"Fruit" Cocktails

Photo Credit: www.walmart.com

Don't be fooled by the word "fruit" in the title. When we see the word "fruit", we always associate it with the word "healthy". However, it doesn't always mean what you're eating is healthy.  More often than not, I was given little cups of fruit cocktails in my school lunches.  Most parents would do anything to get a little bit of fruit in their growing child.  What they don't realize, is that packing these cute little fruit bowls in their child's lunch is putting more than just fruit in their child's body.

Next time you're in the isle at the grocery store that houses all the hundreds of types of fruit cocktails, check out the ingredients label. The first ingredient will most likely be high fructose corn syrup, not fruit. Newsflash! These snacks are a horrible, horrible, nutrition choice that most people are oblivious to.  High fructose corn syrup has numerous harmful effects on the body--especially a growing child's body. Too much of this substance can lead to diabetes, immune system damage, and even premature aging! Fruit is one thing that you definitely want to get all natural, just to make sure you aren't digesting anything in addition to the actual fruit.

Keep your eyes open for this next time you're throwing a quick lunch together. Real fruit is a necessity, high fructose corn syrup and other yucky ingredients are not.

Make sweet choices--in food and in life.

Microwave Popcorn-- Pop Your Own

Photo Credit: www.care2.com

Were you enjoying that movie marathon last night with a bag of microwave popcorn? Delicious, right? The answer is yes. Healthy, right? The answer is a definite no.  There have been many studies done on the oh-so-often used microwavable popcorn, and none of them have come back with positive news.

In microwavable popcorn, the actual popcorn itself is perfectly fine and healthy for you to eat.  The harmful part, believe it or not, is the bag that it comes in.  When you think about it, there has to be something in there lining the inside so that it doesn't burn when you are popping your snack.  To keep this short, sweet, and to the point, I have one word for you all. Chemicals, they use chemicals.  Various types of chemicals are used, depending on the brand of popcorn that you buy.  Most of these chemicals are noted by the Environmental Protection Agency that they could be carcinogens. Yuck, and definitely not something that we all want in our bodies. They're still approved by the FDA. Of course, they've been under a lot of pressure lately because of this.

Making your own popcorn is pretty simple to do.  It's rewarding because you won't be taking in unnecessary chemicals, and you know exactly what you're putting into your popcorn. Take the few extra minutes to make a healthy choice!

Make sweet choices--in food and in life.