Label Love

It's truly ironic that as I age and have more of a need to read the label of everything I buy, the more difficult it is for me to read the words.  Part of the problem is that food nowadays is comprised of a mix of mystery ingredients (mmm... guar gum!) and chemicals (prevents aging?  I'll take a gallon!), along with your typical fats, and hints at the naturally grown.

 A new mass-produced bread is out on the market.  Great, I thought, no hydrogenated oils, no high fructose corn syrup.  But, low and behold, honey and sugar make each slice even higher in calories (although, the bread is super rich in dietary fiber, so there's a bit of balance).  I found that light mayonnaise has double the calories of the Miracle Whip I was raised on.  So fake and phony wins again.  Two pasta sauce companies are now offering organic alternative.  Yay, organic!  The jars are $1 more and the ingredients almost the same as the standard sauce.  Sure, no fertilizers were used (or at least less, I can't remember the USDA loopholes), but otherwise, the same ingredients went into both products - with the word organic being worth a lot on a grocer's shelf.

And, don't get me started with trans fats.  How can a shortening that is rich in hydrogenated oils be trans fat free?  It's a mystery.  Or buttery topping that lists 0 trans fats on the label, because it only presents trace amounts per serving.  Those same trace amounts can negate any good my diet has done in one weak moment.

So, as I face the concept of sustenance farming and raising a cow in my suburban backyard, I have to suck it up, live in the world I'm presented with and embrace butter and pure cane sugar with a renewed enthusiasm.