It pays to read the labels.

[JustDave]

I was reading the label on tomato soup the other day. I mean tomatoes! What could be more healthy? But there doesn't seem to be much to it. Campbell's Chunky styles seem to have some nutrition, but their regular tomato might be mostly food coloring and artificial flavor, judging by the lack of nutrients.

Read the label on a can of asparagus, too. That doesn't tell me how good it is for me, although it's been commonly understood that it's chock full of "goodness." But the label doesn't tell me that it is.

I'm beginning to wonder of anything on labels is even accurate. The one thing they do tell always is the calorie content. Is that accurate? I think it's probably in the ball park. Usually, if there's high fat or sugar content, that is reflected in the calorie disclosure.

 

[GoodEnuff]

For years, I have diligently read the nutrition information on food labels for weight control. It's just in the past few years that I have been reading the ingredients. My attitude was "if it's in here, it must be safe". Not anymore!

Now, I read everything. Am trying to avoid any added ingredients that I would not have added myself in my own kitchen. It is almost impossible. Even table sugar is "processed" although we call it "refined". If you acquired a stalk of sugar cane and processed it yourself, do you know what was used on it in the growing process?

Purchase only fresh produce and notice how much of it is imported from another country, where the chemicals which are banned for crop use in the US may be used. The labels do not state what was used on the crops. The typical answer to that is, "Buy local." Really? Then you will be buying only produce in season that is grown in your area. Sorry, no avocados for you. No wheat products. No bananas. And do you ask the local farmers what they used on their crops? I don't and I doubt I would understand it anyway.

Okay, then let's all go organic. Organic does not mean what some people think -- that chemicals are not used in production. Guess again. It means only that certain chemicals cannot be used. There are very few inspectors who certify organic farms and most of them are trained by and work for a private firm, not the USDA which, by the way, adopted those private companies' definitions of "organic". Cross the inspector's palms with a bit of cash and VOILA, your farm is certified organic (I have no proof that this occurs but it wouldn't surprise me).

I opened a can of peaches last night; label says "in 100% juice", but what's in the juice? I can tell by the taste and consistency of the juice and the peaches that some kind of sweetener has been added, although the nutrition information says "no added sugars". Do you trust the labels?

As others have mentioned above, what are "natural flavorings"? I would like to see that mandated.

Don't get me started on meats...and plastics.

Do the best you can and hope for the best.

 

[Blaze Duskdreamer]

I just don't buy processed foods anymore.
Fresh or nothing.

I can't stand and cook fresh. I can't chop and cut and slice and stir. My body won't let me. I've tried incorporating a stool. It helped but didn't enable. I really hate even as I understand it the admonition to never eat processed foods. It is not always a choice. Not everyone can cook or prep fresh foods.

Also even in fresh foods you have to check to see what they are preserved with to keep them fresh for market. You have to worry about e-coli.

 

[Blaze Duskdreamer]

For years, I have diligently read the nutrition information on food labels for weight control. It's just in the past few years that I have been reading the ingredients. My attitude was "if it's in here, it must be safe". Not anymore!

Now, I read everything. Am trying to avoid any added ingredients that I would not have added myself in my own kitchen. It is almost impossible. Even table sugar is "processed" although we call it "refined". If you acquired a stalk of sugar cane and processed it yourself, do you know what was used on it in the growing process?

Purchase only fresh produce and notice how much of it is imported from another country, where the chemicals which are banned for crop use in the US may be used. The labels do not state what was used on the crops. The typical answer to that is, "Buy local." Really? Then you will be buying only produce in season that is grown in your area. Sorry, no avocados for you. No wheat products. No bananas. And do you ask the local farmers what they used on their crops? I don't and I doubt I would understand it anyway.

Okay, then let's all go organic. Organic does not mean what some people think -- that chemicals are not used in production. Guess again. It means only that certain chemicals cannot be used. There are very few inspectors who certify organic farms and most of them are trained by and work for a private firm, not the USDA which, by the way, adopted those private companies' definitions of "organic". Cross the inspector's palms with a bit of cash and VOILA, your farm is certified organic (I have no proof that this occurs but it wouldn't surprise me).

I opened a can of peaches last night; label says "in 100% juice", but what's in the juice? I can tell by the taste and consistency of the juice and the peaches that some kind of sweetener has been added, although the nutrition information says "no added sugars". Do you trust the labels?

As others have mentioned above, what are "natural flavorings"? I would like to see that mandated.

Don't get me started on meats...and plastics.

Do the best you can and hope for the best.

When I was married, my husband's shady slum lord uncle who also ran a farm used to love telling a tale, laughing as he did so, about he knew a fellow (was that fellow him; who knows but either him or an equally shady pal) who had cows with cancer, actual tumors on one side of their body. He greased the palms of the USDA inspectors and sold the other side of beef. I shudder whenever I remember that and wonder if anyone got cancer from said beef. But, yes, it seems we can't even trust USDA let alone labels.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

I just don't buy processed foods anymore.
Fresh or nothing.

This is basically what I do also. I do most of my shopping from the outside aisles of the store, and if food comes in a can or box, I seldom buy it. We eat pretty basic meals anyway, so most of the time, just fresh or frozen foods work fine for us.
I do keep some canned foods (beans and veggies) in the pantry, because if we should have a tornado or ice storm that took out our electricity, a person can just open up a can of canned food and eat it straight out of the can if necessary.

 

[Blaze Duskdreamer]

I have to add something. Gotta love the "homesteaders" (in quotes because acutal homesteaders are not on YouTube because they spurn anything unwholesome and use as little energy as possible; those on YouTube are grifters) who say we should all move to the country and grow our own.

Ignoring the fact that some of us are too poor and/or disabled to do such a thing (I'm and, unfortunately), even if we could all do that two things:

1. If we all actually moved to the country, the country would become urban due to the population influx.

2. Even if in a perfect world we could all have 40 acres at least, whatever we grow for ourselves and feed for animals we raise for food, is still affected by air and water pollution that common sense says must also infiltrate our ground soil.

There are so many contaminants that simply can't even be counted let alone put on food labels. That is why I've given up reading labels beyond looking for food allergens, which I no longer have to do as grandson is grown and has outgrown most of them and does not live with me; I have a peanut intolerance - intolerance, not allergy - gives me stomach cramps but does not do to me what it once did to him so I do still check for peanut.

 

[January]

The one thing they do tell always is the calorie content. Is that accurate? I think it's probably in the ball park. Usually, if there's high fat or sugar content, that is reflected in the calorie disclosure.

For most of us, yes it is accurate - maybe within a degree of small acceptable error range - but for real life purposes it is accurate enough