I swear, something about the over-indulgence of the holidays always makes me vow to clean up my act around this time of year. It’s the new, healthier Mavis…Mavis 2.0. One of the things that I have been working on in my house over the past year {and I plan on continue working on} is moving toward healthier eating options.
Making most things at home helps a ton, but sometimes, grabbing quick convenience foods happens {say, because you are remodeling and have no kitchen :)}. The list of ingredients on the back of prepared foods can be a little bit daunting. Half of it seems made up, and the other bits are just hard to interpret. Most prepared foods have some sort of dye or coloring added to make it the “right” color, and almost all have flavoring to enhance your taste bud’s experience. Knowing what counts as natural vs. what is artificial is a whole other skill set, though. I thought I’d break it down for you, just in case you’ve ever wondered.
First, the plain fact of the matter are that the word “natural” means pretty much nothing. The word is basically unregulated, so it’s totally up to subjective interpretation as to whether you find it natural or not. In general, “natural” means that it has to be derived from nature in some way. While it may contain some component of plant or animal, it CAN also contain “solvents, emulsifiers, and preservatives, all of which are lumped into the category of ‘incidental additives’, and are not required to be disclosed by food manufacturers,” according to an article I found on treehugger.
Artificial dyes and flavors are dyes that are made up of completely synthetic ingredients combined in a lab. Things like red no. 40, yellow no. 6, and blue no. 1 are artificial dyes, while common ingredients like vanillin are artificial flavorings. Artificial dyes have been linked to all sorts of crazy behaviors in children, so while natural dyes aren’t really any better, artificial dyes and flavorings are definitely still worth avoiding.
Basically, the take-way from this breakdown is that here in the U.S., the regulation on food additives is abysmal. Natural vs. artificial doesn’t mean you’re safe to consume it–so basically, you’ll need to read your labels carefully {because you didn’t already have enough to do already, right?}.
The good news {kind of} is that England has already banned several additives in children’s food and given the term “natural” a heck of a lot more weight–opting for ingredients like, beetroot powder, annato, and paprika extract to color foods instead. So, that means that the methods to keep the convenience train rolling are totally in place, now we just have to make sure to put our money where our mouth is and buy those products, instead of the less appealing alternatives. Money talks, right?
Do you care about the additives in your food? Do you try to avoid buying certain products if they have undesirable items on the ingredients list?
~Mavis
Cecily says
Yes artificial is not good but natural can be downright icky. Castoreum, a “natural” flavoring, is obtained from the castor glands of beavers. The castor glands are located right next to the anal glands under the beavers tail. Mmmm tasty.
Tammy says
OK So I avoid ALL flavorings, when it comes right down to it, I have no clue what “natural flavorings” means when it gets slapped on a label. So that means that I make the majority of our food, which can get tiresome…
It always annoys me when something like a chocolate-covered wafer has food dye in the {chocolate-covered} wafer. You can’t see it until you bite into it, and even then, who is examining their wafer to see what color it is? It doesn’t make sense!
Julie Ann says
I am forever reminding my teen children to choose snacks with more organic colors (avoiding the term “natural”). My son already has troubles in school with focus – a kid who can better accomplish his homework with AC\DC blaring the the background does not need the help of artificial colors coursing through his brain :/
I thought someone might get a kick out of this story for what kids are illogically accustomed to in their food: My teen son had an over-nighter with his wrestling team for a tournament – the boys protested and kicked my son out of the room whilst he consumed his favorite backpacking snack – canned mackerel (on pork rinds – he’s gluten-intolerant). He was reprimanded by several of the boys for the “high salt content” of the mackerel. Granted, this fish is processed with salt – so is tuna. But nothing compared to McDonald’s food! This was the trip restaurant of choice by a team very heavily preachy on “good diets and watching weight” scolds over canned fish, but pounds those Quarter Pounders and large fries like they’re nothing! You could have heard my eyes roll!
Glenda says
We choose organic, certified non-GMO, no msg, no added nitrates, for most foods we eat. You are absolutely correct about the term “natural” or “natural flavoring;” it means nothing. We, also, use no plastic in food cooking, heating, or storage. We use glass and stainless steel for all food prep, cooking, and storage. Some companies now state non-BPA lining on their food cans.
Leslie says
What if the castoreum is organic? Gag!
Glenda says
It is wisest to avoid ALL natural flavorings, as many are of unhealthy origin.
Sallie Simmons says
My son had asthma so bad that he had to be hospitalized at one point for five days. We stopped eating food additives (really focusing on artificial colors) and he suddenly got better. I found out that the yellows are especially bad for asthmatic children. Right before his hospital visit, he was drinking yellow sports drinks, powdered lemonade mix, and other artificially colored food & drinks daily.