By Elise Jones, blog editor
When shopping for food, it’s hard for some of us to kick the nasty habit of buying the foods and snacks we had as children. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve eyed up those Swiss Cake Rolls and Frosted Flakes not to mention the Country Time Lemonade. Yummm…
But I know those are not healthy food choices and it is a beyond them being full of fat and processed sugar. If you actually look at the ingredient lists on these boxes there are words I can not even pronounce and that is to be avoided at all cost. In the world of eating healthy and being an environmentally conscious parent, eating fresh and local is where it is at. Prepacked goods that sit on shelves are not.
Let’s examine the contents of Chili Cheese Fritos, one of my personal favorites from my childhood.
Items that catch my eye:
– Monosodium Glutamate
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a dangerous food ingredient compound known as anexcitotoxin. Excitotoxins are proteins which make brain cells fire their impulses rapidly when they make contact with it. The cells become so hyper-excited that they continue to fire until the cell is exhausted, and subsequently die. Monosodium glutamate isn’t just sensed by the taste buds in our tongues, it also triggers and excites the neurons in the brain. Free glutamic acid is able to reach the brain where it can injure and kill the neurons. The taste that it gives processed food is addictive. MSG is also a major contributor to the obesity epidemic. source
– Disodium inosinate
Disodium inosinate is used as a flavor enhancer, in synergy with monosodium glutamate (MSG) to provide the umami taste. It was removed from the food additive list from the Codex Alimentarius (recognized by the World Trade Organization as an international reference point for the resolution of disputes concerning food safety and consumer protection). source
Yuck.
I’ve also been told it is good to buy items that have less than five ingredients listed on their label. I’m pretty sure Chili Cheese Fritos don’t pass that test either…
Lesson I’ve learned: read those labels and avoid MSG. Oh and I can’t eat what I ate when I was a kid.
Have any suggestions or questions for our Green Parenting blog? Email elise@babybites.com.
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