It has been nothing short of a battle at times to get something quick and healthy into my children's lunch box that won't make them the "kid with weird foods" or or end up in the trash. The food, not the kids.
There is this unspoken pressure I feel, as a mom, to make their lunches the envy of ALL other kids. I can remember the rare occasion in elementary school where I would have something delicious (usually spewing with sugar) that my friends would beg for. It made me feel good.
Those were the days.
With my 6 year old, who suffers from a dairy allergy and a gluten intolerance, finding food options that don't give him yummy pain or taste like cardboard, can be difficult.
Though some of his lunches end up being found buried in his bag, untouched, I thought I had a handle on the drink situation.
For awhile Bryson was getting Capri Sun Roarin' Waters juice pouches lovingly placed in his lunch bag. They were low in sugar (8g per serving) and came in Bryson's favorite flavor, Cherry.
WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CITRIC ACID, SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA(R) BRAND SWEETENER), NATURAL FLAVOR.
Great! I've been feeding my kid Genetically Modified Corn Sugar!
If you are one of those people, like in the biased Corn Refiners Association commercials, put to shame when they can't answer why HFCS is SOOOO bad, don't worry I'll give you all the ammo you need.
These commercials tout that corn sugar is no different that cane sugar, and therefore is a safe & natural alternative. "If used in moderation it can be part of a healthy diet."
Except there is one glaring issue: "When used in moderation, it is a major cause of heart disease, obesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay and more."
Drinks are not the only culprit. High Fructose Corn Syrup can also be found in canned fruit, cereals, breads (even the Whole Wheat/Whole Grain kind), crackers, baked goods, tomato-based sauces, packaged lunch meat, salad dressing, and yogurt. It sucks but, reading food labels is a MUST if you want to avoid HFCS.
Suffice to say, I stopped buying Capri Suns. Hey, but kiwi-strawberry flavored water doesn't have HFCS and Bryson LOVES it, perfect!
Last week I went food shopping at a different grocery store and picked up what I thought was them same drink with the clear bottle and green top. This morning while packing his lunch, I had the startling realization that this WAS NOT the same drink I had been buying. You see this particular brand contained aspartame.
If you are not familiar with aspartame, don't worry. I had no clue what it was until my well-intention, but sometimes fanatical, husband kept going on and on about how dangerous this chemical sweetener really was.
Jeez, something else I need to worry about.
So I started reading about aspartame, which Dr. Mercola, a leader in alternative medicine, claims is, "by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to food." This chemical concoction is what gives Equal, Nutrasweet, Sweet n Low and Splenda their SUPER sweet taste---nearly 100-200 times sweeter than cane sugar. It's also one of the main ingredients in ALL diet soda. Thought diet soda was healthier like I did huh?
Aspartic acid, also known as aspartate, acts as a neurotransmitter in your brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate in your brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death. ~ Dr. Mercola.comWant to know the 92 side effects reported, to the FDA, from using aspartame?
How about:
- Death,
- Headaches and seizures,
- Vision loss,
- Seizures,
- Hearing loss,
- Joint pain, and
- Breathing difficulties.
Check the label. Does your kids favorite drink contain High Fructose Corn Syrup or Aspartame?
Reading Carefully in Granolaville,
Resources:
http://aspartame.mercola.com/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/22810-dangers-aspartame/
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/03/Jan03/012203/02P-0317_emc-000199.txt
http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/high-fructose-corn-syrup-dangers/
5 comments:
Make your own flavored fruit water by soaking fresh fruit in the water. You can strain it out or leave it in :-)
Some favorites are watermelon, strawberry, and raspberry
Yes! Thats such a great idea. I have fresh strawberries and melons I can use. Thanks Stephanie B!
That is a really good idea! Thanks Stephanie B!
What about juicing, smoothies, rice, almond or coconut milk, coconut water?
All of the above are great! Especially because you know the content of what your kids are drinking. Water is always best, but let's face it kids get bored with that. My little one LOVES the juices I make!
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