Mom’s, High Fructose Corn Syrup is Okay in Moderation
September 20, 2008 by robin
Filed under Children's Health, Fitness and Exercise, Nutrition
by Holly Rigsby, Author Fit Yummy Mummy
From the High Fructose Corn Syrup Commercial…
“Wow you don’t care what the kids eat, huh?”
“You know what they say about it”……Silence for this mom is STUMPED
Come back:
“There’s no artificial ingredients and like sugar it is okay in moderation”
In Moderation……….That is the KEY, right?
When it comes to a sound health and fitness plan, anything is okay on moderation.
And my son Tyler will be the first to tell you that it is okay to have ice cream and go to McDonald’s…..Once in awhile.
He even asks if it is “once in awhile yet”, especially if McDonald’s is advertising a movie related toy that he is “into”.
So what IS the problem?
Well the commercial is right in the fact that, in moderation, the consumption is okay, just like regular sugar.
However, HFCS is found in almost every type of processed food.
“In Moderation” does not mean “consume 5 to 6 times a day” – when in fact, our children are!
Surprised?
Wait until you Take a Look in your pantry, your fridge, your snack drawer.
You will find it in
~ flavored milk
~ juices
~ juice boxes
~ granola snack bars
~ cereals
~ peanut butter
~ fruit chews
~ dried fruit
~ fruit cups
~ yogurt
~ whole wheat bread
~ whole wheat crackers
~ and many other “healthy” sounding food items.
HFCS can even be innocently consumed while dining on spaghetti, seasoning with Worcester sauce, topping a salad, or dipping something into catsup.
As a Busy Moms it seems to be so much easier to choose a more convenient form of “health” foods for their children. When in fact, the foods chosen are processed and contain HFCS.
Based on the list above, it is highly likely your child is consuming these empty
calories 5 to 6 times a day!
Hardly what anyone would consider “In Moderation”.
The impact?
The USDA suggests most of us limit our intake of added sugar — that’s everything from the high fructose corn to plain old teaspoons of sugar — to about 10 to 12 teaspoons a day.
This is not exactly a campaign that encourages us to do so. On average it is easy to take in over 30 teaspoons of sugar a day, which was more than 15 percent of our caloric intake.
These empty calorie foods are simply taking the place of more nutritious, satisfying, health promoting foods our children should be eating.
The Solution?
You can choose to….
~ Check the Labels of the convenience foods you are buying and seek out a HFCS-Free item
or even better
~ Replace all the highly processed foods with whole, natural foods – foods that actually promote health, wellness and a lifetime of fitness when it comes to the future of our children.
~
Need help?
Try this…
Replace the juice with water
Replace the granola bars with apple slices and almonds
Replace the flavored milk with organic milk – Tyler’s favorite, “Horizon”
Next…..Refer to your very own lifestyle system – Fit Yummy Mummy.
Live the life you want your children to live.
Keeping It Cool – Summertime Cooking Tips
The last thing we want to do in the hot summer is heat up the kitchen cooking dinner. Thankfully there are plenty of ways to feed your family and still beat the heat. Breakfast is fairly easy since fresh fruit, yogurt, granola, cereals and smoothies are delicious in the A.M. any time of year. Dinnertime is a little more challenging. Here are some ideas:
Sandwich Night
Every family should adopt a weekly sandwich night, if for no other reason than to give Mom a break! But another great reason to have sandwich night is to avoid turning on the oven. Just gather up all of your family’s favorite sandwich fixings and let them go to town. If plain old sandwiches get boring, try using tortillas and creating wraps or make open faced sandwiches or panini.
Main Dish Salads
What’s nicer on a hot day than a cool, crisp, crunchy salad? In the summertime your body needs the additional water so give it what it’s craving by making a main dish salad.
To make a meal out of a salad, add cooked and cooled chicken, shrimp, tuna, beans, cheese and hardboiled eggs for additional protein.
Take It Outside
To the grill, that is. Cook your meat and veggies outside on the grill and keep the heat out of your kitchen. Then serve a nice cold fruit salad for dessert. Refreshing!
Use Smaller Appliances
If you just have to have a hot meal, use a smaller appliance. Your toaster oven or slow cooker create less heat than your stove and oven do. You can also make meals that cook quickly like omelets, quesadillas and stir fries.
Eat it Cold
Some dishes are meant to be served cool or at room temperature. Some ideas: sushi, gazpacho, chips and dips, and hummus with pita and veggies. These are excellent for lunch or dinner.
Go Raw
Summertime is a wonderful time to experiment with eating more raw fruits and veggies. Even if you don’t want to commit to a raw foods diet long term, pick up a raw food “cookbook” and experiment with some of the recipes.
Like the main dish salad idea? Find an entire cookbook made up of just salad recipes here: