UNREAL ... candy!!

Mornings just got a little more Simple ;)

While doing my weekly grocery shopping early Sunday morning @ our local Stop & Shop, I stumbled upon a new product from Duncan Hines: Simple Mornings. I have "conspiracy theories" as to why big name brands are suddenly growing consciences when it comes to what they are putting in food and selling to the masses, but whatever the real deal is...this Mom is thankful! :)

Here are the ingredients for the flavor pictured: Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffin Mix:

Flour (Whole Wheat Flour, Wheat Flour), Sugar, Milk Chocolate Chunks (Sugar, Whole Milk Powder, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate Liquor, Butteroil, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Natural Flavor), Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Vanilla Extract), Cocoa Powder Processed With Alkali, Palm Oil, Baking Powder (Monocalcium Phosphate, Baking Soda), Corn Starch, Dextrin (Wheat Fiber), Salt, Xanthan and Guar Gum, Natural Flavor.

 * please note the presence of "Soy Lecithin": there is much debate around this additive...for the purposes of this blog and my specific child's situation, Soy Lecithin, is not part of our current problem, but is something we will be keeping an eye on going forward.

Fresca and ME!

Last night, on my way to a PTO meeting at my daughter's school, I decided to stop and grab a quick drink to tied me over...not know how long the meeting might go. I'm a big time drinker of water...but after like 64oz of water throughout the day...I was looking for something with a little bit of taste, but with no calories or caffeine. I normally would buy Sobe's LifeWater...which is usually 0 calories and naturally flavored...but last night a bit of nostalgia and youthfulness took over when I saw that bottle of Fresca sitting there.

 

I grab and pay for my Fresca, feeling youthful, carefree and a bit of a rebel since I rarely drink soda these days in general.

As the meeting goes on, a slight and uncomfortable pressure started behind my right eyeball and some slight water retention in my fingers and toes. This usually signifies a migraine is looming due to dehydration. If I can get a good 16oz of water consumed ASAP, I'm good. As this is happening and I'm pondering the trigger, my eyes catch the Fresca bottle, which happens to have it's ingredients list in my line of sight:

Carbonated water, citric acid, concentrated grapefruit juice, potassium citrate, potassium benzoate and EDTA (preservatives), aspartame, acesulfame potassium, acacia, natural flavors, glycerol ester of wood rosin, brominated vegetable oil, carob bean gum

HOLY SMOKES. Potassium Benzoate AND EDTA AND Aspartame. The Benzoate and the Aspartame are bad enough...but the EDTA takes the cake: "EDTA is mainly synthesised from ethylenediamine (1,2-diaminoethane), formaldehyde, and sodium cyanide". Ummm....really?!

What's up Coca-Cola Company?! What's up?!

Cheese Nips...Cheez-Its...and kids...

My son, age 7, is a major Angry Birds fan. A friend of the family, and fellow Angry Birds fan, gave him a box of Angry Birds Cheese Nips.

Fully prepared to put this on the "Not for Jessica" Shelf in our pantry next to the Cheez-Its (which have TBHQ for freshness in them), I read the ingredients:

Unbleached Enriched Four (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Soybean Oil, Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Tapioca Dextrin, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Salt, Autolyzed Yeast Extract (Contains Barley), Calcium Carbonate (Natural Source of Calcium), Leavening (Calcium Phosphate And/Or Yeast), Annatto Extract (Vegetable Color), Natural Flavor. Contains: Wheat, Milk.

WOW! Nothing from "the No List"! Jess can eat these! Cool!!

...but this gets me to thinking: Why do Cheez-Its have TBHQ in them and not Cheese Nips?? ...and then the  thinking gets me to searching...and the searching gets me to reading...

I arrive at Nabisco's website and because they don't have the exact product listing for specifically the Angry Birds Cheese Its, I find the original Cheese Nips Baked Snack Crackers and read:

Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid), Soybean Oil, Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt and Enzymes), Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Salt, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Leavening (Calcium Phosphate and/or Yeast), Monosodium Glutamate (Flavor Enhancer), Paprika, Annatto Extract (Vegetable Color), Sodium Caseinate, Spice, Lactic Acid, Acetic Acid.

 OH NO!!! MSG is in Cheese Nips?!?!! But wait...it's not listed on this box of Angry Birds Cheese Nips. What the...?!?!

I keep reading. I find the SpongeBob Cheese Nips, the Spider Man Cheese Nips and the Cheese Nips Tid-Bits all share the same ingredients...none of which includes MSG. But the Original Cheese Nips, the Four Cheese Cheese Nips and the Reduced Fat Cheese Nips all have MSG in them.

Interesting I say! It strikes me as rather odd that the Cheese Nips that are marketed towards children, do not include this controversial ingredient...but all the others do.

It makes me wonder why, Nabisco...it makes me wonder: Why?! ... oh yeah ... and it all makes me wonder why you need TBHQ in your Cheez-Its, Kellogg...it makes me wonder: Why?!