So, with the newfound awareness of the June Food Challenge, I have been looking over my grocery receipts and marking things that are not actual foods but food products. My goal is to really think about what I am buying and why I am buying it. I may not always be able to make the best choice because of financial constraints or other reasons, but I might be able to make some healthy and green changes.
Today's post is about syrup. Maple syrup. Actually, not maple syrup, but the product that I grew up believing was maple syrup. You know, Aunt Jemima. Or the Eggo butter flavored microwaveable syrup in the handy squeeze bottle. Or the Hill Country Fare Light Butter Flavored Syrup. Obviously, these products are not really maple syrup. Maple syrup comes from trees ... I've seen it on TV. I even had maple ice cream in Canada. It was served in a log cabin kind of store to remind us of.... trees.
The Hill country Fare brand (a cool 1.29 for the bottle) is a combination of sugar, sucrose, HFCS and various flavorings. You get light syrup by adding some water. Hmmmm.... We all know that HFCS is the devil (or at least a product made by the devil). What's the alternative?
Maple syrup. You know, the kind from trees. Why have I NEVER bought it before? I don't know. I'm not even sure how it will taste. I do know that it's expensive. The least expensive syrup I could find was 4.49 for a bottle that's about 1/2 the size of the HCF bottle I usually buy. It'd better be good. My friend tells me that it's wonderful and that I don't need nearly as much. I hope that's the case.
I think this is a good example of how we buy things out of habit, or because it's what our mothers always bought, or because it's the cheapest... or whatever. Every time we buy something we are voting with our wallets. I have been voting for artificially flavored high fructose corn syrup masquerading as syrup. I'm not even sure what the real thing tastes like. That is a little disturbing.
Green Weight Loss Update
I have kept real sugar in my coffee, but curtailed my pastry schnarfing. I have been weighing in once a week and tracking the food that I eat and I am happy to report that I have lost 8 pounds!! I am thrilled that I have been able to do this so far without resorting to any diet foods or Splenda. Instead, I have been eating lots and lots of vegetables :)
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1 comment:
Good use of the word "schnarfing" and congrats on the curtailing of it!
Real maple syrup is SOOOOO GOOOD!! My sibs and I were raised on it, such that we were accidentally syrup snobs b/c the "fake stuff" is uber gross in comparison, and even as a 5yr old one can tell it is "all-un-natural." I still would opt for naked pancakes than for Aunt Jemima. This will revolutionize your love of breakfast, but not to worry, you won't start schnarfing waffles.
So I think real maple syrup is worth it.
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