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1. Smucker’s
Simply Fruit. The strawberry version
of this fruit spread contains only 30 percent strawberries. The
blueberry version contains only 43 percent blueberries. Both
have more fruit syrup that comes, not from berries, but from
cheaper apple, pineapple, or pear juice concentrate.
2. Post
Honey Bunches of Oats. The box of this
best-selling cereal trumpets “Good Source of Whole Grain,” yet
it has more refined corn than whole grain. In fact, the cereal
may be as little as 25 percent whole grain.
3. General
Mills Multi-Bran Chex. The box
states that the product is “made with whole grain.” But the
cereal has more corn meal and sugar than whole grain.
4. Nature’s
Promise Natural Vegetable Sticks. The
label claims “it’s the fun way to eat your veggies” – potatoes,
tomatoes, and spinach – but the product has more white potato
flour, oil, and starch than even tomato or spinach puree.
5. Kellogg’s
Eggo Nutri-Grain Pancake. The
box boasts that these pancakes are “Made with Whole Wheat and
Whole Grain,” but they consist primarily of white flour.
6. Gerber
Graduates for Toddlers Fruit Juice Treats.
The packaging is decorated with pictures of oranges, cherries,
and strawberries. Yet the leading ingredients are corn syrup and
sugar. These snacks are more like candy than fruit juice.
7. Enviga.
The advertising for this new carbonated drink from
Coca-Cola/Nestle claims that, thanks to a combination of
caffeine and an antioxidant found in green tea, the product
burns more calories than the drink provides, and implicitly
promotes weight loss. In fact, those claims are based on
inconsistent, short-term, and industry-funded studies.
8. DanActive
“immunity” dairy drink. This Dannon
product claims to help “strengthen your body’s defenses.” But
the only actual study conducted on people found that DanActive
didn’t prevent illness – and 25 percent of the participants had
to cut their dose in half because they suffered bloating, gas,
and nausea.
Ten Super Food For Better
Health!
At least one will surprise you…
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Sweet Potatoes.
A nutritional All-Star – one of the best vegetables you can
eat. They’re loaded with carotenoids, vitamin C, potassium,
and fiber. Mix in unsweetened applesauce or crushed pineapple
for extra moisture and sweetness.
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Grape Tomatoes.
They’re sweeter and firmer than other tomatoes, and their
bite-size shape makes them perfect for snacking, dipping, or
salads. They’re packed with vitamin C and vitamin A, and you
also get some fiber, some phytochemicals, and (finally) some
flavor.
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Fat-free (Skim) or 1%
Milk (but not 2%). Excellent source
of calcium, vitamins, and protein with little or no
artery-clogging fat and cholesterol. Ditto for unflavored
low-fat yogurt. (Soy milk can have just as many nutrients – if
the company adds them.)
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Broccoli.
Lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, and folic acid.
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Wild Salmon.
The omega-3 fats in fatty fresh fish like wild salmon can help
reduce the risk of sudden-death heart attacks. And salmon that
is caught wild has less dioxin contaminant than farmed salmon.
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Crispbreads.
Whole-grain rye crackers, like Wasa, Ry Krisp, and Ryvita –
usually called crispbreads – are loaded with fiber and often
fat-free.
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Microwaveable or “10
minute” Brown Rice. Enriched white
rice is nutritionally bankrupt. You lose the fiber, magnesium,
vitamins E and B-6, copper, zinc, and who-knows-what
phytochemicals that are in the whole grain. Try quick-cooking
or regular brown rice instead.
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Citrus Fruits.
Great-tasting and rich in vitamin C, folic acid, and fiber.
Perfect for a snack or dessert. Try different varieties: juicy
Minneola oranges, snack-sized Clementines, or tart grapefruit.
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Diced Butternut Squash.
A growing number of food stores sell peeled, seeded, cut, and
ready to go – into the over, into a stir-fry, or into a soup
or risotto, that is – bags of diced butternut squash. Every
half cup has 5 grams of fiber and payloads of vitamins A and
C.
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Pre-washed, Pre-Cut
Bags of Greens. Greens like kale,
spinach, and broccoli rabe are nutritional power houses. Most
are loaded with vitamin C, carotenoids, calcium, folate,
potassium, and fiber. Now it’s easy to squeeze healthy greens
into your busy schedule.
-Source: (c) 2007
Center for Science in the Public Interest
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