Fruit Loops -- Eat Smart

[abumbyanyothername]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/05/business/05smart.html?_r=1

A new food-labeling campaign called Smart Choices, backed by most of the nation’s largest food manufacturers, is “designed to help shoppers easily identify smarter food and beverage choices.”

The green checkmark label that is starting to show up on store shelves will appear on hundreds of packages, including — to the surprise of many nutritionists — sugar-laden cereals like Cocoa Krispies and Froot Loops.

“These are horrible choices,” said Walter C. Willett, chairman of the nutrition department of the Harvard School of Public Health.

<snip>

more at link.

If you want to eat healthy, stay out of the supermarket and restaurants. I'm trying to get to the point where I can say, without hypocrisy, if you didn't grow it, don't eat it.

[MissB]

1. A box won't hurt you.

If you only buy one box a year. But buying any of the sugary crap and calling it "breakfast" is just amazing marketing and stupid consumerism.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

2. If it's been processed,

don't eat it. That's not a realistic goal for most people, but it's not a bad thing to keep in mind.

Anyone who believes any of the nutrition information put out by the government probably still believes ketchup is a vegetable.

So is relish, right?

Food as plain as possible - that's how we do it, and, so far, so good.

Froot Loops. Cripes..........................

[Quantess]

3. Cheerios and Raisin Bran are also processed,

but either one are exponentially healthier than Froot Loops. But then, someone debating between the Froot Loops and the doughnut (one of the arguments given by a Smart Choice rep) would be better off eating the sugary cereal.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. There's a choice -

the only cereal around here is steel-cut Irish oatmeal, McCann's, which is really, really good.

Choosing between a doughnut and Froot Loops doesn't seem to be much of a choice, does it?

[Quantess]

10. Not unless you want hyper, irritable, overweight, kids.

She said Froot Loops was better than other things parents could choose for their children. “You’re rushing around, you’re trying to think about healthy eating for your kids and you have a choice between a doughnut and a cereal,” Dr. Kennedy said, evoking a hypothetical parent in the supermarket. “So Froot Loops is a better choice.”

I'll choose a sharp poke in the eye, thanks.

[CoffeeCat]

6. These companies are marketing this stuff as healthy...

On the pkgs of Kellogg's cereals, there's a big "Immunity Health!" slogan. They're actually
trying to sell parents on the idea that a big bowl of processed sugar is good for kids' immune
systems.

I also see that Kellogg's is making high-fiber Pop Tarts. Each of those things has 15 grams of
fat and 210 calories. But, because they now have 2-3 grams of added fiber--they're marketing
those as healthy choices too.

It's crazy.

[CoffeeCat]

4. It's very difficult, as a parent...

I want to feed my kids healthy food, but any parent knows that it can be difficult. I have very
picky eaters. So I have to be creative, and I do educate them and let them know how important
eating healthy is.

Also, I remember growing up--every day I had a baloney sandwich, Fritos and one of those Snowball cake
things. Geez! What a lunch! Back then, that was still junk food--but today stuff like that is poison!!

Today, that stuff is made with partially-hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. Back then, at least
it was real sugar and oils.

Makes it difficult for parents...

[Tangerine LaBamba]

7. I don't know how you do it -

things today just seem so complicated and difficult, and with picky eaters - I had one of those, and I was one myself -makes it even harder.

Man, after a trip to the market, I wonder how people can even afford to feed their families, let alone make smart and creative choices.

Some junk won't hurt them, and you need a break every now and then. I got Tastykakes as a kid because my grandfather sold them in his store, but the array of junk food back then just wasn't there.

I wish you luck, really, I do..............................

[abumbyanyothername]

8. If your kids have a sweet tooth

buy some fresh dates (they are very reasonably priced at Costco). Or grapes ($2/lb here in SoCal). Or melons in the summer ($5 for a watermelon, 1/4 melon should be a nice after school snack).

But especially the dates. They are almost all high concentrated sugar, but in a natural package with fiber naturally built in.

What's so hard with kids is that these companies advertise the hell out of kids TV and there is a direct link between food that is advertised and food that is eaten.

[1Hippiechick]

9. Once again proving how corporate America views the masses in a democracy - stupid and gullible. n/t