At Earth Fare, we often get a surprised or even angry reaction to the fact that we carry Coca-Cola.  Specifically, we only carry Coca-Cola made and bottled in Mexico.

What’s the difference?

Besides the glass bottle, Mexican Coke is the only version of Coca-Cola made with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

We have been carrying cola soft drinks for years – in fact, Blue Sky soda changed their formula to exclude high fructose corn syrup when we became the first national chain to ban HFCS in 2004.

Although there is much debate over the health risk of consuming high fructose corn syrup vs. cane sugar, we believe recent studies by Princeton University show HFCS causes obesity & diabetes.

If you are going to indulge in a treat, like soda, doesn’t it seem better to do so with natural ingredients rather than chemically processed fake food?

Entering a natural foods store can be intimidating to many. Since our Food Philosophy bans ingredients, not companies, we hope that by carrying recognizable brands that meet our Food Philosophy standards, we help our new customers at the beginning of their health journey to feel more comfortable in our stores.

We’d like to buy the world a Coke – WITHOUT High Fructose Corn Syrup!

Do you know what you are really drinking?

Skeptical that food ingredients have become unrecognizable?  Here’s a little trivia: Read the ingredient list below (that is, if you can even read/pronounce it), and name what food it is. 

INGREDIENTS: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLID ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), SUGAR, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF CRACKER MEAL, WHEAT STARCH, SALT, DRIED STRAWBERRIES, DRIED PEARS, DRIED APPLES, CORNSTARCH, LEAVNING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), MILLED CORN, CITRIC ACID, GELATIN, CARAMEL COLOR, SOY LECITHIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED OIL, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, XANTHAM GUM, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, COLOR ADDED, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RED#40, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), YELLOW#6, RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), TUMERIC COLOR, FOLID ACID, BLUE #1. 

So, what’s the answer?  **drumroll**  Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts!  Surprised?  Don’t worry…who would recognize a list that sounds more like a science lab creation?! 

If Pop-Tarts are such a simple, easy and convenient food, then why are there so many unfamiliar and unhealthy ingredients in it?   There are loads of unhealthy ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils and artificial (means not natural) colors like Yellow #6, Red#40 and Blue#1.

Good for you?

An important fact about ingredient labels is that the ingredients are listed in order of the most prevalent ingredient by weight.  That means, in these Pop-Tarts, enriched flour is the most prevalent ingredient followed by corn syrup (a sugar) and then high fructose corn syrup (an unhealthy, artificial sweetener).  Basically, the bulk of these Pop-Tarts is fiberless flour and unhealthy, unnatural ingredients! 

We all like to enjoy sweet treats once in awhile (and we should!), but we can enjoy these treats without eating so many unhealthy ingredients!   What is your favorite natural sweet treat?

Check back next week for the next part of this series to find out which ingredients you should avoid!

So?  What’s the big deal with Saturday cartoon food commercials?  Believe it or not, this kind of aggressive, targeted marketing to children contributes to the childhood obesity epidemic.  It’s not so much the actual advertisement that’s the problem, but the types of foods being advertised that’s the problem.  Most of these foods contain bad ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, trans fats, and/or artificial colors, and they are advertised…over and over again. 

Big food companies spend a large amount of money, $156 million dollars per YEAR, marketing their latest food products (or, shall we say concoctions?)  directly to children.  A study by Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity found that the least healthy cereals are the ones most marketed!  Lucky Charms and Froot Loops contain artificial colors, and are two of the most marketed cereals on TV and the internet.  Check out the real transformation in one kid’s life after he booted artificial colors!  Frosted Flakes, also highly marketed on TV and internet, contains high fructose corn syrup, which is NOT natural, and has been linked to obesity. 

Artificially colored, bright cereal — not good for a healthy morning start.  

Creative Design is a better use for it.

When inundated with bright colors and slogans like “They’re grreat!” children are easily influenced in their food choices.  They do not learn about real food with good ingredients versus processed foods with bad ingredients.  Instead, they beg to buy the latest unhealthy cereal because their favorite character is on the box, or because the commercial was “really cool!”  Usually, with enough whining in the cereal aisle, kids get what they want. 

What kid wouldn’t beg for the cereal with a Mickey Mouse toy inside?

So wait, who are the high-fructose containing cereals REALLY “grrreat” for?  They’re certainly not great for children’s health. 

Advertising unhealthy foods has become such a problem that Michelle Obama, as part of her anti-obesity campaign, asked large food companies to make healthier foods and reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods to children.  In fact, she called for increased marketing of healthy foods.

Will marketing healthier foods help?  Is advertising even a problem?

“Hungry” to know more?  Sites Earth Fare visited for this post:
(1) http://tinyurl.com/yek72wv – Cereal f.a.c.t.s. (Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score
(2) http://tinyurl.com/y8ca7cp – “Michelle Obama talks anti-obesity to food giants” (AP)
(3) http://tinyurl.com/6ha84w – “Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity — A Matter of Policy” (New England Journal of Medicine)
(4) http://tinyurl.com/yll3zwt – “U-M Researcher Says Preschoolers Understand the Power of Advertising” (University of Michigan)
(5) http://tinyurl.com/yat8ghq – “Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?” (IOM)

Jessica’s Story (in her own words):

We just wanted to say thank you! We heard about and signed up for your pantry makeover. We love what you are doing — trading in “bad foods” for healthy ones. We have been trying to cut out some of these items, and the coupons give us extra incentive to stick with it!

Here’s our story: My stepson’s mother and doctor put him on medications for ADHD when he was 4 years old. He had HORRIBLE side effects from it. We insisted that he be taken off of them immediately, but we needed to find something that would work!

A friend told us about his son’s allergies to artificial colors. We took our soon off ALL artificial color! He’s a completely different child now, and guess what? NO MEDICATIONS!

He’s 6 years old now, in 1st grade and doing great in school.

Now with all your help, we are cutting out high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated oils. Please keep the coupons coming! We want to be loyal to your store because health was always your concern.  But with the bad economy, it’s difficult not to be lured by the cheaper prices at Walmart. The coupons are a wonderful incentive.

Thank you again!