Moved from the Budget Board: anyone else eliminating High Fructose Corn Syrup

[acename]

I checked a few labels at my house and a few things said they had no trans fats but when I checked the ingredients it said there was partially hydrongenated soy bean oil. Isn 't that trans fats or is it ph corn oil?

 

[mello]

We eliminated dyes from most of our foods several years ago because of ds' allergy. That alone reduced the amount of processed foods we eat, and I have been interested in the subject of food additives since then. It's really fascinating how we are seeing so much more obesity, cancer, and weird food allergies in recent years, during the same time certain unnatural substances have been added to our food without us even realizing it! Scary really....

Recently my dad (a diabetic) and my neice were diagnosed with celiac disease, and my sister has been researching the subject. She found out that HFCS seems to be linked to many allergies and diseases, so we've all begun to reduce our intake of it over the last weeks. So I was very intrigued to find this thread here!

I thought I would add to the list of items that don't have HFCS - Torani vanilla syrup - it's made with pure cane sugar (not sure about the other flavors, I only have vanilla on hand to read the label right now). I was extremely excited to find this out, because I really didn't want to have to give up all lattes!

An interesting note related to this - dsis and I were talking the other day about my pre-Disney weight-loss plan last year. I had easily lost 12 lbs in about 8 weeks by going on a daily walk, and cutting out all sweets and processed foods, with the exception of my morning latte. I can't stand fake sweetners, so I didn't even switch it to sugar free. I just drank my usual latte every morning, snacked on fresh fruits, veggies, and popcorn throughout the day, and ate a normal dinner. I ate as much as I wanted, whenever I wanted - didn't limit calories, portions, or change anything else. She asked, "but didn't the latte make you want more sweets every day?" You would think this would be the case, but my answer was no, it didn't induce cravings for more sugar at all. I had no idea why. But now that I'm reading about the differences between natural sugar and HFCS, perhaps that would explain it... (now I'm not saying a daily latte is a prescription for weight loss, lol)

 

[wowsmom]

I checked a few labels at my house and a few things said they had no trans fats but when I checked the ingredients it said there was partially hydrongenated soy bean oil. Isn 't that trans fats or is it ph corn oil?

If there is less than .5 gram of trans fat per serving, they are allowed to label it as zero trans fat. That's why reading the ingredients is so important! (and paying attention to what they consider a serving to be) If it says partially hydrogenated oil, it has trans fat in it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I make our bread. I have a kitchen aide w/ a grain grinder attachment. I grind the wheat and use a very simple recipe that is sweetened by honey.

I also make yogurt for us. Very easy and you can buy the machines (or use a thermos) on amazon.

(we buy our milk raw from a dairy)

I must learn from you, my guru.

What's your bread recipe?

I haven't read all 29 pages here....but I'm curious after reading about the coke.---->>>>>
Has anyone lost weight by simply cutting out sodas and replaced them w/ sweet tea? I'm talking calorie for calorie.
I'm trying to get DD to cut out sodas---but she will only substitute sweet tea and up till now this seemed pointless. What do you think?

Did you see my mention of DH's weight losses? He's been in WW for 1.5 years, and he's going VERY slowly. .2 a week, basically. He's finally hit the 40 pound mark, which is so great, but a "typical" guy would have gotten to that point in a couple months, or at least that's how he feels. He was drinking sodas, without telling me, even after he realized his reaction to HFCS (he goes from naturally alert to passing-out-tired inside of 5 minutes of eating or drinking HFCS). His loss was still about .2 a week. (over the holidays he gained about 3.5 lbs, which is nothing compared to what others gain at that time, but with his average weekly loss, you can imagine how long it took him to get that off!) Then he FINALLY gave it up, and his losses tripled to .6 a week. Then I noticed the Mexican-bottled, cane-juice-sweetened, Coke at Costco, and he had a bottle a night. His losses went to .4 a week. So the calories seemed to count for something, but NOT as much as the HFCS did.

Also, he and I can both attest to the taste of the cane juice in the Coke as being better and more filling. It took him an hour to drink the first cane juice Coke, and he usually inhales his food and drink!

I would think that as long as the sweet tea is real, not Snapple made with HFCS, it would probably be better than drinking even the same amount of HFCS.

I have read thru over 1/2 of the thread, what does your child take to school for snacky items? DD usually has yougurt, fruit snacks, a little debbie cake and a sandwich. (I know, mother of the year but that is what I grew up with and so did Dh.) What wouldnt have the HFCS in it for lunches for kids? It shouldnt be this hard to think of anything but my brain is blocked!

That doesn't sound bad, you silly. Just make sure you're reading labels with the yogurt (we have to get an organic brand to keep away from added gelatin (we're vegetarian) and no HFCS) and the bread. You might switch from the fruit snack to actual fruit, at least some days. And instead of a snack cake you could go with a baggie of some Newman's cookies.

 

[bumbershoot]

I thought I would add to the list of items that don't have HFCS - Torani vanilla syrup - it's made with pure cane sugar (not sure about the other flavors, I only have vanilla on hand to read the label right now). I was extremely excited to find this out, because I really didn't want to have to give up all lattes!

A friend of mine has let us know that, too, when we were in the middle of giving up sodas (or rather, supporting DH in giving them up ). She's a huge diet coke addict, even though she really shouldn't be having anything artificial like that at all (long-standing health issues), but likes to branch out into trying other things. So she's been adding a bit of syrup to seltzer water, and says it's just delicious.

 

[maleficent1959]

With no Whole Foods or Trader Joe's within a 200 mile radius, it is impossible to find Ketchup or Hot dog buns, or hamburger buns HFCS free.

I just double-checked my Heinz Organic ketchup, and it's sweetened with organic sugar, no HFCS.

We finally resorted to making our own hamburger and hotdog buns, and they are SOOO good. They only brand we found without HFCS we thought were too dry and dense.

 

[JoiseyMom]

I just double-checked my Heinz Organic ketchup, and it's sweetened with organic sugar, no HFCS.

We finally resorted to making our own hamburger and hotdog buns, and they are SOOO good. They only brand we found without HFCS we thought were too dry and dense.

Martin's potato bread/rolls do not have HFCS.

 

[shamrock30]

Country Kitchen Whole Grain Oat Nut bread doesn't have hydrogenated oil or HFCS. I've tried for years to get myself to like wheat bread, but I just don't. For some reason, I do like multi-grain or oatmeal bread, so one of those might be worth a try if someone in your family doesn't like the wheat.

 

[twinsr241]

I just found this thread and wanted to add that just last week I e-mailed Newman"s own to request that they eliminate HFCS from their lemonade. My boys love it and I just recently read the label and found out it is sweetened w/ HFCS. I was really surprised that Newmans would use it in any of their products. I am still waiting for a response.

 

[budbeerlady]

I am surprised how much food/drink/ etc that it is in. And do companies get nasty when you email them wishing it wasn't in their product. I love Yoplait yogurt and so does DD. Well it has HFCS in it, I emailed them and got a snarky response about it being a food product and HFCS being approved for food. So is RBGH but I dont want to eat that either and buy accordingly.

 

[bumbershoot]

"Newman's Organic Lemonade HAS HFCS

I just found this thread and wanted to add that just last week I e-mailed Newman"s own to request that they eliminate HFCS from their lemonade. My boys love it and I just recently read the label and found out it is sweetened w/ HFCS. I was really surprised that Newmans would use it in any of their products. I am still waiting for a response."

FWIW that product isn't organic, so they might not see a problem with it (though of course giving them the spark of needing to change is good!). The organic line is related, but it's actually Paul Newman's daughter's company, so they are separate.



While looking around at the Newman's Own and Newman's Own Organics sites, I found this, which is interesting for those of you like me who have to avoid corn syrup and solids as well as HFCS:

Do Newman's Own Organics cookies contain corn or corn by-products?
Corn syrup is present in all the Fig Newmans. Corn starch is added to the powdered sugar used in the creme filling of our Newman-O's. Our Champion Chip Cookies are made with corn syrup solids as well. There is no corn or corn byproducts in any of the ABC cookies except in our Wheat Free/Dairy Free ABC Chocolate Cookies, although other products containing these ingredients are manufactured in our plants.

 

[MomofPirate&Mickey]

Hi, I usually just post over on the Camping board, but I could resist this thread.

We've been cutting out all HFCS (except for DH's Pepsi, can't get him past that yet) & PH oils.

I started making my own soda's, mainly rootbeer right now, but do have a recipe for ginger ale. I just google for those recipes & found a bunch of good sites for them.

We've switched to Martin's Potato breads for everything bread related.

We've also gone to organic milks (whole for 21 mo, skim for dh & soy for 4.5 yo) and organic apple juice. Since apples are one of the most sprayed foods out there, we try to do everything involved w/ them in organic if we can. Even just washing them off doesn't get rid of the pesticides, it actually gets into the meat of the fruit. DH can't believe how much better the organic AJ is than the regular stuff. Now he's hooked, and hates me for it....

Both boys seem to be doing much better, especially the 4.5 ds, with their attitudes & temperments.

We usually limit their sweets & try to give them fruits & veggies for snacks as much as possible.

The Dora, Diego, & Blue's Clues yogurts do not have the HFCS in them, so that's what the boys are allowed to have.

DS (4.5) also loves carrot sticks & celery in ranch (and we've gone to that w/o the bad stuff too).

 

[budbeerlady]

The Dora, Diego, & Blue's Clues yogurts do not have the HFCS in them, so that's what the boys are allowed to have.

QUOTE]

Thanks! I will look for them!

 

[wowsmom]

I just found this thread and wanted to add that just last week I e-mailed Newman"s own to request that they eliminate HFCS from their lemonade. My boys love it and I just recently read the label and found out it is sweetened w/ HFCS. I was really surprised that Newmans would use it in any of their products. I am still waiting for a response.

If you are looking for a good lemonade without HFCS, we've been buying Simply Lemonade and my kids love it.

 

[gonemousin']

If you are looking for a good lemonade without HFCS, we've been buying Simply Lemonade and my kids love it.

...mmmm...and simply limeade too!! yum!!

 

[_queenie_]

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but the other thing I've attempted to remove from the majority of our diet besides HFCS is partially hydrogenated oils. You have to check the label on everything, just because it says there are no trans fats doesn't necessarily mean it. I'm so limited on the cereals and crakers I can buy now, these oils are now making it even harder to go to the grocery store with my DD3.5 (and even my immature DS17).

"Can I get Coco Puffs?",
"No."

"Can I get Fruity Pebbles?",
"No."

"Can I get Cookie Crisp?"
"No."

This can go on and on, and this conversation is just between my DS17 and I, you haven't seen anything yet!

 

[momof1princess]

i've just started cutting out HFCS, and i can't believe how insidious this stuff is! it's EVERYWHERE! i recently bought DD10 some applesauce w/o HFCS and she initially didn't want to eat it, she said it was "sour" but i've told her she might as well learn to like it, b/c i wasn't going back to the other. now, if i could just break DH's coca-cola habit!

 

[wowsmom]

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but the other thing I've attempted to remove from the majority of our diet besides HFCS is partially hydrogenated oils. You have to check the label on everything, just because it says there are no trans fats doesn't necessarily mean it. I'm so limited on the cereals and crakers I can buy now, these oils are now making it even harder to go to the grocery store with my DD3.5 (and even my immature DS17).

"Can I get Coco Puffs?",
"No."

"Can I get Fruity Pebbles?",
"No."

"Can I get Cookie Crisp?"
"No."

This can go on and on, and this conversation is just between my DS17 and I, you haven't seen anything yet!

Queenie, they can have Lucky Charms! I use that for my dessert sometimes.

 

[bumbershoot]

... now making it even harder to go to the grocery store with my DD3.5 (and even my immature DS17).

"Can I get Coco Puffs?",
"No."

"Can I get Fruity Pebbles?",
"No."

"Can I get Cookie Crisp?"
"No."

This can go on and on, and this conversation is just between my DS17 and I, you haven't seen anything yet!

I'm fairly certain my son's first words that he learns to read are going to be HFCS. He says it "high frukorn srup".

Our conversations usually go:

"does this have high frukorn srup?"
"Yes."
long sigh..."why it have hi frukorn srup?"
"I don't know, b/c the manufacturers are lazy?"
"Does this have it?"
"Yes"
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Does this have it?"
"No."
"Yay!"
much rejoicing, move along to the next item on our list.

 

[donnajon]

I have read thru over 1/2 of the thread, what does your child take to school for snacky items? DD usually has yougurt, fruit snacks, a little debbie cake and a sandwich. (I know, mother of the year but that is what I grew up with and so did Dh.) What wouldnt have the HFCS in it for lunches for kids? It shouldnt be this hard to think of anything but my brain is blocked!

Several months ago I decided to eliminate a lot of stuff from my kids' diets to check for allergies. I thought school lunch was going to be a problem. I thought I could make them soup and they could take it to lunch in a thermos. So, I went to Target to get them thermoses. Well, they had the neatest bowl thermos that came with an insert/divider. I can take the divider out if they have soup or something but with the divider, I now feed them leftovers from dinner. They are eating so much better and say other kids want their lunches. I just heat the thermos bowl up in the morning and it stays warm for five hours. I'll also give them mixed fruit and/or a salad. Target also had some two cup containers that came with an ice block thingie to keep the fruit/salad cool. The sizes are perfet and they love it. I'm going to try to go totally HFCS free after the Easter Bunny comes. They haven't had chocolate in so long, my house is going to be a free for all next week! And they aren't getting that much candy in the baskets! But I will indulge them some.