SUMMER 2009
Sugar, Sugar Everywhere, High
Fructose Corn Syrup That Is!
By Karim H. Fugel, CHHC www.lettuceandfreedom.com
For years
now I have been reminding people to ‘read those labels!’ In fact, every time someone approaches me
with a question about whether a food is okay to eat, my typical response is
‘what is on the label?’ Quite naturally,
I am an avid label reader myself.
Despite all that, I was stumped not once, but twice this summer.
The first assault came while sautéing
fresh crab cakes I had purchased at Whole Foods. I had chosen them fresh from the fish counter
so there was no label to read, per se.
As I was preparing them to pair with a wonderful summer salad for dinner,
I noticed a very sticky quality to the cakes.
After browning, I could not get them un-stuck from the pan. I dug the wrapping out of the garbage and was
astonished to read high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on the ingredient list. It appears as if it is in the Worcestershire
sauce they used but nonetheless it is in there.
The second assault hit when I decided
to read the ingredient list on Newman’s Own lemonade. This is a product I have bought once or twice
in a year’s time as a special treat for my children, usually around a
celebration. But there it was again,
HFCS right on the carton. I am happy to
say that Newman’s Own has since changed their sweetener to sugar and added a
new line to the top of the carton stating ‘No High Fructose Corn Syrup.’
The point is, though there may be
markets and a brand that we have a comfort level with, it is still important to
read labels. Whole Foods is still my
favorite place to shop, other than the local farmer’s market and I will buy
Newman’s Own products again – after reading the labels. Sugar, and especially HFCS, is hidden in more
products than we can imagine including most breads and crackers.
So, when shopping for yourself and
your family, make sure you know what you are actually purchasing. And remember, when eating a diet composed
mainly of whole foods, you know exactly what is going into your body.
ESCAROLE & ORANGE SALAD (serves
2)
By Karim H. Fugel
www.lettuceandfreedom.com
One Head Escarole
1 Large
1 Avocado
1 Large Shallot
1 Tsp
Red Wine Vinegar
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Trim peel from
orange by slicing off both ends and then cutting peel off by following knife
down the sides. Cut orange into bite
sized pieces removing the center seeds.
You should end up with only the meat of the orange.
Cut avocado into
small pieces.
Dressing – mince
shallot and wisk together with mustard, 4 Tbsp olive
oil, 2 Tbsp vinegar & a pinch of salt.
Combine salad
ingredients and mix well with dressing.