Healthy Food Swaps

The food industry 'Bait-and-switch' has been going on for many years, and as consumers, we've been falling for it time and time again. Sitting in our lounge chairs fresh from the supermarket with a bag of 'fat free' munchies in our sugar coated mitts we watch as our waistlines grow to enormous proportions. The food swap revolution needs to be put in place quickly! And so we ask, "what is going on with our food?"

Here's the scoop, Food manufacturers think you're uneducated about food, and the marketing strategies they create rely on it. They are hoping that you believe 'fat free' is the same as 'healthy' or 'nonfattening'—thus you dig in and forget about the empty-calories that make the candy isle almost 100% sugar and full of processed carbohydrates. It is a trap many have fallen for time and time again.

Are Reduced Fat Foods Really Better for My Health

NOTE: Shouldn't they also have to tell the consumer that those reduced-fat cracker's offer 33% MORE carbs than the original? They must not want you to know that when they removed the 1 gram of fat, they replaced it with 3 grams of refined flour and sugar!

The candy isle is just the beginning of the tricks and magic of supermarket marketing! I intend to reveal to you within this article some of the inside secrets the food industry doesn't want you to know! The secrets that can cost you your money, your trust and most importantly your health. You can refer to it as your footnotes to outwitting the deep-pockets of the food marketing industry!

Your Food Can Legally Contain Maggots...

If You think the limit on rodent droppings and other appetite killers is zero, you'd be wrong! The regulatory information on such contents will not bring you any harm, but they may kind of make you cringe a bit.

KELLOGG'S

A "Diabetes friendly" logo is what you will find on the side panel of a box of Cornflakes— Keeping in mind that high blood glucose is the primary symptom of diabetes. An Australian research team determined that cornflakes cause the blood glucose level to rise faster and higher than eating regular refined sugar. But, they were kind enough to put nutritional information and recommendations on their website for those who actually have diabetes.

A Quaker product that proudly displays the American Heart Association (AHA) check-mark, is (among many) Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal. What Quaker doesn't want you know is that they had to pay the government so they can display the AHA logo! If you look closely at a label, the small print reveals that the AHA states the product meets "AHA's food criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol." So, it could have a pound of sugar in it and still qualify. Fruit loops meet the same criteria, but didn't pay the government for the logo, so it does not appear on the box.

Keebler Reduced Fat Crackers—in big yellow letters—you will read that they contain "33% Less Fat Than Original Club Crackers."They actually do have the math correct. However, the original product has 3 grams of fat per serving (4 crackers), while the reduced-fat version has 2 grams (5 crackers) per serving. So, numerically, it is 33% different, but does this have real meaning? Shouldn't they also have to tell the consumer that those reduced-fat cracker offer 33% MORE carbs than the original? They must not want you to know that when they removed the 1 gram of fat, they replaced it with 3 grams of refined flour and sugar... http://www.keebler.com/

Here you will find out which foods to keep your eyes on, the real heavy-weights in calories and what might be the best choice for your heart, blood sugar and waistline!

WHAT IS THE WORST YOGURT TO EAT

Stonyfield Farm Whole Milk Chocolate Underground (6 oz)

220 calories / 5 g fat (3 g saturated) / 36 g sugars

This sugar packed (3 tablespoons) snack is unusually sweet even for the Stonyfield supped-up sugar reputation. Not even Ben and Jerry's makes a flavor with this much sugar! You would have to consume 4 Cherry Popsicles to get close to the equivalent sugar amount.

• Try This Yogurt Food Swap

Breyer's Cookies n'Cream YoCrunch low-fat with Oreo pieces. (120 calories / 2.5 g fat (1 g saturated) / 11 g sugars)

WHAT IS THE WORST CONDIMENT TO EAT

Eggo Original Syrup (1/4 c)

240 calories / 40 g sugars

If you want real syrup, buy 100% maple. This sugar giant has three different forms of sugar listed as its first ingredients (excluding water). You would have to eat two Häagen-dazs Vanilla & Almond ice cream bars to measure the same sugar intake.

• Try This condiment Food Swap

Smucker's Sugar Free Breakfast Syrup (1/4 c). (20 calories / 0 g sugars)

WHAT IS THE WORST PACKAGED SIDE DISH TO EAT

Pasta Roni Fettuccine Alfredo

450 calories / 25 g fat (7 g saturated, 3.5 g trans) / 1,140 mg sodium

If you ate this accompaniment as a main dish sized meal, it would top over (and bust your pant button) 1,000 calories. Alfredo seems to continue to be on the top of the worst choice's when cruising down the food isles at the local market. You would need to gobble down four medium orders of McDonald's French Fries to hit the calorie count on this packaged side dish!

• Try This Food Swap

Pasta Roni Nature's Way Olive Oil & Italian Herb (1 c prepared with water and olive oil). (250 calories / 8 g fat (1.5 g saturated) / 800 mg sodium).

WHAT IS THE WORST FROZEN ENTRÉE TO EAT

Hungry-Man Classic Fried Chicken

1,020 calories / 1,570 mg sodium / 57 g fat (12 g saturated)

This entrée has over a pound of fatty chicken laced with greasy mashed potatoes and of course a brownie. No male (or female) should undertake this meal in one sitting. In my opinion they need to rename this dish 'Feed A Pack of Wolves Fried Chicken Dinner'because their just might be enough. You would have to power down five Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts to meet the calorie declarations of this main dish.

• Try This Food Swap

Banquet Select Chicken Parmesan. (350 calories / 870 mg sodium / 15 g fat (3.5 g saturated)

WHAT IS THE WORST PACKAGED FOOD IN AMERICA TO EAT

Marie Callender's Creamy Parmesan Chicken Pot Pie

1.060 calories / 1,440 mg sodium / 64 g fat (24 g saturated)

This entrée worked long and hard to become the title holder. The box claims to contain two medium-size servings, but who splits a pot-pie? The pastry top and cream filling are created with an abundance of real lard. Don't bother reading the ingredient list unless you got high-marks on your 0-chem final, because you won't understand most of them. To meet the sodium equivalent you would have to eat 8 small bags of potato chips / to meet the fat equivalent you would have to eat 23 strips of bacon / To meet the calorie equivalent you would have to eat 7 Taco Bell Fresco Beef Tacos. (I'd be willing to give the bacon equivalent a try!)

• Try This Food Swap

Marie Callender's Oven Baked Chicken (368 g). 320 calories / 990 mg sodium / 12 g fat (3 g saturated)