Food Babe Family - Header

10 Grocery Store Items You Should Never Buy Again (Plus the good alternative swaps!)

Earlier this month on my Facebook page, I asked you to share your biggest “ah-ha” moment when you started to read ingredient lists. I asked this question because I’m curious about what opened your eyes to the processed chemicals the food industry is dumping in our food.

There were over 1,500 responses on Facebook to my question, and I tried to read every single one of them. I found your comments insightful, really encouraging, and some were really funny! I’m glad to see that so many of you are changing your eating habits and reading ingredient lists! I saw several recurring ah-ha moments (the same ones I had when I started my journey), so I am summarizing the top 10 most popular ones here for you to share with your friends and family, just in case they haven’t had these “ah-ha” moments yet. You might even see your own ah-ha moment quoted below! If you didn’t already know about any of these major offenses at the grocery store, this will also give you tips for what to look out for next time you’re shopping.

10 Grocery Store Items You Should Never Buy Again:

1.  Pickles & Relish That Contain Artificial Food Dye

  • “WHY do they need to add artificial chemical coloring? Same with everything that adds chemical for coloring. It’s just WRONG” ~ Sara
  • “Pickles started a food change in my house when I realized my children couldn’t even eat a pickle without eating yellow #4 & #5. Totally changed how we eat!” ~ Tracy
  • “Yellow #5 in my Pickles…huh?? Why on God’s green earth is that in there?!!” ~ Carrin
  • “There’s Yellow-5 in Mt Olive dill pickles!!” ~ Josh and Erika
  • “Food dyes. It’s even in pickles! Really?!?! Couldn’t understand that one. Grandmas pickles were always green and she never used yellow #6” ~ Becky
  • “This week it was Vlasic dill pickles, which we usually keep a giant jar of. Why do pickles need food coloring?” ~ Julie
  • “Dyes. Especially items like food coloring in pickles. Um, WHY?” ~ Heather
  • “Pickles have yellow #6! WTH?? Why??” ~ Amber
  • “Why do we insist on putting artificial colors in everything?!! Pickles aren’t supposed to be fluorescent!!! Nature colors things beautifully on its own!” ~ ChelsLyn
  • “Food dye in pickles..idk why but it pissed me off” ~ Tina
  • “Relish…would never have thought there would be food coloring in relish. Blech!!!” ~ Kim
  • “Omg pickles?” ~ Vanessa

Recently I looked at every single jar of pickles in a conventional grocery store, and only found one brand that didn’t contain artificial yellow food dye. Of course, there is no real reason to add dye to pickles, as it’s just used to make them look prettier and gives us no other benefits. Artificial colors are linked to health issues and have been banned or require a warning labels in several other countries – so food manufacturers often take them out of their products in other countries. Most pickles contain Yellow #5 or #6, which have been shown to contribute to childhood behavioral problems.  Better Store-Bought Alternative:  Real Pickles (brand) organic pickles, Woodstock organic pickles.

Pickle Ingredients

2.  Canned Soups With MSG!

  • “That all my favorite soups have MSGs in them”. ~ Teresa
  • “When I compared a cream of chicken soup label to a recipe & realized how basic & easy it is to home-make with only 4 ingredients!…I literally got angry!!” ~ Brandi
  • “I ate my usual Dr MacDougalls lentil soup today and then noticed it had “yeast extract” in it. Seriously??? Hidden MSG in “healthy” soup?? Ugh!!!” ~ Andrea
  • “High fructose corn syrup in canned and boxed tomato soup. I couldn’t find any available product without sugar, so I had to make my own!” ~ Sara
  • “When I realized that the chicken bullion I put in my soup was basically a block of msg.” ~ Kelly
  • “Just how awful most canned and boxed foods are. And how extensive the naughty list is. I used to keep “cream of” soups in the pantry and use them in my casseroles. I just can’t bring myself to do that anymore.” ~ Christine
  • “Campbell’s chicken and stars soup – shocked it has High fructose corn syrup and MSG! Never giving this to my kids again!” ~ Candice
  • “Soy in 90% of soups in grocery stores” ~ Melanie

MSG (aka Monosodium Glutamate) is a really common ingredient in packaged soup, along with hidden MSG ingredients like hydrolyzed protein and autolyzed yeast extract. These flavor enhancers trick your brain into eating more than you should and have been linked to headaches, obesity, depression, and mental disorders.  Better Store-Bought Alternative:  Amy’s Organic Lentil Soup or make your own like I do. Here’s a recipe for one of my favorites – carrot ginger soup.

Soup Ingredients

3.  Salad Dressings That Are Full Of GMO Oils!

  • “Salad dressings!! They all have soybean oil!!! And basically how EVERYTHING has soy in it” ~ Sierra
  • “Gluten in salad dressings” ~ Davi
  • “Yellow food dye in Italian salad dressing. Why?!?!” ~ Neeka
  • “Can’t eat salad dressings because of soy/canola oils. I now must get over it and make my own.” ~ Norma
  • “MSG is in a lot of foods even salad dressings no wonder I was getting migraines! I’m highly sensitive to it” ~ Caroline
  • “That nearly every salad dressing has Xanthan gum or guar gum in it.” ~ Susan
  • “SOYBEAN OIL and/ or canola in every single salad dressing or mayonnaise!! We just make our own now.” ~ Melissa

This is why I make my own salad dressing.  It’s super easy to whip up a vinaigrette at home to avoid dumping GMO soybean oils all over your healthy salad. You might be surprised to know that even salad dressings that say they are made with olive oil (like Wishbone Olive Oil Vinaigrette) typically contain soybean oil as a main ingredient. Almost all store-bought salad dressings also contain emulsifier ingredients to help them stay blended on the shelf, but don’t do anything good for your health. Better Store-Bought Alternatives:  Raw Foodz Salad Dressing (not available everywhere), Hilary’s Eat Well Salad DressingWilderness Family Naturals Salad Dressing. If you are a Food Babe Eating Guide subscriber, you’ll get a new (and easy) salad dressing recipe every month as part of the plan. Check it out here

Salad Dressing Ingredients

4.  Bread That Has Way Too Many Nasty Ingredients!

  • “Many packaged breads and baked goods contain L-cysteine—a non-essential amino acid made from dissolved human hair (often from China) or duck feathers (mmmm). Food manufacturers use the ingredient as a commercial dough conditioner, meant to change the texture of breads and baked goods.” ~ Arthur
  • “High fructose corn syrup in bread.” ~ Sean
  • “Color and corn fructose in my 100% whole wheat bread. Argh” ~ Vanessa
  • “GMO corn syrup in bread.” ~ Krystl
  • “High fructose corn syrup in “light” wheat bread.” ~ Katie
  • “Bread! Such a simple food is now a health hazard if purchased in most grocery stores.” ~ Farmhouse Blues Interiors
  • “High fructose corn syrup and the long list of ingredients that go into bread.” ~ Arushi
  • “Once I started noticing all the products (Baked items/Breads) that have Azodicarbonamide in them. Since quitting eating foods with that my respiratory issues have gone away. SO glad I found out about that horrible, unnecessary ingredient being put in food.” ~ Trae
  • “Bread…something you think is a simple staple” ~ Laurie
  • “One thing that drives me nuts it bread with 30 ingredients! Wth! It should have maybe 5! Egh!” ~ Jacqueline
  • “How about store bought bread?! Can you believe all of the “stuff” that is in it?! Homemade is sooooo much better for you. Time consuming, yes, but way better for you!” ~ Darcy

It’s nearly impossible to find bread at the store without dough conditioners (like the yoga mat chemical azodicarbonamide), added sugars, artificial colors and GMOs – which is ridiculous because it really only takes 4 ingredients to make bread. Although I don’t eat a lot of bread, when I do I don’t want to be subjected to unnecessary and harmful ingredients.  So, I generally stick to sprouted grain breads or gluten-free varieties that are made up of primarily seeds and healthy grains like millet and quinoa.  Better Store-Bought Alternatives: Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain BreadManna Gluten Free Ancient Grains Bread. Here’s a list of more clean ingredient breads.

Slide2

5.  Coffee Creamer That Is Full Of Trans Fat!

  • “Coffeemate coffee creamer. Omg???!!!!!!! Switched to organic half and half this week.” ~ Homaira
  • “Coffee creamer…..silicon dioxide anyone?????” ~ Miriam
  • “Coffee creamer. So gross to even think about how much of that I’ve consumed!” ~ Julie
  • “Coffee creamer. I now make my own with all organic ingredients and couldn’t be happier!” ~ Cara
  • “Coffee creamer…still breaks my heart!” ~ Crista
  • “You’ve opened my eyes with carrageenan..I had no idea! I was drinking it every morning in my organic coffee creamer!” ~ Kate
  • “Creamers with carrageenan!!” ~ Brandi

When I found out that Coffee-Mate Non-Dairy Creamer’s primary ingredient was partially hydrogenated oil I was disgusted. Millions of people are dumping deadly trans fat into their coffee every morning. Sure, they only use a bit in their coffee, but would anyone pour themselves a full glass of it? Of course not. Yet, they’ll eventually consume the entire container. This is the perfect example of why I think the motto “Everything in Moderation” is bogus. A FDA loophole allows Coffee-Mate to claim that it has no trans fat because it contains less than 0.5 g. per serving, although their “serving size” is only 1 tablespoon. According to the CDC, trans fats are linked to 7,000 deaths and over 20,000 heart attacks! Better Store-Bought Alternatives:  Coconut milk – it’s thick and creamy and most only contain 1 or 2 ingredients if you stick to the culinary version like Natural Value and Native Forest. You can also make your own coconut milk by combining 1/4 cup coconut manna and 4 cups water into a blender. Blend on high for 1-2 mins and keep milk in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

CoffeMate Ingredients

6.  Baby Formula That Contains Corn Syrup!

  • “Baby formula. I was so upset I gave my kids this after I read what’s in it.” ~ Jennifer
  • “Baby formula. For some the first ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. Ugh !” ~ Mary
  • “Baby formula really made me angry when it had to become my daughters main source of food!!” ~ Krista
  • “Corn Syrup in organic baby formula” ~ Carolina
  • “Baby formula! Poor little ones! The victims of industry.” ~ Alle
  • “Domestic baby formula. After I stopped breastfeeding at six months I wanted to find an organic formula that was free from ingredients that I discovered infants should not ingest. I was disgusted by what was included in the ingredients – even organic formula. I now purchase a formula from the U.K. as they don’t allow those same crap ingredients in baby formula.” ~Becky

It’s outrageous that most conventional baby formulas in the store contain GMOs and milk from cows treated with antibiotics or artificial growth hormones. Even organic formulas aren’t perfect, and can contain carrageenan, synthetic preservatives, refined sugars with detectible levels of arsenic, and DHA extracted with hexane. As put in this guest post by Nutrition expert, Charlotte Vallaeys other options include donor milk and this recipe from the Weston A. Price FoundationBetter Store-Bought Alternative:  Baby’s Only Organic Formula and HiPP Organic Formula.

Baby Formula Ingredients

7.  Canned Tuna That Has Hidden Soy (GMOs)!

  • “Canned tuna in water may contain soy.” ~ Jeanne’
  • “Soy in cans of solid white albacore tuna. Wtf.” ~ Hillary
  • “I can’t believe gmo corn and soy is in everything!!! Please look at tuna. Why does it need soy?” ~ Christie
  • “Tuna “packed in water”–which is actually broth, which contains soy!” ~ Diane
  • “Soy in everything!! Even my tuna! WTH???” ~ Linz

Tuna is not a main staple in my diet because the practices largely used in the industry aren’t sustainable and are endangering marine species. Couple that with the fact that mainstream tuna brands typically pack their tuna in a soy-based vegetable broth, and not actually in “water” like it says on the front of the can. If you like to occasionally eat tuna, seek out a brand from a sustainable fishery that uses pole & line (and troll-caught) fishing methods, preferably from North American waters and packed without additives in BPA-free cans. When tuna are pole & line caught they are younger and much smaller, so they do not have the high mercury content that is found in most regular tuna. Better Store-Bought Alternative:  American Tuna (brand) MSC Certified Sustainably Caught Albacore Tuna and Seafare Wild-Caught Tuna.

Canned Tuna Ingredients

8.  Soda That Is Full Of Artificial Ingredients!

  • “Diet coke (and other diet sodas) being chemical nastiness in a can! Went cold turkey 4 years ago and haven’t been tempted once since that day…when you know better, you do better” ~ Andi
  • “Ginger ale isn’t really healthy..all pop (soft drinks) are just chemicals!” ~ Elizabeth
  • “Aspartame will cause seizures in those prone to them. For me: No diet coke=no seizures.” ~ Allisa
  • “I will also never regret the day I gave up diet coke!!” ~ Katie
  • “I had a “lightbulb moment” about the huge bottles of diet coke I’d drink daily. I had no idea that they were robbing me of my bone density. I quit that day and had another bone density test a few months later and it was amazingly wonderful. I never looked back.” ~ Chris
  • “Mine was when I saw the women’s heart association label on Diet Coke cans several years ago. Made me think that’s like cigarette companies putting lung association labels on the package. Food/ drinks that come with warnings of what it contains….like gum, diet pop ….fair warning..it’s toxic.” ~ Beth
  • “Aspartame. I use to be obsessed with diet coke and thought I was making a better choice cuz it was diet” ~ Denean
  • “Hansens “natural” sodas containing artificial sweeteners in the diet varieties.” ~ Amber
  • “It wasn’t what I read on a label, but giving up sodas has been an eye opening experience. I get full faster and I have no sugar cravings any more. Although I was drinking diet sodas I am amazed at how that crap was influencing my diet.” ~ Laurie
  • “Boiling soda just once. Never drink another one.” ~ Thomas
  • “Years ago when I worked in a marine store and sold ‘Fozz’, which is used to remove rust from metal. Then reading the ingredients in Coca Cola, which has the same ingredient: phosphoric acid! I stopped drinking soda from then.” ~ Maggie

A common ingredient in regular soda is high fructose corn syrup, which has been shown to be processed by your body differently than regular cane sugar. According to a 2007 study, high fructose corn syrup contains “astonishingly high levels of reactive carbonyls”, which are not present in table sugar, and these carbonyls are believed to cause tissue damage, and may contribute to the development of diabetes. Even more disgusting is the use of chemical artificial sweeteners (like aspartame and sucralose) in diet drinks, as these have been shown to stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and promote weight gainBetter Alternatives:  Homemade REAL Ginger-Ale, homemade iced tea or Kombucha. 

Soda Ingredients

9.  Very Controversial Ingredients That Are In Cereal!

  • “Aspartame in Fiber One cereal” ~ Erica
  • “BHT in so many cereals” ~ Jenny
  • “I started noticing BHA & BHT in the kids cereal and various other foods and looked it up. I found out they are carcinogens and banned in just about every country but ours.” ~ Michelle
  • “Breakfast cereals….BHT, sugar, preservatives…and many more. GROSS” ~ Rachel
  • “Kashi cereal. Wondered what was on it to keep you full. First ingredient is soy. Now what to do with boxes i have. … throw away or donate and let this poison feed someone else? I think i just answered my own question…” ~ Rochelle
  • “The amount of sugar in cereals I thought were healthy, & serving to my kids!” ~ Traci
  • “Paint thinner in children’s cereal” ~ Kim
  • “TSP in cereal!” ~ Michelle
  • “Life cereal has RED FOOD DYE?” ~ Heather
  • “Seeing BHT in almost all cereals. What? WHY?” ~ Don and Jen
  • “Six different names for sugar (sucrose) in the ingredients list for a cereal, to hide the fact the main ingredient is SUGAR.” ~ Emilia
  • “Fiber One original cereal. I just couldn’t believe I ate that junk for so many years almost daily with skim cow milk. Now I read the ingredients in all their new products and just hope nobody buys them.” ~ Jeezus

To think that this childhood morning staple is loaded with artificial colors, GMOs, preservatives, refined grains and sugar, makes me sick. One of the worst ingredients in many cereals is the preservative BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene).  It’s a known human allergen that has also caused tumor growth in animal studies. Due to serious health concerns, it’s been banned or restricted in several countries, yet it’s widely used in cereals here in the U.S. Better Alternatives: Oatmeal, Parfait PorridgeTwo Moms In The Raw Plain Grain Free Cereal (gluten-free), Homemade GranolaEzekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal & Qi’a from Nature’s Path.

Slide09

10.  Juice That Is Full of Junk!

  • “My 9 year old went from a juicebox a day to water. She sometimes asks for juice but when I look at the ingredients i put it right back.” ~ Ana
  • “Corn syrup!! They put this in juices. Lol.” ~ Lorraine
  • “Naked juice, just crushed!” ~ Tawny
  • “Pasteurization kills all the benefits of orange juice and real fruit juice :(“ ~ Carol
  • “‘Natural Flavoring’ = corn and/or corn derivative to which I am highly allergic. I am not allergic to apples or cranberries; however, I had to take a Benadryl after drinking Mott’s-advertised and Ocean Spray-advertised 100% pure juices. I reported this to the FDA requesting that these juice companies cease advertising their juices as 100% pure.” ~ Diane
  • “Most orange juices now have natural flavors! That is just crap! We don’t need this crap in our orange juice!” ~ Nan
  • “Naked juice… Something that’s supposed to be great for you is full of junk.” ~ Kate
  • “All the crap in kids’ “juice” drinks.” ~ Heather

Most of the juice at the store is just glorified sugar water. They’re often made from concentrates, which means that the fresh juice has been heated down to syrup and reconstituted with water. During the concentration process, natural nutrients and flavors are lost, so they add those back in artificially. Even “100% Juice” often contains proprietary natural flavors that may be derived from anything natural, including animals. The juice is then heated up a second time to be pasteurized, which also denatures enzymes and destroys nutrients. So, after all that processing, it’s really not worth the money.  Better Alternatives:  Suja Essentials Line that is cold-pressed and organic or try making your own, this Ravishing Red Juice is a great one to start with! Also if you are looking for alternatives to Gatorade, please check out these ideas.

Juice Ingredients

Help Others Avoid These Pitfalls – Share This Post! 

I hope this post inspires you to choose better alternatives at the grocery store or to start making your own homemade versions of this overly processed food! If you know someone who could benefit from these swaps, please share this post with them. Thank you for changing the world with me one person, one product and one company at a time. 

Xo,

Vani

P.S. If you like investigations like this, you will love my books. In my #1 best selling book The Food Babe Way – I teach you even more ways you can break free from the hidden toxins in your food, lose weight, look years younger and get healthy in just 21 days. In my 2nd book, Feeding You Lies, I blow the lid off of the lies we’ve been fed about the food we eat – lies about its nutrient value, effects on our health, label information, and even the very science we base our food choices on. And, my first cookbook, Food Babe Kitchen, contains over 100 mouthwatering recipes to show you how delicious and simple it is to eat healthy, easy, real food. Available anywhere books are sold.

Food Babe Family - Book
Food Babe Grocery Guide

Sign Up For Updates

And Get A FREE Healthy Grocery Guide Sent To You Now!

Find out what to buy and where at the top grocery stores near you

Posts may contain affiliate, sponsorship and/or partnership links for products Food Babe has approved and researched herself. If you purchase a product through an affiliate, sponsorship or partnership link, your cost will be the same (or at a discount if a special code is offered) and Food Babe will benefit from the purchase. Your support is crucial because it helps fund this blog and helps us continue to spread the word. Thank you.

343 responses to “10 Grocery Store Items You Should Never Buy Again (Plus the good alternative swaps!)

  1. I noticed you said HiPP Organic Infant Milk is good. One question in the ingredients has Soy Lecithin, that is GMO???

      1. I always wondered this, I thought that it had to say 100% organic to be totally organic and if it says organic that it can have a very small percentage of non organic ingredients in it.

      2. Organic and even Certified Organic do not mean that is it not GMO. You can start with a GMO seed and grow according to Certified Organic standards. It needs to say non-GMO verified or non-GMO on the packaging for it to be guaranteed non-GMO. Also, certified organic does not mean the same thing in each state. Certified Organic standards vary from state to state.

    1. Very nice article ..good job !!!!…
      For many ppl at least, most of whom are lazy …
      You can skip a lot of this if you just read Kevin Trudeau’s book about Natural Health Cures. Basically, just forget anything that is packaged or processed by man for eating. The food industry has not the faintest thought or concern about the health of those who purchase their products. Can they make money is all they care about. We all are responsible for what we put in our mouthes…
      You cannot blaim anybody later if your health goes out the window because of all the junk you have consumed because everybody is doing it.. isn’t that the usual excuse?…

      1. Zyxl, well said! I have read 2 of Kevin Trudeau’s books. They were both eye openers! Yes, it’s all about the money,
        never about health. I would urge anyone to read his books! Foodbabe is right in line with him, and I appreciate all she does. I have changed the way I look at everything, all because of her. ( And Kevin Trudeau) keep up your great work Foodbabe!

    2. In the ingredients for the milk it says SoyA lecithin not Soy lecithin. There is a difference.

  2. I notice that this was originally published a few months ago. I have read through about half of the comments and did not read them all so I may have commented then.

    Although I agree with most of the points, I must defend MSG (monosodium glutamate).

    I welcome MSG as an ingredient and cook with it myself. If it is not right for you, avoid it.

    Jim

    1. @Jim, yeah you commented before on this thread………the fact you like MSG. Good for you. The overwhelming majority here are against unnecessary additives in our food and have negative reactions to them.
      I don’t understand your MSG crusading on this website. Do you work for B & G Foods?

      1. John-

        I do not even know who B&G Foods is, so your silly remark totally missed.

        I am for labeling of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), free-range eggs, organic products, and a lot of other things. It is just that MSG has gotten a bad rap.

        Like I said, “If it is not right for you, avoid it.”.

        I am not on a crusade.

        Oh, I love B&G Beaujolais-Villages for cooking and sipping, particularly with hearty meats. Is that what you mean.?

        Jim

    2. The problem with “if it’s not for you” is that many people eat or drink products that they assume are safe because we have the FDA that is supposed to guarantee that they are safe. Many people like myself are ill or have unexplained symptoms that persist for many years, go to multiple doctors trying to find out what is wrong and usually are just pumped full of more chemicals without ever diagnosing a condition. I recently found out most of my chronic, disabling symptoms are due to toxic chemicals in food, that I was unaware were toxic, not just to me, but to millions and millions of people. I found out i am highly allergic to MSG when I stopped eating ramen for a week, then ate some one day. Immediately I started sweating, got a vicious headache, dry coated feeling mouth, lips and tongue, numbness around my lips, dizziness and many other symptoms that lasted for hours. These are some of many symptoms I’ve experienced for years as part of a disabling chronic illness. I looked back to how I was feeling for the previous week when I hadnt eaten ramen and realized those symptoms were much less during that time. I checked the ingredient list and saw MSG. I always used to say I was glad I wasn’t affected by MSG but realized I have a serious reaction to it that is usually delayed by about 8-12 hours. Since MSG is in practically everything, I was eating alot of it daily. Since I stopped eating MSG and almost all processed foods, my health is improving but so much damage has been done to my body from this and other toxins I was unaware of in everything I consumed, I doubt I will ever be able to recover to the point of being able to lead a normal life. It’s definitely not for me, or anybody else, it just might take longer for some people to realize that toxins like this in our food supply are what is causing symptoms and diseases you and many others are having, and don’t even know it!

      1. Kendall-

        A very nicely written reply.

        I never got into eating ramen. I remember trying it once and I found it unappetizing. I like noodles – oriental, Italian, Dutch, etc. – so that was not the problem.

        After your post yesterday, I stopped in at a grocery store and looked at the ramen. The list of ingredients contains several things that I avoid, some of which are mistaken for “healthy”. If I were to try the stuff again and I had a reaction I would not necessarily attribute it to MSG; I would have a list of suspects.

        Jim

      1. Yep Mike, for sure! Trolls ruin everything, and actully make us smart people laugh! Jim needs to go get a life. Bye bye Jim!

    3. There is nothing wrong with MSG. The only studies that have linked any problems to MSG were in mice with 1000 times the amount of MSG a horse would get. Not only was it EXTREMELY over the top amounts it was injected directly in to the blood stream…. WHICH is crazy the amount of MSG given to the mice in those studies was more then one person could eat if they just ate MSG all day. MSG Was also Directly injected in the brains of some mice which is just absurd. MSG doesn’t Cross the brain blood barrier when eaten. So all those test that where done that showed harm all the scientist now concluded they were not applicable of real life. In normal or even relitively high doses these “effects” where not shown. There have been also double blind studies looking for the “chinese resterant syndrome” They have been concluded as a negative. One of the must itresting ones took 1/2 the people that said they do suffer from Chinese resterant syndrome and 1/2 people that said they didn’t. They conclusion was only a few people that said they had chinese resterant syndrome got it right when they where eating food with MSG. Most of the people with admited “chinese resterant syndrome” in the double blind studies even had the didn’t show a clear result when eating food with and without MSG. Most of them reacted to foods without MSG with “chinese resterant syndrome” symptoms. Based on all those studies they have concluded that most people that think they have “chinese resterant syndrome” are not being effected physically by MSG. There are a very small percent of people who might be sensitive to large amounts of MSG. Contrary to popular belief, decades of research fails to support the link between MSG and these reported side effects.

      With all that said. Your body doesn’t process MSG any different than L-glutamic acid. And foods that have reltive high amount of L-glutamic acid are: Eggs, chicken, fish, steak, beans, seeds, dairy. These people don’t show the symptoms of Chinese resterant syndrome when eating these foods. One roasted chicken breast has about 8 grams of L-glutamte. 1 filet of Samon or Yellowfin tuna ~ 12 grams. If you use MSG like a flavor like you are suppose to like salt there is nothing wrong with it. To much of anything is bad you can die from too much water. Actually water is more deadly than MSG comparatively speaking.

      We eat about 13 grams of natural glutamate a day on average, compared to only around half a gram from MSG(in non-Asain countries).

      Chemical MSG contains 78% glutamate, 12.2% sodium, and 9.6% water.

  3. Alternative foods listed are not always available in small town USA! Rural community of Lakeview Oregon, one grocery store, Safeway. Nearest alternative whole foods markets 90 miles away. But I have found replacing many fresh and boxed, canned products with Organic is the nearest I can get to eating more healthy. I’m a senior citizen and can just barely afford this more expensive alternative … BUT IT’S WORTH scrimping elsewhere.

      1. why would you reply so immaturely? Arrogant? I guess that’s why you call yourself a pig?

    1. You are making it too difficult to make a comment… Other sites are much easier..
      Just me…

    2. Monica Lawson-

      Your comment was quite reasonable. I do not understand why you are under attack.

      Jim

      1. thanks Jim for your concern … but I’m not thin skinned and can take comments.

      2. Monica Lawson-

        I guess Lori Hanson got hit, too, over her reasonable comment.

        Jim

  4. To Marcus ~ Stop wasting your time and money making your own soy milk…..anything pertaining to soy is not fit for human consumption! Read my article posted March 12th by “Joyce”

    1. I fully agree. Soy, even non-GMO soy, is an endocrine disruptor. However, fomented soy products such as organic tamari sauce are O.K. for most people. But one should be aware that fomented soy products typically contain a small amount of MSG, that forms naturally during the fomentation process. I tend to react to synthetic MSG, but do not react to the natural MSG in organic tamari. sauce.

      I have a problem with the inclusion of Ezekiel Bread on the healthy list. It contains soy, and sprouting the soy doesn’t alter its endocrine disrupting potential. While I’m personally intolerant of products made from modern hybridized wheat, I can eat products made from the ancient grains, and can recommend Rudi’s Spelt Bread as a viable alternative, for anyone who can handle the ancient forms of wheat.

  5. Hi everyone ~ it’s time to start changing your routine and life style and make time for yourself ….start making your own foods from scratch…your health depends on it!
    Stop thinking the grocery stores are going to look out for your health…They’re NOT! It’s there job to make money and sell their products….it’s time for you to START doing your own thing for your health. Take baby steps at first and you’ll see how easy it will become. Make your Sunday your cook day and freeze for a week or a few days. Organic foods are more expensive, however, plan your meals and buy quality no quanity…brake your habits and change your life style…..
    “Change Your Food..Change Your Life”
    the nurturechef ~ Joyce
    [email protected]

    1. My sister-in-law does a great job of making thing herself. It truly is a full time job though. She uses no dairy…almost everything but rice and flour are grown in her backyard. She argues you can’t truly be organic unless you control the process. She doesn’t consider herself organic because of the rice that she consumes that she can’t grow.

  6. Check out Eden Foods…they sell only non GMO and organic. They have delivery to your door.
    “Change Your Food…Change Your Life”
    the nurturechef ~ Joyce

  7. Can anyone tell me what stores sell Natural Value coconut milk? I don’t have a Whole Foods where I live. I did find Native Forest at Earth Fare, but it had guar gum in the ingredients and I don’t tolerate it well. The best I could find was a brand called Golden Star (at Walmart of all places) which just has coconut and water, but the cans aren’t BPA free.

  8. With regard to canned soups, the answer is to avoid canned soup period because it comes in a can with a dubious lining (can – pardon the pun! – anyone say BPA?). As for MSG as an ingredient, the science is clear that it is NOT a problem. It is a naturally occurring substance found in food, your tongue has taste receptors for it (that’s why you like it!), and double-blind studies have shown that it does not cause allergic reactions in people. It was demonized by a false conjecture (“Chinese food syndrome”) that was published and became viral. Think about it: one billion plus people in China use it regularly in cooking, and they have no reported problems. It is time to move on from the demonization of MSG.

    1. With all due respect to those who think MSG is fine, MSG is an excitotoxin. Dr Russell Blaylock, retired neurosurgeon has done extensive research over the decades and if you read any of his books, papers and/or articles, you would discover MSG is not something that is safe to consume. There are a lot of natural occurring things in nature but it doesn’t always ‘t make them “safe.” Excitotoxins have been found to dramatically promote cancer growth and metastasis. Research done has shown that whenever cancer cells were exposed to glutamate they became more active. The same effect was seen in MSG. Each time MSG is consumed glutamate levels rise as high as 20-fold, thereby stimulating all of the glutamate receptors that often results in serious health problems.

    2. So sorry, but MSG will just about kill me,(and others) the migraines are so severe, I have had to go to the hospital. Science does not know our bodies. Some people can tolerate MSG, but it is very harmful. I’ve had migraines all my life and at one point so severe I had to have a CAT because of daily migraines. By reading, & researching foods, I found that MSG has many different aliases. The everyday migraine was, (at that time) my dinner, can soup & can tuna (bad idea) due to late work hrs. no time to cook. That was many moons ago, now I take meds when needed, changed my diet and cook. MSG is & was the main problem. Even the10% broth in chicken breast for tenderizing is an additive which can give me the same bad result.
      I agree with JTH.

  9. MSG raises my heart rate and causes my ears to close up…feel like I’m under water…I try to avoid it if at all possible.

  10. Thanks you so much for this information. I appreciate these posts and I share them with my family. It is such an effort to keep an eye on all these products and I appreciate your help in this effort. I do love your book! Please keep doing what you are doing and stay focused on your work and ignore any negative responses. We all know where that comes from. YOU are making a difference.

  11. To Rick:
    Thanx for your reply, however, tell her NOT to eat rice as it contains arsenic. It’s uploaded from the soil…brown rice isn’t as bad as the white, but rice should not be eaten because of the accumulated danger. Ancient grains are much better and they contain higher amounts of minerals ..protein the best benefit. Adzuki beans (sprouted) has more protein than a porter house steak..(as an examole) Beans must be sprouted!!
    Thanx again Rick,
    the nurturechef ~ joyce
    [email protected]

  12. To Tammy ~
    So Delicious is an excellent brand of coconut milk…they also make a cream for coffee and baking…very pure – either organic or plain..do not have to buy coconut milk in cans….this is a refrigerated item
    Cheers,
    ~Joyce

  13. WHAT ABOUT PRESCRIPTION DRUGS? IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE DOING ANYTHING?MY HUBBY’S CARDIOLOGIST TRIED TO GIVE HIM ONE THAT WAS FULL OF FOOD DYE’S.HE WAS ON THE GENERIC FOR TOPROL XL AND PLATELETS WENT DOWN AND HE HAD THROMBOCYTENIA. IT TOOK A LOT OF FIGHTING WITH OUR DRUG COMPANY TO GET HIM ON TOPROL AND NOT THE GENERIC, BUT FOR ONLY ONE YEAR.CATAMARAN IS HORRIBLE. I TRIED INVESTIGATING AND WHAT LITTLE I COULD FIND IS THAT THE GENERIC CAME FROM INDIA AND THE COMPANY HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN FOR NASTINESS,BUT OF COURSE OPENED BACK UP BY THE FDA.HE HAS TO BE ON A BETA BLOCKER BECAUSE HE HAS AN AORTIC ANEURYSM,AND HE IS ON A VERY SMALL AMOUNT.

  14. Good info! BUBBIES has GREAT pickles. Non-GMO and their ingredients are as follows: cucumbers, artesian well water, salt, calcium chloride (a natural salt), garlic, dill spices (contains mustard seed). That is it. They also have awesome sauerkraut. These dill pickles are different from most but they are good, ioho. 🙂 P.S. I am not affiliated with Bubbies in any way. Just putting my two cents in. Also, we ask that people be aware of what is happening in Maui, Hawaii between the people of Maui and Monsanto//Dow. This is a serious problem going on and these corps are advancing their agenda despite the fact that the people have spoken and voted on it. The people of Maui need our support.

  15. Here’s a thought: make your own pickles, your own bread, your own soup and your own salad dressing. They all taste better than anything store-bought. Drink your coffee black, or add plain, real cream. Skip breakfast cereals and eat oats instead. And for god’s sake, why would you drink soda and juice anyway?? Squeeze a slice of lemon in a glass of water. It’s much more refreshing. None of this stuff is a necessity in eating the whole foods way. None of it.

  16. I have noticed someone posted a comment that they make all their creamed soups instead of using Campbell’s Creamed soups. Would someone share a quick healthy recipe to make a creamed soup with me? I have avoided making casseroles with creamed soups, so I really would like to make one with cream of chicken soup – thank you! I love this site and I’m enjoying and learning “The Food Babe Way.”

  17. I have been taking Shaklee vitamins and their 180 shakes, non gmo soy shakes Should I stop?

  18. Never mind the MSG in soup have you ever looked at the Sodium Content.
    I picked up a can of ” Healthy” soup in a Whole Food type store and the sodium content was 480Mg !!!

  19. I culture my own pickles and sauerkraut. So easy! Will never go back to store-bought. Plus you get all the probiotics!

  20. When did we ever become so shallow to put green grass or yellow pickles before health of ourselves and our environment?…..we never did, we have been infiltrated by tyrants who build all this evil just to die when there life cycle is up. Thanks Vani! From me and my kids. My inlaws think im crazy to be concerned about the harmful things in our lives that have been normalized through a long time period but i will persist til i succeed! Peace!

  21. I do stay away from these ingredients. But now, I wanted to buy some dry active yeast, and they all have that Sorbitol Monostearate in them. Sorbitol in on the No, No list.

    What do we use? All help will be appreciated.

  22. I am surprised Brominated Vegetable Oil did not get a specific call out! I am convinced this is one of the many ingredients that specifically led to my health decline.

    Bromine is an absolutely nefarious element, because it, alongside Chlorine, and Flourine directly compete with the thyroid gland against Iodine. Iodine is the element that is used by the thyroid gland to generate T4, which later converts down stream to T3 which gives us a healthy supply of energy among other things. When we have too much Br / Cl / F in our system, and not enough Iodine, this spells absolute disaster for the thyroid and this brings a cascade of health problems all down the line. I would almost argue that out of all additives, these toxic halogens are *the worst* out of them ALL for this reason. I say this because with a healthy thyroid/metabolism, you’re going to be more able to naturally detoxify other poisons. Well, destroy your thyroid, and NOTHING will work anymore. I am convinced this is what happened to me after years of Mt. dew intake among other trash foods, and also not enough Iodine intake.

    Just to put it into perspective – 2 liters of Mt. dew contains 8 mg of Bromine. The RDA for Iodine is about 150 mcg (or 0.15 mg). By the way, bromine is in many many other foods not just Mt. dew. Let’s say though you intake 8mg of bromine a day and only the RDA of Iodine a day. You have only had enough to displace about a quarter of a percent (0.25%) of the Bromine you intake. It doesn’t take a Ph.D. in mathematics to see how this can quickly cause many disorders like Hypothyroid, Hashimoto’s…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

food babe with grocery cart - footer image