Do you ever read the ingredients in food and wonder why it sounds like your food is actually made of chemicals? Do you ever wonder if what you are eating is even safe? Me too, and a new survey indicates that people are indeed ingesting potentially harmful ingredients because they are misreading or unable to understand those confusing ingredient lists (and I often wonder if that is intentional).
What is Potassium Sorbate? Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate? Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate? Good Food Made Simple, a brand committed to using clean, simple ingredients without anything artificial, believes that if you can’t pronounce an ingredient, or don’t know what it means, you should be highly skeptical of eating it.
Good Food Made Simple is launching “Eat Clean, Eat Simple,” a national campaign that helps people take control of what they put in their bodies by educating and inspiring them to read and understand ingredient labels, not just glance at the Nutrition Facts. As a national, all-natural packaged food company out of Boston, MA, GFMS doesn’t use preservatives or hydrogenated oils for its quick, convenient and delicious meals. Good Food Made Simple products include several varieties of frozen oatmeal, egg patties, breakfast burritos, breakfast bowls, mac ‘n cheese and entrée burritos.
Despite warnings about harmful ingredients found in packaged food, Americans still purchase and consume foods that contain ingredients directly linked to long-term health problems. In fact, many have come to expect that artificial ingredients and preservatives will be in their food. People need to make time to learn what ingredients mean for their health. Studies show that even a small amount of trans fat can result in an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
I actually stopped giving my sons vitamins until I could find one that didn’t have dyes in it (linked to cancer) and I stopped taking my prenatal vitamins for the same reason, opting to only take folic acid until I found a more natural option. It kind of angers me that even health and food products specifically for children that are being recommended by doctors (vitamins and fever reducers and more) still contain artificial and harmful dyes, preservatives, and other ingredients. I mean, who cares what color their medicine is? Why is anything that can be unhealthy for us allowed to be sold to us?
Want to learn more about eating clean and being healthy?
Visit GoodFoodMadeSimple.com/EatClean to learn more about ingredients found in packaged foods, dispel common food myths and download a “Top 10 List of Ingredients to Avoid.” There are also quizzes that you can participate in to get coupons or a chance to win a “Clean Supermarket Sweep”, a grocery-shopping spree with a food expert to guide label reading and clean food purchasing.
We can make smarter choices, and should. For example, buy frozen. Unlike packaged or canned vegetables, frozen vegetables are very fresh and do not require preservatives, so start heading toward the frozen section of your market when you shop for groceries. For more information go to GoodFoodMadeSimple.com, Facebook.com/GoodFoodMadeSimple, or follow @GFMSimple on Twitter.
brought to you by Good Food Made Simple
This is such an amazing campaign and I really wish our country made food knowledge and clean eating education a higher priority! We eat as clean and organic as possible, while making sure to purchase GMO free items as well.
I really try to eat clean. Halloween has been a fail.
It seems so confusing to know what is actually healthy and what is labeled as something that ‘sounds’ healthier. This is good to know!
I try to eat as healthy as possibly but sometimes I do slip up. Like Halloween and the Holidays are a problem.
I have tried several of the Good Food Made Simple Foods like the oatmeal and it’s amazing!
This is such a great campaign and thanks for the tips! I try to go with frozen whenever fresh produce isn’t an option.
I will definitely look into this brand!
What a great campaign. I must admit I’m not much of an ingredient reader though I should be.
I’m going to keep my eye out for this brand next time I’m out shopping. I’d like to make the effort to eat clean.
I’m all for any brand that concentrates on giving us healthier, simpler food! There’s so many unnecessary ingredients in most of today’s food, it’s ridiculous!
I bookmarked so hubby can read it too – he’s such a bad eater and it’s really not his fault his mom is a horrendous eater and constantly eats junk 🙁 Kind of a blessing M has FPIES that I can really tell him NO she can’t have that junk..
I love buying frozen veggies. Not only do they last longer, but they taste almost like fresh ones when you cook them and are cheaper too.
This is an amazing campaign. I’m so glad they are doing this.
While I haven’t gotten rid of all chemicals in our house, just getting rid of most of the processed junk, has made us healthier.
Okay I am really excited about this site. While I am definitely not the cleanest eater, I do like to at least know what it is I’m choosing to eat {or not}.
You are right, the artificial dyes in everything scares me too.
It does really bother me that I don’t know what those ingredients are. I usually feel like if I don’t immediately know what it is, it’s probably not something that’s super great for me. I’m going to start using this site as a resource!
Have you found a kids vitamin with no dyes? It’s crazy what they put in our foods!
What a great campaign. I never worried about anything until living a healthier lifestyle. Now all I do is read, read and read some more. I really wish these companies would just stop putting this junk in our food. I eat almost all clean now!
Interesting that frozen veggies are fresher. That’s a change everyone can afford to make!
Definitely could use some of this in my life! Going to check it out now. Thanks for the info Penelope!
Seems like more and more people are becoming more concerned at what they eat. It is a great campaign they are doing!!
It’s definitely amazing what’s in our food! Reese’s Peanut Butter cups have butane in them!
I had to find different vitamins for my children too because I didn’t like that they contained Red40.
I do prepare lots of recipes with few ingredients. Simple is… good.
A lot of meds have it too 🙁
No way, are you serious??
I did, but I had to order it from Amazon
Yes, it’s on the label as TBHQ
THAT is butane? I see that a lot and avoid it, but had no idea it was butane…that is in EVERYTHING, ugh!
I actually just noticed recently how much more I like frozen over canned!
Very interesting. I’m hearing more and more about what’s in our foods that really scares me!
The frozen veggie tip is a good one. We’ve developed a taste for roast brussels sprouts!
I primarily only buy frozen veggies. I find them much easier to cook with and have always found that they are quality controlled (at least the brands that I buy!)
Good point about the dyes in our medicine. It could look backwater brown and I’d still take it!
Totally adore this campaign! Now if we could make it mandatory to honestly label foods that contain GMOs, I would be a very happy camper.
I avoid canned food like the plague, even if it is from some of my favorite vegetarian/vegan brands such as Amy’s. I hear too much about BPA. I prefer frozen or fresh.
I need to check out that top 10 ingredients to avoid article.
It just amazes me how much crap can legally be put into foods. I am all for better labeling. Great campaign!
I really try to buy whole foods.
Thanks for the tips and the resources, Penelope …. And, we buy frozen frequently …. especially in the winter. 🙂
This is a great campaign! I think we all need to try to eat better, even little changes can help if you can’t afford (it’s expensive here) to go completely clean/organic.
I need to check them out, and try to eat cleaner! I have heard and seen everyone starting to talk about it, so it is about time I join in!!
Yes, we try really hard to read labels and buy products we actually know how to pronounce the ingredients.
I use Bebe-O prenatal vitamins as my multivitamin and buy our children Young Living’s Kids vitamins.