Te U.K. version of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, for instance, is now free of artificial growth hormones and colors. Better alternatives: Vegetable (or no) coloring. Try mac ‘n’ cheese that’s colored with annatto, derived from achiote seed. Vegetable-colored jelly beans (look in your bulk section, or try Surf Sweets) are better choices than, say, fake-color Skittles. Instead of blue yogurt tubes, offer kids plain or vanilla yogurt with granola, honey, or chocolate chips. And avoid rainbow- hued sports drinks; try uncolored coconut water instead. Artificial sweeteners. Controversial synthetic sweeteners
such as aspartame (Equal Classic, NutraSweet), acesulfame K, and sucralose (Splenda) don’t seem to work well for weight loss or diabetes prevention, the health issues for which they’re commonly marketed. In a recent study at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, drinking diet sodas increased waist circumference in humans; a second study found aspartame raised blood sugar levels in diabetes-prone rats. Better alternatives: Natural calorie-free sweeteners. Te herbal extract stevia, or rebaudioside A, has a long history of safe
WHAT’S NOT IN USDA ORGANIC FOODS
• Added trans fats • Artificial colors and dyes • Artificial flavorings • Artificial growth hormones and antibiotics
• Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) • Chemical fertilizers • Chemical food additives (such as artificial sweeteners)
• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
• High-fructose corn syrup • Preservatives like sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, and sodium nitrate • Toxic, persistent pesticides
use in foods. Te sugar alcohol erythritol serves as the base of sweeteners like Swerve, which provides an easy 1:1 replacement for sugar. Xylitol is another good option—especially in gums and mints because it fights tooth decay—but it can upset tummies in large doses.
Genetically modified organisms. Introduced without labeling into the U.S. food system in the 1990s, GMOs are now in the vast majority of packaged foods. (Governments in Europe, Japan, and other countries mandated labels because of a lack of research on long-term safety.) GMO-food consumption is now considered a risk factor for allergies, autism, ADHD, and asthma, says Charles Benbrook, PhD, chief scientist at the nonprofit Organic Center. If you see corn, soy, canola, cottonseed, or sugar (made from beets, not cane) on an ingredients label—and the product isn’t organic—you can assume it contains GMOs. Better alternatives: Non-GMO Project verified and USDA Organic foods. Organic regulations prohibit GMO ingredients. Also look for the Non-GMO Project seal (see
justlabelit.org), which means the food has met thresholds mandated in Europe.
Savor chocolate. Save our planet.®
Indulge in one of natureʼs most reliable pleasures while you help save the planet. 10% of net profits donated to support species, habitat and humanity.
INDULGE IN A CAUSE.
Learn more at
© 2012 Endangered Species Chocolate, LLC. All rights reserved. 52 deliciousliving | april 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60