What's in Your Food? + Fig Bites Recipe - The Organic Dietitian (2024)

We have long been taught to read our food labels and look at the fat, calorie, and salt content of the foods we are eating. What about the question of what is in the food we are eating? How many ingredients are being used, why are they there, and can they cause me harm? To be a good consumer you must read and know what is in your food. Lets not take the companies word for itthat they contain healthy ingredients.

Lets looks for example at Fat Free Fig Newtons…they are fat free and made with figs so they should be good to eat right? I can’t believe I used to eat these!

UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), FIGS, SUGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, GLYCERIN, WHEY (FROM MILK), SALT, SOY LECITHIN*, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE), CALCIUM LACTATE, SODIUM BENZOATE AND SULFUR DIOXIDE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, MALIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CORNSTARCH. *ADDS A TRIVIAL AMOUNT OF FAT. CONTAINS: WHEAT, MILK, SOY, SULFITES

What about the ones labeled 100% Whole Grain…those should be good for us too right?

WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT FLOUR, INVERT SUGAR, SUGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, APPLE PUREE, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, SOYBEAN OIL, APPLE POWDER, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, OAT FIBER, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, RESISTANT CORN MALTODEXTRIN, WHEY (FROM MILK), PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR, SALT, CINNAMON, BAKING SODA, SOY LECITHIN, SODIUM CITRATE, SODIUM BENZOATE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, VANILLIN (ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR).

A lot can be said about each of these ingredients but lets just take a look at a couple of them for now.

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup. Have you seen those commercials that claim that all sugars are created equal? Companies that make HFCS are worried that we as consumers are getting smart and are cutting back our intake. The truth is all processed sugars provide no nutritional value and just add empty calories to our diets. In the 1970s the US Farm Policy encouraged farmers to grow corn and paid them to do so. Due to a recent push for corn based ethanol production the same stands true for farmers. What do we do with all that corn? 60% goes to animals feed (animals are not even ment to eat corn but that is for another time) and the rest gets made into vitamins/minerals, corn oils, acids, sugars, starches, and alcohols. Due to the high production it keeps the costs down making processed foods cheap but at what cost? Between 1970-2000 we have increased “added sugar” in our diets by 25% and where has our health gone in that time as well? Other names are being created for HFCSso also look for hidden names such as: Maize syrup, Glucose syrup,Glucose/fructose syrup,Tapioca syrup,Dahlia syrup,Fruit fructose, Crystalline fructose, Corn syrup, Glucose-Fructose.

2. Partially-Hydrogenated Oils. These oils are found in many foods because the process of creating their butter like consistancy is cheaper than using real butter. Again that cheap word. Partially-Hydrogenated Oils contain trans fat. Trans fat has been found to increase bad cholesterol, decrease good cholesterol, and cause inflammation which isa known pre-cursor to heart disease, stroke, diabeties, and other chronic conditions.Harvard School of Public Health Department of Nutrition suggests that eliminating trans fat from our food system could prevent 1 in 5 heart attack related deaths.

3. Artificial Flavoring. You see this term a lot on food products. This term could refer to hundreds of laboratory created chemicals. Some flavorings are made from petroleum or paper-mill waste. A single serving can be created from hundreds of chemicals. Some studies suggest that these additives can cause changes in behavior.

4. Sodium Benzoate. Sodium Benzoate is often added to foods to stop bacteria from reproducing.It’s effectscan temporarily stop the proper functioning of the digestive enzymes, cause headaches, upset stomach, asthma attacks and hyperactivity in children.You may have also seen the effects of sodium benzoate this 4th of July as it is also used in fireworks as a fuel in whistle mix.

The FDA is supposed to regulate our food system but many believe that food additives may be on the safe list for years before they get the proof they need to ban them.

What can I eat then? I would suggest starting at avoiding highly processed foods. Decrease the boxes, bags, cansand packages that fill our shopping carts. If it has a health claim, cartoon character, or colorful packaging then it probably isn’t thegreatest choice. Find homemade substitutes for some of your treats. Here is my version of a fig newton. This is a super easy recipe. The food processor does all of the work.No need to turn on the oven and in the summer time that is a good thing especially here in Arizona.