Last night I was watching an episode of NBC's Parks and Recreation, where Leslie opposes the sell of a locally made "energy bar" after realizing that corn syrup isn't very good for you after all. Unfortunately like many others she was initially blinded by the marketing of these said energy bars where the kids are running and playing dressed in athletic apparel, not taking note of the nutritional value. Take the above Gatoraid slogan, "Is it in you?"...Is what in me? Who knows what will be in me when I drink your "sport beverage".
And then today I met this gentleman who was telling me about his job at Lisanatti Foods, manufacturing Soy cheese and then he continued to go on about how healthy the products were. Immediately in my head I started thinking "Ehhhh Soy isn't ALWAYS healthy." But of course I didn't say this to him then, he was so excited about his job and their products I didn't want to ruin that for him. I did however look up Lisanatti's products and in their defense, they are in fact a very healthy supplier of cheese alternatives, not just limited to soy. They do not use any wheat or hydrogenated oils. And are local. They do however use casein to bind their products so not good alternative if you are adhering to the GFCF diet.
This got me thinking though about all of the things we consume in which we think are "healthy" for us because the ads say so. Like the rows of Cereal guaranteeing to start our day on the right foot? How often do we actually stop to read the back of the label? I will tell you now having become more conscience of ingredients I have counted three aisles in the grocery store today that I do not go down because they are shelf to shelf of things I would not let my child eat on a regular basis.
So as we embark on this journey the first step that HAS to be taken is you must become a label reader. It will seem daunting at first, my first grocery shopping trip on the GFCF diet took 2 hours and I left with only 2 grocery bags. Six months later I fly right through knowing which aisles to pass on by. You'll get there too!
Take from StrongLifts.com I have listed the 10 most deceptive foods and below each is an alternative in which I have found and the Child Approval Rating
1. Breakfast Cereals. Cereals are labeled healthy & nutritive and recommended for weight loss. Read the labels: cereals are often high in sugar & salt and their vitamin/mineral content is chemical based.
Healthy alternative: Mornings in our home are H-E-C-T-I-C! So a traditional omelete is out of the question. Some weekends what I do is make our own GF pancakes and freeze them. Vans sells a Wheat Free Waffle as does Trader Joes. The downfall is they contain juice concentrates and some soy. Or you can throw some frozen fruit in a blender and send them out with a smoothing. But, you should never send your kid to school on just carbs! So add an egg in there somehow or peanut butter on the waffle. My son misses milk and cereal but its just no longer an option, mom's foot is down. He's satified with the alternatives though.
2. Granola Bars. Granola bars consist of healthy oats & nuts. But they’re glued together with blood sugar raising ingredients like corn syrup. Some bars even contain chocolate chips, making them as bad as candy bars.
Healthy alternative:We love Clif Z Bar Organic Kids Whole Grain Energy Bars!
3. Yogurt with Fruit at The Bottom. Fat free doesn’t mean healthy. Labels tell you they contain added sugars, corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Same with fat free frozen yogurts which can contain 20g sugars per 1/2 cup.
Healthy alternative: plain unflavored yogurt mixed with fruit cut into pieces.
4. Bread. Convenient and tastes good, but not as healthy as you think. Whole grain or whole wheat means nothing. Dark bread can still contain corn syrup & trans-fats and eating too much bread will make you fat.
Healthy alternative: Ezekiel Bread, if youre going to do bread. For the GFCF Im still seeking a suitable bread alternative that doesnt disenegrate when converted to a sandwich or taste like cardboard. Like cheese, its just been omitted.
5. Sandwiches. Often labelled “fitness” or “light”, but containing sugar-laden salad dressings, little veggies & proteins and too much white bread. Freshness is questionable and you need the foot-long to fill your stomach.
Healthy alternative: make your own sandwiches.
6. Fruit Juice. Even 100% fruit juice has added sugars, usually fructose. Cans of fruit juice contain up to 38g sugar per 8oz. Excess fructose causes obesity, bad cholesterol, poor appetite control, etc.
Healthy alternative: home-made fruit juice or eat fruit.
7. Sport Drinks. Supposed to help you replenish electrolytes, carbs, etc. But it’s actually sugar water, with up to 30g sugar/serving. If you eat healthy and don’t drink 2 gallons water in 1 setting, you don’t risk water intoxication.
Healthy alternative: Water! We've also recently discovered Coconut Water, it has just as many electrolytes and pottasium without all the added junk like Gatoraid has.
8. Fast Food Salads. Contain sugar-laden salad dressings, croutons made from refined white flour or white floor pasta. In many cases you’re better off ordering a double cheeseburger than a chicken salad.
Healthy alternative: make your own salads.
9. Frozen Meals. Nothing is wrong with frozen veggies/fruits. But a lot is wrong with frozen meals often labeled “light” or “healthy”. They’re processed, high in sugar, and come with sauces & sodium. Avoid.
Healthy alternative: Generally Ill spend an hour or so in the kitchen a weekend making the weeks dinners and breakfasts and freezing them. Its nice cause I get all the mess done at once and the rest of the week its less stress when juggling sports and homework.
10. Diet Soda. Contain artificial sweeteners like the controversed aspartame. Do your research and decide if you want to take the risk.
Healthy alternative: Just like I say about Hamburger Helper, Soda in general is Child Abuse. Save it for special occassions only!
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