Food
10 Foods You’ll Avoid After You Know How It’s Made (Part 3)
We apologize in advance for ruining all of your favorite foods. It’s surprising how yucky the process is when it comes to creating your favorite products to chow down on. We hate to say it, but these are 10 Foods You’ll Avoid After You Know How It’s Made (Part 3).
10. Marshmallows
Marshmallows are those pillowy fun treats to eat alone or in a multitude of ways. Who can refuse to munch on a few marshmallows straight from the bag? You probably like to toss a few marshmallows in a cup of hot chocolate. The best simple treat in the world is poking a marshmallow with a stick and roasting it over a fire. Everyone has their own favorite doneness when it comes to roasted marshmallows. Are you the time that likes your roasted marshmallow lightly toasted or completely black? After reading this, you’re not going to want to put a marshmallow anywhere near your mouth again. So, what’s so bad about marshmallows? Marshmallows are made with something called gelatin. Yes, it’s that stuff that’s in products like Jello and even some of your favorite ice creams. How do they get gelatin? Well, put down your marshmallow for a second. You don’t want to spit it out all over the screen. Gelatin comes from boiling the bones and hides of animals. The gelatin in marshmallows usually comes from cows. The sweet treat that you enjoy today was once walking around not long ago. Do you wonder what the cow would think if it knew it would end up floating in a cup of hot chocolate someday?
9. Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter
A life without peanut butter isn’t much of a life at all. If you’re on a diet, then you might naturally gravitate towards reduced-fat peanut butter. After all, you’re trying to cut out as much fat from your diet as possible. It’s not an easy task, and you’ve got to do your best to find new and creative ways of cutting back. That’s why you scour the supermarket shelves for new products that will help you in your mission to shed a few pounds. You find your way to the reduced-fat peanut butter and you realize that you never knew it was a thing. It probably makes you feel pretty good that you can enjoy something that you love without the guilt of all that fat. You’re probably going to want to skip the reduced-fat peanut butter after reading this. What’s so bad about reduced-fat peanut butter? Sure, it has less fat in it. The problem is, that so-called healthy peanut butter is loaded with sugar and artificial sweeteners. The missing flavor from fat has to be covered up with something. If you’ve ever noticed that your reduced-fat peanut butter tastes sweet, now you know why. You’re better off using the regular peanut butter and cutting down how much you smear on a slice of bread. The added sugar and artificial sweeteners don’t justify going the reduced-fat route.
8. Frozen Meals
Who doesn’t love the convenience of a frozen dinner? Sometimes you don’t have the time to prepare an entire meal from scratch. Life has a way of getting in the way of things, and that’s why the frozen food aisle seems the last saving grace of anyone who is hungry and on the go. You toss a few frozen meals in your cart without thinking twice about it. They make you feel happy that there’s something available to eat when you’re dead tired and can’t think of using the stove. Let’s not forget frozen pizza and how it’s the perfect anytime meal and also makes for a great snack. What would life be without frozen pizza? You’re going to hate us for this one, but it’s our job to educate the public. Frozen foods are full of all kinds of bad stuff. First off, they’re loaded with sodium. We know what you’re thinking; everything is loaded with salt these days. The salt in your favorite frozen foods isn’t the main problem; it’s the preservatives and sugar. You might not realize it, but frozen foods are loaded with sugar and chemicals. Do yourself a favor and eliminate them from your diet. Prepare big meals a few times a week and put them in the freezer for a healthy alternative to frozen dinners. Baked chicken and boiled potatoes are super easy to make, and you can whip up enough for quite a few meals.
7. Processed Cereals
What’s the first thing you do in the morning? You stumble to the kitchen and pull out a box of cereal. You then take a whiff of the milk in the fridge to see if it’s safe to drink and put it in your bowl. The entire process of making breakfast takes all of about thirty seconds if you’re still drowsy. You munch on the cereal while checking your Facebook timeline and wondering why the weekend can’t get here any faster. Are you the type who drinks the milk straight from the bowl? If so, then you guzzle down the now sweetened moo juice, and off you go. Your morning routine is forever going to change after reading this. You probably already know that your favorite breakfast cereal is full of sugar. If it isn’t, then you probably add a few heaping tablespoons of sugar to it. Breakfast cereal was designed for children, and that’s why it tastes so good. The people who created cereal so sweet a spoonful would give you cavities must hate kids to promote such a thing to them. Anyway, there’s also not much in terms of vitamins and anything else healthy in cereal. Cook up some oatmeal a few times a week and toss it in the refrigerator and microwave it before going to work. You’ll find that oats will stick to your ribs longer and make you feel less hungry throughout the day.
6. Bottled Water
Bottled water used to be only for the rich and famous. Why in the world would you pay for water when it comes out of your faucet? Did you know that the soda pop companies make more money selling bottled water than they do that sugary liquid we all know and love? It’s true, and people all over the world are draining bottle after bottle of water all day long. Some people never drink the water that comes out of the faucet anymore. Sometimes people don’t like the taste of their local water, or they might fear that something bad is in it. Well, there’s something bad in your bottled water too. The problem with bottled water is, well, the bottle itself. Plastic has a way of leaking all kinds of stuff into water and other liquids. Some brands of bottled water come in glass bottles, and they are worth looking into. Almost everyone reading this buys water in plastic bottles, and that is what’s the most widely available. You can’t go in almost any home without finding at least one bottle of water. If you’re worried about the quality of your drinking water, buy a purifier. You’ll save money in the long run, and you won’t have to worry about chemicals leaching into the water from the plastic bottles.
5. Foods with Red Food Dye
At least one of your favorite foods is red in color. It might be red candy, red ice cream, or a fruity red drink that goes down easy. Just seeing the color red makes you think of a sweet cherry piece of candy that’s more delicious than the fruit itself. As you can imagine, your favorite licorice or other red candy doesn’t get its color naturally. Many of the flavorings that are in the candy aren’t naturally red, so they need to find a way to change the color of their products. That’s where food dye comes in, and a variety of foods are dyed in many different colors. Anyone who has ever made a batch of Easter eggs knows about those dyes that color the white eggs a variety of festive shades. Now let’s ruin your favorite red-dyed foods. Do you know where they get the red dye from? They get it from cochineal insects that are crushed up and used for their color. Cochineal insects were used in Mexico a long time ago as a dye for clothing. It wasn’t until a little over a hundred years ago that the same dye was used in a variety of foods in America. The red color that you’re familiar with comes from insects that are crushed up into a powder. How gross is that? Don’t worry; we aren’t going to freak you out and tell you what the other colors are made of. You already probably get the drift that food dye is made up of some pretty nasty stuff.
4. Ground Beef
Ground beef is in some of your favorite recipes. You can’t make your famous chili made with your secret recipe without ground beef. You’re not going to give up your secret recipe for anything. There is no amount of money in this world that will pry the secret to your chili. The secret isn’t even written down on paper; it’s only in your head. No one can get it unless they can somehow read your mind. Also think about burgers, tacos, and any other recipe that calls for ground beef. Beef won’t be what’s for dinner after you read this. You’ll think twice about slapping a beef patty on the BBQ this summer when the sun is beating down, and you have a craving for some caveman food. There’s something called pink slime that’s in many of the packages of ground beef. What is pink slime? It’s beef that has been done who knows what with by using chemicals. You might recall that McDonald’s was called out several years ago for using it in their burgers. The chemicals take undesirable pieces of beef, turns it into slime, and then they incorporate it into the ground meat. Think of it as big business’s way of making sure none of the cow goes to waste. How can you avoid buying ground beef with pink slime in it? Buy ground beef at a butcher or supermarket where they grind their own meat. If you ask them nicely, they might be willing to grind you up some chuck steak or another cut at no additional charge.
3. Pop Tarts
Anyone who has kids knows that it’s almost impossible to get them to eat breakfast. You spend so much of your time and energy begging them to eat something before they walk out the door. No child can learn on an empty stomach. Admit it parents, you eat Pop Tarts too for breakfast. You grab one while you’re heading out the door along with your travel mug full of coffee. No matter if you’re walking to the bus stop or driving to work, the coffee and Pop Tart will be gone by the time you get to your place of employment. Pop Tarts taste great and come in a variety of flavors that are sure to appeal to even the pickiest of eaters. Why are Pop Tarts such a hit with everyone? It’s because they’re loaded with sugar. Look at the first few ingredients of Pop Tarts, and you’ll see quite a few different types of sugar. Your body is programmed to like anything sweet, and there’s plenty of sweetness in every Pop Tart. It’s good that you and your children are eating breakfast, it’s not so good that what you’re putting in your mouth is a bag of sugar. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it’s a huge mistake to flood yourself with sugar so early in the morning.
2. Artificial Sweeteners
You know that sugar is some of the worst stuff out there. Some consider sugar a drug, and they avoid it at all costs. You have a sweet tooth, and you’ve got to do something to satisfy it. So, you reach for the packets of pink stuff and put it in your coffee. These days there are so many choices when it comes to artificial sweeteners that it can be almost impossible to choose which one to use. Do you go with the stuff that causes cancer? Maybe you’d rather have an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. What a minute… An increased risk of diabetes from a sweetener that contains no sugar at all? Yes, it’s possible, and that what we’re going to get into now. You see, science really doesn’t know yet what’s so bad about artificial sweeteners. Scientists are now beginning to connect the dots when it comes to figuring out why the stuff is bad for you. So far, they can see an increased risk of diabetes and also heart disease. It seems that people who consume artificial sweeteners already have an extremely poor diet and are at risk for these diseases anyway. People who use artificial sweeteners might feel since they are skipping sugar they can eat anything they want and be healthy. It’s best to eat real sugar in moderation and skip the fake stuff. If you’re type one diabetic, then you might not have a choice. All those who do have a choice, make the right decision and eat sugar sparingly and stay far away from anything with artificial sweeteners in it.
1. Wine
Everyone thinks that wine is good for them. How many people do you know drink wine for their hearts? A meal isn’t a meal for many if it doesn’t include a glass of wine. All of this time, you thought the wine you were drinking was healthy. Well, except for that box of wine, you get every payday. You know, the box of wine you keep under your bed. The only people who know about your box of wine is you and your cats. The wine will be gone by the time the weekend is over, but the headache from your hangover will last much longer. According to PETA, wine contains all kinds of gross animal products in it. We’re talking about stuff like bone marrow, milk products, and even fish oil. There’s an entire zoo floating around in your glass of red wine. Try to buy locally made wine and ask them if they put any of this disgusting stuff in it. If you can’t find a good wine made locally, juice some grapes yourself and drink it. You can even make your own wine at home. It’s completely legal, and you’ll be in total control of what’s in your wine glass.