I grew up with a working mom. She was good at making meals for us and having healthy foods in the house, but it was '70's where convenience foods were on the rise. Dinty Moore Beef Stew, Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, Velveeta Shells and Cheese, Kraft Mac-n-Cheese and SpaghettiOs were a few of my favorites. When I became a mom, I wanted easy meals for my babysitter and kids to make, so I bought these same things for them.
The first thing I noticed is that they tasted waaaay different than I remembered. The Hamburger and Tuna Helper were NOT the same, Velveeta had a metal taste to it, and the Dinty Moore stew had almost no beef. The only two that were the same was the SpaghettiOs and Kraft Dinners (for my Canadian friends out there). My kids ended up hating SpaghettiOs, but will still eat the Kraft Mac-n-Cheese to this day (but not nearly as much as they used to!).
I also used to use the Campbell's soups quite often for different meals. Nothing like pork chops over Cream of Mushroom soup and rice for a quick family meal. After a health scare with a possible diagnosis of MS (Multiple Sclerosis), I was still using many of these items even though I knew MSG (Monosodium glutamate), a widely used food additive that is naturally found in some foods, may mimic the symptoms of MS. And, when you look at labels today, there are a lot of multiple syllable, unpronounceable food additives. It's more like eating a chemistry experiment!
The other day I received an email from the National Society of Health Coaches on the array of food additives used today, which are all surprisingly approved by the US FDA (Food & Drug Administration). It's really quite concerning, especially once you know that other countries have banned their use due to inconclusive evidence of their safety. Instead, as is the case with MSG, they're flippantly added to the ingredient list. These include Red Dye No. 3 (Erythrosine), Potassium Bromate, Brominated Vegetable Oil, Red 40 (Allura Red), Yellow 5 (Tartrazine), Yellow 6 (Sunset Yellow), and Blue 1 (Brilliant Blue), Sodium Nitrite and Sodium Nitrate, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame), and artificial preservatives, such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). These items may cause cancer, hyperactivity, behavioral and reproductive issues, headaches and neurological symptoms and obesity and type 2 diabetes to name just a few. And one more, Propolyparaben, which is added to foods and cosmetics, is believed to be an endocrine disrupter that mimics estrogen.
It is up to us as consumers to educate ourselves and to read labels so we can avoid purchasing items with these ingredients. We have to demand better for ourselves and our families. It's a major step in improving our health and well-being. It also means learning to cook differently and planning meals so they're ready during our busy, harried lives. It can be done!
Over the years I've eliminated all of those foods I used to use (which I actually just did a few minutes ago -- the expiration on the Mac-n-Cheese in the pantry was May 2022!!). I have to be honest, it's been a long road learning to cook without the shortcuts. Yes, it's more work and takes more planning. Many meals didn't work out the way they were supposed to. It doesn't help that I'm an average cook, so I like to take advice and learn things from others who are amazing. I may have at one time obsessed about watching Emeril Lagasse. And, I have a few favorite food bloggers, as well as one of my besties (Niki Strong at Family Thyme on Instagram) who inspire me. Sorry Becky... but you inspire me in so many other ways! LOL!! I have found new shortcuts and some family favorites, and I keep trying new recipes to discover more.
Join me at www.incourage-health.com to start your oddysey, that twisty, turny journey toward better health. I would love to share my cooking failures and successes with you to make yours go a bit more smoothly.
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