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.
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.
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 Dressing & Wilderness 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.
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 Bread, Manna Gluten Free Ancient Grains Bread. Here’s a list of more clean ingredient breads.
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.
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 Foundation. Better Store-Bought Alternative: Baby’s Only Organic Formula and HiPP Organic Formula.
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.
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 gain. Better Alternatives: Homemade REAL Ginger-Ale, homemade iced tea or Kombucha.
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 Porridge, Two Moms In The Raw Plain Grain Free Cereal (gluten-free), Homemade Granola, Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal & Qi’a from Nature’s Path.
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.
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.
Thank you for talking about pickles! Maybe you could tackle them next. When I emailed the company they sent me a coupon for the “natural” option and it still has unnecessary ingredients.
I just made homemade pickles for the first time with my students this week- soo easy! We just used the smaller cucumbers- sliced and divided them into glass jars with garlic and pickling spice (or just use dill seed). Added hot apple cider vinegar, water, and salt mixture. Refrigerated for 48 hrs. and were crisp and delicious with no nasty chemicals!
but, but, but….
you put dihydrogen monoxide, sodium chloride, and acetic acid on your cucumbers!!! chemicals! gasp! Might wanna read the label on those pickling spices too, “sulfiting agents” ain’t exactly “no nasty chemicals”…
Try making them yourself, I’ve been doing it for almost a year now and they are so easy and delicious! I make natural, fermented pickles. No need to add vinegar, just salt, water and seasonings. They get sour naturally by the fermentation process. Yummy and super healthy! And much crisper than when made using heated water or vinegar.
Did you know that ALL pacific caught tuna exceeds radiation limits because of the nuclear power plant disaster in Japan? Regulators simply raised the allowable limit of radiation so as to not put the fishing industry out of business. Enjoy!
Lovely!!
That’s a false statement
http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/03/us/fukushima-tuna/
I’d like to see more consensus (or at least a name I trust) rather than put all my believability eggs into a single pro-tuna basket maker whom I’ve never heard of. Has anyone else got further information either on radioactive tuna or Nicholas Fisher, the marine science professor at New York’s Stony Brook University who did the study mentioned in Brian’s link? And what about the numbers he provides comparing radiation dosages to bananas and dental x-rays? Thank you in advance.
Brian – Problem #1 – to believe anything CNN spews as truth… Try again! I’d suggest looking to alternative sources for news that aren’t owned or influenced by the mainstream media. They all have a vested interest in Nuclear and WILL NOT TELL YOU THE TRUTH regarding the Fukushima disaster. There are enough citizens and private entities speaking the truth regarding fish – that have been tested – from the Pacific. They do indeed have unsafe levels of radiation toxicity! Stop accepting the spew and do your own research!
That’s an outdated article. And do you really trust CNN as a reliable source of information?
So to believe the main stream media’s claim that there is just a little radiation in the tuna makes it ok to eat? Is that like the little bit of poison (fluoride) in the tooth paste is ok, just because the American Dental Association claims that it is? Come on, thats like going to the liar and expecting the truth! Never going to get any truth from the MSM, since they are just the mouthpiece for big business… Please don’t ever expect the truth from liars!
Ron to dismiss all mainstream media reports as falsehoods and arbitrarily decide other alternative sources are the real truth just shows how closed minded you really are. The world is not explained by black and white definitions my friend
Brian – You sound like a shill for the Nuclear industry or… Who are you trolling for? Maybe the bigger question is why are you on this site if the Mainstream provides all the truth you need. I’m sure you’re pro-GMO, too. After all, CNN probably says they are safe.
LOL!!! well thanks to you, now we know.
I guess no more tuna…
: (
When Fukushima happened it was said that this is the very worst case senerio that could have ever happened and should not have happened with all their supposed safeguards but in all honesty how can you safeguard against nature? and that it will be leaking for hundreds of years and its on fire in there and they can do nothing.
So do with that what you will…
but its all been hushed up and no one really speaks about what is happening.
The saddest part is that people will not come together, look for the truth and speak what is happening…not with sensationalism or scaremongering but just real and truthful knowledge of what is going on because its one small planet and we should be looking out for all our children’s health.
Change has to start somewhere
Ocean currents like the wind go everywhere.
I love hearing about so many people reading the ingredient lists- Very encouraging and similar stories to when I started to change my eating habits! Thanks for posting the better alternatives!
You nailed it! For those who are new to your website or trying to start out this crazy food world this is it. I would say I started to follow you around when you started Facebook and slowly made theses changes. However, being to trusting I just discovered the pickle problem. Once you think you have it figured out, you find another. These lists are so helpful, keep up the awesome impact full work!!
Companies aren’t stupid, if people stop buying this junk, they will be forced to either change their products or go out of business!
If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.
If it has more that five ingredients, think twice before spending your money.
Tell your neighbor.
But people keep buying these things and what really gets me is that these ingredients are band in other countries does this tell you something about the good U S of A…..I interpret it as they are killing us…and that’s it????????
Of course I like what I see, you! You are very beautiful and the fact that you are into the clean food thing is also a benefit to everyone. Education is the key to changing what is happening on our planet, especially in our food supply. I was part of the Feingold study in the 70’s tha demonstrated the negative effects of food additives like food colorings on children. So thanks for the education Babe.
Truth
Vani, I am so glad to see that you brought up Naked. I tried that product years ago in my twenties;. I never liked the taste of it. It’s nice to see you target Campbell’s soup. I make my own soup now like I did this past weekend so much healthier. I will have to try your homemade ginger ale. I am obessed with ginger now.
This list is not surprising, but I avoid all of it by eating only foods that look like when they were growing. I avoid all grains and dairy. I make my own pickles, soups, etc. breast fed my babies until they were 2 years old. I buy directly from a farmer since even organic greens can be tainted.
Know the big companies and don’t buy from any of them of their subsidiaries.
Also, it is not good enough to not only buy organic meat or even grass fed. After all, grass fed could be alfalfa grass, which is GMO. I also buy pasture raised and again, know your farmer and rancher. I like to use meat from New Zealand.
Not everyone is close to a farm like you are so what do you say to that????
Consider joining a Weston A Price local group and speak with the leader about getting healthy, organic food. You can order wonderful grass fed meat/cheese, etc. from TropicalTraditions.com or US Wellness Meats (http://www.uswellnessmeats.com). You can buy organic fruits and veggies from the Local Harvest site and they will also tell you about farm markets that are fairly near your home.
Vani, Another wonderful and healthy commercial dressing is Tessamaes. They also just came out with a mayo. The ingredients in all of their product is virgin olive oil, lemon juice and spices. In the mayo they also use cage-free eggs. It is made in Anapolis, MD.
If you do not live near a farm, there are usually farmers markets somewhere near. We can only do what we can do! I guess I am lucky to be living in California near many organic farms that even deliver.
Check with your town, you may be surprised to find something that will work for you. I wish you the best!
Salad dressing made the list due to GMO soy/canola. Should FYH Veganaise and Earth Balance Vegan Butter be on this list too?
Food Babe – Great Article. I love you!! Keep it up!! Thanks, Rick
3 years ago I found out my son does not tolerate food dye, at all. The last 3 years have been so eye opening to the crap that is in grocery stores! Someone on Facebook said it best that food has been replaced with food like products. The pickles made me so mad I think I cried for three days! I had to get rid of my sons soups, Life cereal, fruit snacks (found good ones at Aldi’s yeah!), heck even fruit juice. And the saddest part is, every time I go to the the grocery I swear I find another thing that is full of horrible ingredients that I don’t want my children to eat! Thank you food babe for this enlightening article and I look forward to many more wonderful articles. I seriously cannot understand why America as a whole will not stand up and tell the food industry to cut the crap and help make America healthy again! 100 years ago the only food available was organic, why is this such a foreign concept?
Best answer (and sometimes a challenging one for working parents, I realize) – avoid processed foods as much as possible. PERIOD. If necessary, the additional cost of truly good foods is a long-term investment in good health and worth every penny. Low grain, lots of vegetables, whole fruits rather than sugary juices, water, natural fats such as ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil, other plant oils but NOT the commercially processed name-brand oils that are little more than chemicals in a greasy form. The list is long and the benefits even longer.
Trader Joe’s organic pickle relish okay?
Just read the label and see if it lists the yellow dyes. I doubt if they’re in there, but check to see. Making pickles is fun… I wish things were that simple…. Brands that should be just like home made and don’t cost a lot. Novel concept, huh? I don’t know why these companies think they have to add all that poo they have on their ingredients list. Just plain simple pickles please!!! I knew about all these things… I’m a label reader. It’s like a mine field out there in the food isles. We have to try as much as we can to buy whole food, and read the hell out of the ingredients lists in the center isles. Push for GMO labeling and watch out!!!
Thank you so much Vani for doing all you do!!!
Do you know where I can purchase a colloidal silver generator to make my own…Thanks….
Check with Steve Barwick at [email protected]
Glow in the dark relish. For pickles why not a little tumeric or mustard powder to give it a little tint?
I am still in shock about the soy in canned tuna fish! Thank you so much for your investigative work! The world is a better place because of you.
Thanks Vani! Great to know!
Hello Vani, I have been reading your column now for some time and really appreciate what you are doing. I learned some years ago about the different food additives and we have been avoiding prepared foods and eating only organic foods for about 20 years. My husband wasn’t pleased about it because he loves the foods that are now forbidden..(.I suspect he might be eating it behind my back! ) If I can’t find a natural organic anything, I make it myself.
I’m concerned now with the USDA stamp and the government allowing GMO’s to be hidden in it. This is very worrying because we won’t know, will we? We can’t all be farmers so where do we go from there?
Can you do more magic for us, Vani?
Wonderful post! Thank you, Food Babe!
I never knew that cambells has msg in it…I just bought 3 cases of cream of chicken. etc… I use alot of this. Wow! Money down the drain! Is there a soup recipe you can post that I can make my own? I’ve seen some on Youtube, but they use powdered milk. Is there an organic powdered milk ouT there? Recipes Anyone? Thanks for all you do Food Babe!
You can return food to grocery stores. I do it all the time. And just tell them why. You don’t need the receipt. People think you can’t return food but you can. Why should you pay for something you’re not using? And that’s crap anyway?
This is an excellent article! It makes me aware and mindful of ingredients and labels..
I never thougth this item i got in my office fridge would contain something called food color and for what ?? the snappeas ? Ingredients not listed on web, but present in the box.
http://www.readypac.com/product/veggiescheese-with-ranch-dip-2/
Good find! What type of color is in it, does it say? Is it in the dressing?
yup, in dressing. which i usually avoid.
http://www.foodfacts.com/ci/nutritionfacts/Other/Ready-Pac-Ready-Snax-Veggies-and-Cheese-with-Ranch-Dip-Snack-Pac-41-oz/68550
Thanks Vani!
Good to know that I avoid all these products except pickle as I am a vegan and I have tried to steer clear of such additives, artificial sweeteners since past two years. Once in a while I do have Indian cooked food in the restaurant as I love my cuisine and am far away from my parents and have no stove staying in a motel time to time. I have no choice but to eat the restaurant vegetable oil at times and this is once in awhile while eating other things usually with no additive or veg oil. This is why I see it is necessary to be pragmatic and proactive with certain herbs or cleanses besides a daily organic, vegan B12 spray I use everyday.
Thanks Vani!
What do you recommend I eat at Subway as healthiest and GMO free as I am a Vegan? One has to eat something at times rather than starve as only fair. Thanks!
Thank you so much! I have allergies such as soy, regular sugar, msg and maybe color dyes. Your suggestions are so helpful.
🙂
I don’t know if it belongs to food or not but why does almost all gum contain Aspartame? Even the sugar gum has it in. Have you checked this out?
Yes, check out this post about gum: https://foodbabe.com/2011/12/09/wanna-a-piece-of-gum/
Keeping us Healthy ,One article at a time.
Could you please give us some options for baby foods. My wife and I have a very busy life and at this moment we only steam fruit and veggies then puréed them. But it would be nice sometimes just to get something simple from the store. Every time I pick up something organic I don’t like some of the ingredients and that’s always a red flag for me. I always see things with stuff like citric acid.
I wish you would would have a TV special where you stop someone as they come out of a grocery store after doing the weekly shopping for their family….and show everyone what kind of crap we are eating by looking at the ingredients in each and every article. We all try to do a good job feeding our families good stuff…but I am SURE we would be amazed at how wrong we are….dead wrong!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!! We have all of these items on our radar, however I just want to mention to you and your team how much we appreciate every day what you do – it’s invaluable! This is a daily convo in our home and we frequent your site often whenever we’re feeling uncertain about an item or looking for a recommended alternative. And… we spread the Food Babe word to everyone we know.
Hugs, HUGS! ~ Catherine (and Coop, my hubby)
*PS – Colorado, please vote YES to Prop 105 / Right to Know, Mandatory Labeling of GMOs
Thanks so much for your comment Catherine! 🙂
Thank for the valuable information. It is very much appreciated.
pickles and relish had no idea that is scary, no need for that. glad to see an alternative to toxic soup called baby formula. wonder if you can even get that Hipp brand in the States, I think they are from the UK. excellent as always Vani 🙂
Yes, the Hipp brand is on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/1tGmrvQ
Caution if you eat Progresso soup! I read the ingredient list from Progresso Rich& Hearty Steak & Homestyle Noodles….It honestly has the worst items mentioned! Sadly, I pulled the can out of my trash just to read it. We had it for lunch! It even says no MSG added! Watch out for the little astric.
Would love the recipe for ginger ale. thx
Barb, here’s the recipe for homemade ginger ale: https://foodbabe.com/2013/07/12/homemade-ginger-ale/
I keep seeing “DATEM” (dough-conditioner) in my bread !
What the hell is that stuff ? — it doesn’t sound healthy to me !
Thank you so much for caring and sharing your findings!!! I love putting tuna in my salad, but the other day I dared to look at the ingredients and immediately realized it might have GMOs when I saw soy. Thanks for the alternatives!!! Also, I finally got around watching FOOD INC. on Netflix. I highly recommend it!!!
If a product is “Made in Japan” and contains soy, is the soy non-GMO?
Jim
Back in 1977 I received a letter from the Department of Agriculture for the State if Michigan that all new mothers of infants should have their breast milk checked for PCC (fire retardant) that got mixed into the cattle feed tainting the cows milk which we had been drinking for several months. I had my milk tested that came back positive. The parts per million were small but the take away is what was fire retardants doing near cattle feed in the first place. My daughter now 38 has thyroid problems-uuhm.
what is organic malted barley ?
Ron-
organic – meets the definition of organic
malted – sprouted and dried
barley – barley
Jim
I agree pretty much with the substances to avoid except for monosodium glutamate (MSG), If you are sensitive to it, or if you suspect you are sensitive to it, avoid it. Otherwise, have at it.
The Japanese people in Japan eat the most MSG per capita of any group in the world, a fact that is always ignored when attempting to explain causal factors for their general good health.
Jim
Can you explain why these things are bad. All you do is tell us not to consume these ingredients and additives but I don’t see much information on why they are bad for us? For instance “TSP in cereal” – what is TSP and why is having it in cereal a bad thing?
I’m struggling with a love/hate relationship ship about your blog! On one hand I think we have to be informed but on the other hand sometimes your just a bit too much! I get your reasoning and think we do need to be aware but realistically we all have busy lives to lead, children to feed, jobs to attend. I drew the line when I dreaded grocery shopping to the point where I was having panic attacks in the ailes with my kids from reading food labels. There’s constantly a new article warning you of the danger of eating anything and everything in the grocery store! Like I said I think awareness is good but where do you draw the line between awareness and obsession? Maybe post more articles on what good out there or what’s new instead of the constant food apocalyptic articles. There’s enough scary real life things going on to constantly be scared of food! Just pray over your food and move on.
Chrissy Then I guess ignorance is bliss. If you don’t want to be informed, then eat harmful processed food & suffer the consequences!!!! But just because you don’t want to know the dangers, don’t prevent the rest of us from being informed….
Thank you again for great info that I can always use 😀
I love food like the Amy’s stuff, but it’s super expensive! Do you have any suggestions for more affordable alternatives, especially for people on ultra-low budgets like $20-25 a week for a single person?
I’ve found that it’s much cheaper to cook from scratch as much as possible, rather than buy a packaged soup. This recipe for soup is pretty inexpensive to make a big batch and you can freeze the leftovers.
https://foodbabe.com/2011/12/04/protein-rich-soup-carrot-ginger-with-lentils/
Also the tips in this post may help:
https://foodbabe.com/2013/05/20/how-to-eat-organic-on-a-budget/
Amy’s soups and most other products have “spices”. This is something you must avoid if you are sensitive to MSG. I am surprised foodbabe is promoting them with that vague term in the label.
(could be the same story with the above salad dressing with “organic spices”, but i haven’t personally tried that)
According to Amy’s, they aren’t using MSG, but that is pretty much what they all say.
The proof is in the 2 day long migraine.
It might be hard for people to find some of these alternatives, some of these brands I’ve never seen, which could be very discouraging to people and disheartening after reading what’s in foods they love. For example -I would hate to have to give up pickles, but have never seen this brand listed above. Whole Foods 365 Brand carries great alternatives! I think if you let people know that Whole Foods 365 has great alternatives it would make people feel so much better, for two reasons. 1- it’s not as hard to find as some of the brands listed. 2 – because it’s a store brand costs a lot less than some of these brands! (Oh and of coarse WF is such a big supporter of the Non-GMO project. )
365 Brand pickles contain NO artifical dyes! yay! Their bread contains no dough conditioners (that I know of), no soybean oil, no HFCS! I really think if people knew there were brands that were actually accesible to them they would have a better outlook. It might be really hard to find “Real Pickles” Brand, but (a lot) know they could find a Whole Foods. I just want people to be encouraged, not discouraged because I think we can all eat SO much better than the crap traditional grocery stores and manufacturers are offering! If more people stopped eating the garbage the big manufacturers won’t be able to make as much money off America and the general public’s demand can be very powerful. Thank you Thank You Thank You a million times Food Babe for all you are doing!!!
thank you for all this info, I will be readying for labels. ty
Thanks so much for this post. I always try to shop for the purest healthiest ingredients and yet the choices are overwhelming. I have picked up a few tips that I didn’t know about. Thank you. Suzanne
Thank you for all the great info. I really appreciate it.
I found I am allergic to whatever Arby’s is putting into their chicken sandwich after I bought a chicken sandwich for the first time in years only to wind up in the hospital within a half hour after eating that because I could not breath. Problem is I work long hours and don’t have time to make foods. Would you please recommend a store online where I can buy everything I need. ? Thank you for all your help.
It’s very much appreciated.
Grizz
Hey Grizz,
You can check out our shop https://foodbabe.com/shop/ to see all of Vani’s personal recommendations.
Consumer Reports has decided to start evaluating GMO’s.
They are testing foods and finding GMO’s in certified non GMO products. I read that a very large per cent of non GMO corn is GMO corn..
Check out their research!!!!
Yes! Check out this post about that:
https://foodbabe.com/2014/10/10/confirmed-lab-tests-show-over-30-popular-food-products-contain-gmos-are-you-eating-them/