Day 7- High Fructose Corn Syrup

Food Rules #4- avoid high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS is added to hundreds of foods- many you would not expect- like bread, ketchup, salad dressing.  No, it's probably not any worse than plain old cane sugar, but it is not a naturally occurring ingredient- it is highly processed.  On the flip side, beware of anything that is loaded with sugar, cane sugar or otherwise.  A throw-back Mountain Dew is not going to be any better for you than a regular one.

Here's some good advice from the Mayo Clinic:

• Limit processed foods.
• Avoid foods that contain added sugar.
• Drink less soda.

Here's a commentary on HFCS from Melanie Warner at bnet. Here's a propaganda website put together by the U.S.  Corn Refiners Association.  I think one of the biggest problems with HFCS is that it is cheap and sweet and added to lots of stuff you wouldn't expect.  Read the ingredients label.  I like this blog article by Wholesome Mommy on the different choices in sweeteners. This rule is difficult if you use any packaged food at all, even bread.  Watch out for anything labelled "low-fat" or "fat-free" which is often code for "more sugar added". I've been trying to be diligent about reading the labels, but again I'm not throwing anything away I already have- just trying to make better choices going forward.

HFCS-free lunch we often have- Jif Natural Peanut Butter, Smucker's Simply Fruit, on Arnold bread (Arnold's bread is HFCS-free but it does contain soy).  You can check out Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

Do you avoid high-fructose corn syrup?