The Truth Behind the Label: Easy Food Swaps for Clean Eating
When you go grocery shopping, do you look at the nutrition label? If you don’t, you’re not alone! When you only have thirty minutes to fight the crowds and try to remember what’s on your list that you left at home, trying to read hard to pronounce ingredients isn’t exactly top of the priority. If you’re trying to eat healthy, it’s easiest to grab whatever box says “All Natural” or “Sugar Free” and feel like you’re eating healthy.
Unfortunately, a lot of those keywords are simply marketing tactics designed to get busy people trying their best to eat clean to spend their hard-earned money on these overpriced products. Even worse, a lot of these foods labeled as a health food aren’t even that good for you!
Learning to read nutrition labels can feel overwhelming at first. There is a lot of conflicting information out there, and it can be hard to remember which foods to avoid and which ones are safe. This blog is intended to offer you a starting point. We’ll cover a few top additives to avoid and why, and then I will give you six common foods that you can easily swap out for a better alternative.
Before we dive in, here’s my disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor or a licensed nutritionist. This list is not intended to replace medical advice, and should be followed at your own discretion. I also want to say that by no means do I wish to shame people or guilt trip them based on the foods they are eating! I recognize that everyone is in a different place on their journey to self-improvement, and I only want to help by touching on a complicated subject and offering my advice as a personal trainer with 14 years of professional experience in the health and fitness world.
What Are Additives?
Before getting into the list of food swaps to make, it’s important to understand what additives are, why they’re in our food, and what that means for our health. Simply put, an additive is anything that has been added to the food to alter it in some way. This encompasses many things such as preservatives, flavoring, coloring, sweeteners, or thickeners.
Additives in and of themselves are not inherently bad, since by definition it’s just adding ingredients to food. The problem lies in the ultra processed ingredients or chemicals designed to alter foods for the purpose of preservation. These types of additives can wreak havoc in your body, cause bloating and inflammation, and have even been linked to causing cancer or other health issues.
It’s important to note here that the science surrounding these additives is anything but conclusive. There is a lot of conflicting information out there about whether or not certain additives are good or bad for you. However, I always say there’s nothing wrong with being careful about what you’re putting in your body. As we dive into this list, I want to encourage you to not treat this blog as a set of rules, but simply as an educational resource. The more we can increase awareness of what we’re putting in our bodies, the better equipped we are to fuel ourselves more efficiently!
5 Common Additives to Watch for:
Here’s a list of 5 common additives that are the most problematic, in my opinion.
Sodium nitrate: This chemical compound is naturally occurring in some vegetables, but is also added to cured meats to maintain a bright color by controlling lipid oxidation, and to lengthen the shelf life of the meat. Too much sodium nitrate has been linked to multiple kinds of cancer in humans.
Monosodium glutamate: More commonly known as MSG, this flavor enhancer can cause headaches, and has been linked to nerve damage, heart problems and seizures in animals.
Aspartame: This artificial sweetener is found in brands such as NutraSweet and Equal. The research surrounding this sweetener has been hotly debated over many years, but it is labeled as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It has also been known to cause dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, and stomach problems.
High-fructose corn syrup: This common sweetener is derived from corn starch from genetically-modified corn. Its extremely addictive nature increases the dangers of overeating or binging. It’s commonly found in sugary candy, desserts or soda, but is also added to foods such as pickles, ketchup, BBQ sauce, and more. It is linked to obesity, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis and insulin resistance.
Sucralose: This artificial sweetener is what makes Splenda so sweet, but it’s also commonly found in things such as breads, frozen desserts, sugar-free foods, and even protein shakes. It can cause issues with swelling of liver and kidneys, as well as affecting the thymus gland.
Common Foods and Easy Swaps
While it’s not feasible (or even necessary) to completely avoid all additives or preservatives, there are some common foods that are easy to swap for ones with a shorter ingredient list without too much hassle. Remember, our goal is to journey toward permanent transformation by gradually making small, sustainable changes in our everyday lives. These small changes stack up over time to create big changes in how we look, feel, and act.
The next time you go grocery shopping, see if you can make a few of these swaps:
Pickles
Pickles are such a great food because they can add a pop of flavor on burgers, salads, or just by themselves! However, many brands of pickles contain added high fructose corn syrup. The next time you reach for a jar of pickles, go organic and check the label!
Seasoning
One of my favorite seasoning swaps to make is taco seasoning. Taco packets often contain preservatives such as maltodextrin and other additives. The good news is, the brand Siete has the fewest ingredients and no added preservatives, making it a clean choice for taco tuesday!
Ketchup
This popular condiment is a common food that carries large amounts of high fructose corn syrup and other added flavorings. However, organic and unsweetened ketchup still packs that tangy punch and is an easy swap for your pantry!
Coffee creamer
This is by far one of the worst culprits on this list, as most brand name creamers contain many additives, one of which is carrageenan, which could cause some negative health effects such as inflammation, bloating, or even cancer. My favorite alternative is Elmhurst’s plant-based oat creamer. It’s dairy free, made with clean ingredients, and comes in many different flavors!
Salad dressing
Salads are a great way to get in fiber, vegetables, and even some protein, but more often than not salad dressings carry high fructose corn syrup and added preservatives, colors, thickeners, and more. This lemon vinaigrette recipe is quick, easy, and so tasty! The best part is that you know exactly what you are putting in your body. It’s a win win!
Crackers
Lastly, crackers and other similar snack foods contain enriched flour, which is a refined starch that’s made from toxic ingredients. These snack foods can also contain high fructose corn syrup and preservatives to keep that “fresh” taste. One alternative for this easy grab and go snack is Simple Mills Almond Crackers. These crackers have a low number of ingredients and are even gluten free!
Small Changes Result in Big Changes
This post is not meant to guilt trip anyone about the foods they have in their pantry. It’s not meant to shame anyone who puts non-organic ketchup on their burgers, and it’s definitely not meant to drive people to avoid all packaged food out of fear. It is simply meant as a way to bring awareness to a complex subject. The science surrounding these additives are anything but conclusive, but when it comes to your health and what you put in your body, there’s nothing wrong with being conscientious! The more we can increase awareness of what we’re putting in our bodies, the better equipped we are to change.
Please do not feel overwhelmed. Please do not give in to the all-or-nothing mindset and think, “If I can’t get rid of all of these ingredients, I won’t even try.” We all start somewhere, and maybe this week you start by trying ONE thing off of this list. Swap your name brand ketchup for a new organic one. Try making your own salad dressing once. If you’re out of coffee creamer, try a new kind. Remember: small changes over a long period of time result in big changes.
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