Comments on: North America can do processed foods better http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/ ...exploring the art and science of parenting Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:24:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: phdinparenting http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-59749 phdinparenting Mon, 17 May 2010 06:25:01 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-59749 Kayris: They have the same ketchup here as in Canada (e.g. Heinz), but they also had the one with the tiger on it, which is what my kids wanted. Kayris:

They have the same ketchup here as in Canada (e.g. Heinz), but they also had the one with the tiger on it, which is what my kids wanted.

]]> By: Kayris http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-59741 Kayris Mon, 17 May 2010 04:21:27 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-59741 Annie--You might be interested in an article in the latest issue of Prevention magazine, about healthy packaged foods for women. And FWIW, I mentioned what you said about the applesauce ketchup at my kids' school. And one mom said ketchup anywhere but in the US is gross. I have to agree with her that the idea of ketchup with applesauce in it sounds icky. I'd rather do without. Annie–You might be interested in an article in the latest issue of Prevention magazine, about healthy packaged foods for women.

And FWIW, I mentioned what you said about the applesauce ketchup at my kids’ school. And one mom said ketchup anywhere but in the US is gross. I have to agree with her that the idea of ketchup with applesauce in it sounds icky. I’d rather do without.

]]> By: Rebecca http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-57655 Rebecca Fri, 07 May 2010 01:02:30 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-57655 I'm curious about how the kids reacted to the healthier convenience foods. Did they notice a difference? Did they like the foods more or less than those they're used to? Will they beg for the jars of corn and tiger ketchup next time? Also, anyone have suggestions for healthier convenience foods in Canada? We have Kashi which I like, but find a lot of the other brands are not that great or very expensive. I’m curious about how the kids reacted to the healthier convenience foods. Did they notice a difference? Did they like the foods more or less than those they’re used to? Will they beg for the jars of corn and tiger ketchup next time?

Also, anyone have suggestions for healthier convenience foods in Canada? We have Kashi which I like, but find a lot of the other brands are not that great or very expensive.

]]> By: Al_Pal http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-57169 Al_Pal Tue, 04 May 2010 10:24:45 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-57169 Also, quite expensive, but available in my local supermarket, "Annie's Naturals" makes canned goods [soup/chili/etc] and a big variety of frozen meals. I just can't justify the price unless it is on sale, though! Also, quite expensive, but available in my local supermarket, “Annie’s Naturals” makes canned goods [soup/chili/etc] and a big variety of frozen meals. I just can’t justify the price unless it is on sale, though!

]]> By: Michelle Y http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-57075 Michelle Y Tue, 04 May 2010 02:08:06 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-57075 I'm so excited you wrote about this! My husband was born and raised (until age 13) in southern Germany. A year and a half ago, we were able to go visit his grandparents and some other family for a month, and like you, I was struck by how different their "processed" food was from ours. High fructose corn syrup was almost hard to find: the cereals we bought, the Ovaltine my hubby insisted on having, most of the candy. And imagine my surprise when we bought the kids popsicles after dinner one night (the Popsicle brand, exactly like we have in the US) and they had no hfcs OR artificial colors; the coloring came from things like spinach, beets and turmeric! And all of the produce in the store we shopped at stated what chemicals it had been treated with! It was amazing! Their personal care products were dramatically different, too, so many fewer chemicals that you couldn't pronounce. My poor husband was so sick of translating labels for me!!! :) I'm so excited for you and your kids that you're there though! We're planning on my husband doing a three-year civilian contract with the military, so that we can take the kids over and have the experience, also. We're just waiting a little for the housing market, so that we can rent to cover our mortgage, or just sell the house. Have fun!! I’m so excited you wrote about this! My husband was born and raised (until age 13) in southern Germany. A year and a half ago, we were able to go visit his grandparents and some other family for a month, and like you, I was struck by how different their “processed” food was from ours. High fructose corn syrup was almost hard to find: the cereals we bought, the Ovaltine my hubby insisted on having, most of the candy. And imagine my surprise when we bought the kids popsicles after dinner one night (the Popsicle brand, exactly like we have in the US) and they had no hfcs OR artificial colors; the coloring came from things like spinach, beets and turmeric! And all of the produce in the store we shopped at stated what chemicals it had been treated with! It was amazing! Their personal care products were dramatically different, too, so many fewer chemicals that you couldn’t pronounce.

My poor husband was so sick of translating labels for me!!! :)

I’m so excited for you and your kids that you’re there though! We’re planning on my husband doing a three-year civilian contract with the military, so that we can take the kids over and have the experience, also. We’re just waiting a little for the housing market, so that we can rent to cover our mortgage, or just sell the house. Have fun!!

]]> By: Yelli http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-56953 Yelli Mon, 03 May 2010 07:46:17 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-56953 Willkommen nach Berlin! Isn't it great? I have found, in a pinch, sometimes even the regular stores (like netto and Aldi) also carry some products which have little or no "extras" added. The Farmer's Markets are plentiful. Overall, I think Germany does a good job. However, the obesity rate here is still high (not as high as the US on average) but I believe last time I looked, it hovered around 20% although from looking at the general population, it is hard to tell. They love their KaffeeKuchen here! :) Willkommen nach Berlin! Isn’t it great? I have found, in a pinch, sometimes even the regular stores (like netto and Aldi) also carry some products which have little or no “extras” added. The Farmer’s Markets are plentiful. Overall, I think Germany does a good job. However, the obesity rate here is still high (not as high as the US on average) but I believe last time I looked, it hovered around 20% although from looking at the general population, it is hard to tell. They love their KaffeeKuchen here! :)

]]> By: Kayris http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-56795 Kayris Sun, 02 May 2010 17:13:02 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-56795 Cable TV costs a heck of a lot more than 60 dollars per month where I live. Which is one of the reasons we don't have it (and never have had it). But, I think it's complicated. A lot of people hang onto their cable and Internet because they've cut out going out to the actual theater or eating out to keep costs down. And for kids in school, access to Internet is almost a requirement now, and library hours (which have also been cut) don't always meet that need. Especially if there are a lot of kids waiting to use the limited number of machines. I'm perfectly able to entertain myself without the TV, and if our TV blew up tomorrow, I seriously would consider not replacing it. BUT, I also live in a city with poverty and crime issues, and for some families, having kids at home in front of the TV or video games is certainly better than being out on the street involved in gang activity. Cable TV costs a heck of a lot more than 60 dollars per month where I live.

Which is one of the reasons we don’t have it (and never have had it).

But, I think it’s complicated. A lot of people hang onto their cable and Internet because they’ve cut out going out to the actual theater or eating out to keep costs down. And for kids in school, access to Internet is almost a requirement now, and library hours (which have also been cut) don’t always meet that need. Especially if there are a lot of kids waiting to use the limited number of machines.

I’m perfectly able to entertain myself without the TV, and if our TV blew up tomorrow, I seriously would consider not replacing it. BUT, I also live in a city with poverty and crime issues, and for some families, having kids at home in front of the TV or video games is certainly better than being out on the street involved in gang activity.

]]> By: Kayris http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-56794 Kayris Sun, 02 May 2010 17:08:39 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-56794 The big ones, like Kashi and Cascadian Farms. I shop most often at Safeway, which has it's own lines of store brands that I LOVE, particularly the Lucerne dairy products, which are as good or better than name brands. The O Organics makes great pasta sauces and ketchup. You still have to read labels though. The "Eating Right" cereal bars contain HFCS, so I don't buy those, but I do like the "Eating Right Kids" wheat O pasta, which I use to make faux-ghettios with plain unsalted tomato sauce and shredded cheese for my kids. Arrowhead Mills and Bob's Red Mill. Smuckers or Crazy Richards for all natural peanut butter. Smart Balance products (although we didn't care for the mayo). Stoneyfield Farms with caution (yes, it's organic, but some of the stuff is really loaded with sugar, which I like to avoid, organic or not). It also TOTALLY depends on what store you shop at. Target carries a lot of the brands I mentioned, and some of the super Walmarts do too. Safeway has 4 shelves of peanut butter, some healthy and some not so much, but another local chain carries 2 or 3 brands and that's it. I'll have to pay attention the next time I shop for other brands, my cabinets are a little bare right now and I can't remember what I buy. We also have a Whole Foods and a Wegmans that have a huge variety of choices. Oh, and the Asian market, which is enormous and has such a variety of stuff you won't see in the regular store. The big ones, like Kashi and Cascadian Farms. I shop most often at Safeway, which has it’s own lines of store brands that I LOVE, particularly the Lucerne dairy products, which are as good or better than name brands. The O Organics makes great pasta sauces and ketchup. You still have to read labels though. The “Eating Right” cereal bars contain HFCS, so I don’t buy those, but I do like the “Eating Right Kids” wheat O pasta, which I use to make faux-ghettios with plain unsalted tomato sauce and shredded cheese for my kids.

Arrowhead Mills and Bob’s Red Mill. Smuckers or Crazy Richards for all natural peanut butter. Smart Balance products (although we didn’t care for the mayo). Stoneyfield Farms with caution (yes, it’s organic, but some of the stuff is really loaded with sugar, which I like to avoid, organic or not).

It also TOTALLY depends on what store you shop at. Target carries a lot of the brands I mentioned, and some of the super Walmarts do too. Safeway has 4 shelves of peanut butter, some healthy and some not so much, but another local chain carries 2 or 3 brands and that’s it. I’ll have to pay attention the next time I shop for other brands, my cabinets are a little bare right now and I can’t remember what I buy.

We also have a Whole Foods and a Wegmans that have a huge variety of choices. Oh, and the Asian market, which is enormous and has such a variety of stuff you won’t see in the regular store.

]]> By: Fiona http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-56785 Fiona Sun, 02 May 2010 15:31:35 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-56785 There's lots of sources for the average number of TVs. And the number actually increased from 2009 to 2010, just as the recession was at its peak. Go figure. The best source is the Nielson poll which is taken annually. http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2010/05/02/more-tv-sets-293-than-people-per-us-household-254-average-tv-sets-per-home-sets-new-record/ There are actually more TVs per household (2.93) in the US than there are people (2.54). And note point 5 on the link: 5. Despite the “greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression,” the number of American households with three TV sets increased to the highest level in U.S. history [in 2010], and the number of households with only one TV set decreased to the lowest level in history. Sounds to me like food (and other essential items) took a back seat to plastic boxes. I'll have to dig up the cable TV costs. There’s lots of sources for the average number of TVs. And the number actually increased from 2009 to 2010, just as the recession was at its peak. Go figure. The best source is the Nielson poll which is taken annually.

http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2010/05/02/more-tv-sets-293-than-people-per-us-household-254-average-tv-sets-per-home-sets-new-record/

There are actually more TVs per household (2.93) in the US than there are people (2.54). And note point 5 on the link:

5. Despite the “greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression,” the number of American households with three TV sets increased to the highest level in U.S. history [in 2010], and the number of households with only one TV set decreased to the lowest level in history.

Sounds to me like food (and other essential items) took a back seat to plastic boxes.

I’ll have to dig up the cable TV costs.

]]> By: Lisa http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/04/30/north-america-can-do-processed-foods-better/#comment-56775 Lisa Sun, 02 May 2010 14:17:44 +0000 http://www.phdinparenting.com/?p=4344#comment-56775 I'd love to know what "average" family that is. Especially in this recession, people are cutting down on everything. I know my local farmers market prices are double what I pay in the grocery store. Guess where I am shopping. I’d love to know what “average” family that is. Especially in this recession, people are cutting down on everything. I know my local farmers market prices are double what I pay in the grocery store. Guess where I am shopping.

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