January Healthy Eating Challenge: Eliminate HFCS

[Katigre]

This thread is for both advice and chat about making significant dietary changes.

Inspired by another thread, we're going to try 12 steps toward a whole foods lifestyle. One step for each month of 2013.

This month: Eliminate HFCS from our homes

Practical tips :
1. Go through the pantry and refrigerator reading every label. Put all the items containing HFCS in a designated location. Depending on budget you may choose to consume what is already in your home without buying more, or you may choose to purge the pantry now.

2. Grocery shopping: read EVERY LABEL for HFCS and don't buy anything that contains it. Seek healthier substitutes - those of us further along the journey can suggest ideas for trickier items like a favorite snack food.

3. If you have children old enough to read, teach them to recognize that phrase and explain that you won't be buying it anymore. Encourage them to help you check food labels.

Repeat to self: "Read the label, set a better table"

OPTION 4. Eating out: if you eat out often then you will want to look into what is in your favorite dishes. This can be hard so that's why it's optional.

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[mommychem]

:tu
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[MercyInDisguise]

We did this about a year ago (no HFCS in the house) and it has helped a ton. I hadn't realized all the stupid stuff that had HFCS in it. :doh (bread, ketchup, etc.) I still indulged out of the house, but it was a good step. :yes I will join this challenge for out of the house stuff too. :yes :tu

[Katigre]

We did this about a year ago (no HFCS in the house) and it has helped a ton. I hadn't realized all the stupid stuff that had HFCS in it. :doh (bread, ketchup, etc.) I still indulged out of the house, but it was a good step. :yes I will join this challenge for out of the house stuff too. :yes :tu

So what food item was the biggest challenge to avoid /find a replacement for at home?

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[MercyInDisguise]

Bread and ketchup were our main staples. It wasn't hard to find a substitute for either, just slightly more expensive. I'm starting to make our bread instead of buying it anyway, so that's cheaper.

[justbreathe]

We did this a good while back in our home as well. For ketchup, we always buy organic ketchup now (it's kind of one of the staples of my ODS' diet :shifty), we look for bread that is dairy and HFCS free, buy the "natural" PB (no HFCS or hydrogenated oils! :phew)

Really, my only problem is when I'm out of the house. :blush We're so often on the go and more than I want to admit, we stop for fast food. :doh Sometimes you just want something with more taste than water, you know? :shrug3 So, I really need to break the soda habit. That is the only time that I drink soda.

[4thekids]

I'll join in! Don't know what the hubs will think! lol. Luckily we're low on ketchup so that won't be a big waste and I've been talking about trying to find a substitute since the boys eat sooo much of it.

[Katigre]

We did this a good while back in our home as well. For ketchup, we always buy organic ketchup now (it's kind of one of the staples of my ODS' diet :shifty), we look for bread that is dairy and HFCS free, buy the "natural" PB (no HFCS or hydrogenated oils! :phew).

I'll join in! Don't know what the hubs will think! lol. Luckily we're low on ketchup so that won't be a big waste and I've been talking about trying to find a substitute since the boys eat sooo much of it.
Ketchup often had added sugar as well. I would add an extra challenge to check the sugar content and get the lowest you can find. Organic brands are not necessarily better in this regard.

We use Westbrae which has less than 1g of sugar per serving. Most others I found had at least 3g! That adds up especially if you have a child who eats a lot of ketchup (the daily added sugar limit for kids is 15-20g/day).

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[cro]

Joining in here! I'm currently doing a 30-day No Added Sugar challenge for myself, but now dh wants to tiptoe on board and move in a healthier direction. :tu This seems like an awesome way to do it! Thank you so much for starting this and guiding us! :heart

[BearyBlessed]

Joining in for some accountability and inspiration. :tu

I took all HFCS out of our house before the boys were even born. The few exceptions are the occasional "treat"- a soda, sweets, frozen pizza.
Our bigger issue is the eating out. We also tend to have fast food altogether too often. :O And I'm rather addicted to sodas. :bag The non-fast food places aren't much better, either, I'm sure.
DH and I decided to do gluten-free starting just after the first of the year. That eliminates most fast food right there. :phew We do still go to Taco Time or Panera, though.

Is there a way to know what restaurants use HFCS and what items they are in?

[treehugginmama]

joining in. we have had hfcs out if the house for 8 years but i indulge once in awhile. dr. pepper is a hard habit to break. i just dont buy it for the house.

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[mommychem]

Ketchup often had added sugar as well. I would add an extra challenge to check the sugar content and get the lowest you can find. Organic brands are not necessarily better in this regard.

We use Westbrae which has less than 1g of sugar per serving. Most others I found had at least 3g! That adds up especially if you have a child who eats a lot of ketchup (the daily added sugar limit for kids is 15-20g/day).

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When I buy Westbrae, it lasts a looooooong time - I guess because we're not being lured by the added sugar of our regular Hunts (no HFCs, but definitely added sugar and I'd assume its probably gmo or from beets or something else not too good :-/ )
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[Katigre]

Joining in for some accountability and inspiration. :tu

Is there a way to know what restaurants use HFCS and what items they are in?
Every fat food restaurant has ingredient lists on their website and has a binder in store. So go through one place at a time.

If you can, Chipotle is probably the least processed and healthiest grab n go out there.


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[itzj]

I'll join in! Don't know what the hubs will think! lol. Luckily we're low on ketchup so that won't be a big waste and I've been talking about trying to find a substitute since the boys eat sooo much of it.

You could make it. I haven't tried to do it yet, but here are some recipes. It looks super easy.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/06/homemade-ketchup.html
http://www.simplyscratch.com/2012/05/homemade-ketchup-recipe.html
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/homemadeketchup.htm

[BearyBlessed]

I hadn't realized that there were lower sugar ketchups out there. That's awesome! I usually just get Trader Joe's because it's cheaper. I will look into Westbrae next time I'm at the store.

[librarianjojo]

Thank you for this thread! (This thread is a response to my call for practical advice on changing our diets). NO HFCS in this house!

[4thekids]

You could make it. I haven't tried to do it yet, but here are some recipes. It looks super easy.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/06/homemade-ketchup.html
http://www.simplyscratch.com/2012/05/homemade-ketchup-recipe.html
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/homemadeketchup.htm

Thanks! I was gonna search for some recipes so you just saved me time! I tried making it before and it was... just not good. We found a heinz hfcs free ketchup, yes still high in sugar, but something one step better while I try and find a recipe.

The westbrae was really expensive on amazon... Is it cheaper in store and can you get it at trader joe's?

[Katigre]

Thanks! I was gonna search for some recipes so you just saved me time! I tried making it before and it was... just not good. We found a heinz hfcs free ketchup, yes still high in sugar, but something one step better while I try and find a recipe.

The westbrae was really expensive on amazon... Is it cheaper in store and can you get it at trader joe's?

I get it from vitacost and its less expensive. One idea is to mix half Westbrae with half other ketchup so it's still lower in sugar but more frugal. I hate the glass bottles of Westbrae for pouring so I dump it in a squeeze bottle.

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[librarianjojo]

You know what kind of baffles me about HFCS? I can see why it is in some products, like BBQ sauce. I mean, whenever I make BBQ sauce, I add brown sugar to make it sweeter, because BBQ sauce needs to be sweet. I can understand the reasoning, even if I object to the means of sweetening.

BUT there are some things that are absolutely weird to have ANY kind of sweetener in. Like macaroni and cheese. That's strange. I've never looked at mac and cheese and thought, "You know what would make this better? Sugar!" And yet in my experimental searching, it is there. In processed mac and cheese. (Not that we should be eating that anyway).

[MercyInDisguise]

You know what kind of baffles me about HFCS? I can see why it is in some products, like BBQ sauce. I mean, whenever I make BBQ sauce, I add brown sugar to make it sweeter, because BBQ sauce needs to be sweet. I can understand the reasoning, even if I object to the means of sweetening.

BUT there are some things that are absolutely weird to have ANY kind of sweetener in. Like macaroni and cheese. That's strange. I've never looked at mac and cheese and thought, "You know what would make this better? Sugar!" And yet in my experimental searching, it is there. In processed mac and cheese. (Not that we should be eating that anyway).

I tried to eliminate it first from things that I was eating that were supposed to be healthy. I mean, if I drink a Dr. Pepper, I limit the amount and I'm not drinking it for the health benefits anyway, yk? But when I buy whole wheat bread for my family, I'm expecting it to be decent quality and not full of hfcs. Ketchup was in between for me. (I haven't had pop in a while either, but at least that makes more sense than things like bread or mac and cheese.)

[librarianjojo]

I tried to eliminate it first from things that I was eating that were supposed to be healthy. I mean, if I drink a Dr. Pepper, I limit the amount and I'm not drinking it for the health benefits anyway, yk? But when I buy whole wheat bread for my family, I'm expecting it to be decent quality and not full of hfcs. Ketchup was in between for me. (I haven't had pop in a while either, but at least that makes more sense than things like bread or mac and cheese.)

I know we've talked about this around here, but this phenomenon is why we're all addicted to sugar. It is in everything. We get so used to the sweetness in things that aren't supposed to be sweet, often to the point that the original, healthy version tastes bland and is unappealing. I have been assured that this only takes a couple weeks to move past. AFA ketchup, we don't use a whole lot, but I actually like Heinz's version without the HFCS.

[MercyInDisguise]

I know we've talked about this around here, but this phenomenon is why we're all addicted to sugar. It is in everything. We get so used to the sweetness in things that aren't supposed to be sweet, often to the point that the original, healthy version tastes bland and is unappealing. I have been assured that this only takes a couple weeks to move past. AFA ketchup, we don't use a whole lot, but I actually like Heinz's version without the HFCS.

:yes For sure. Generally takes me about 10-14 days to detox and not have sugar cravings anymore.
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[cro]

I'm slowly working on this. Enlisted ds' help for the canned goods in the kitchen. Next up are the cans in the basement. We'll be donating the rejects to the local food pantry. :shifty

[justbreathe]

I was soooo proud of myself on Monday. :giggle THe kids and I met my mom at Chic fil a for lunch and I didn't have a soda. :rockon But . . .I used some mayonaisse and happened to look at the package when I was done. HFCS. :doh ack.

[librarianjojo]

Sneaky sneaky HFCS. It's everywhere. :paranoid You avoided the bigger danger of the soda, so we'll forgive the mayo slip-up. :giggle

[Katigre]

Sneaky sneaky HFCS. It's everywhere. :paranoid You avoided the bigger danger of the soda, so we'll forgive the mayo slip-up. :giggle

Since you were the reason this thread started... How is this challenge going for you? What changes have you made?

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[Elora]

Every fat food restaurant has ingredient lists on their website and has a binder in store. So go through one place at a time.

:roll

funny because i know this was unintentional

---------- Post added at 05:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:59 PM ----------

I've been making homemade aeolis and dressings for mayo subs and honestly they taste SO MUCH better that the mayo hasn't really been a problem


but i do hate making things from scratch :bag

[librarianjojo]

Since you were the reason this thread started... How is this challenge going for you? What changes have you made?

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:lol I AM the reason for this thread. I've been spending a lot of time on GCM, Heavenly Homemakers, Wellness Mama and rereading Nourishing Traditions. Here's what I've done:

- Committed to buying organic dairy, meat, and produce. I've hemmed and hawed over the price for years, but the fact is that we CAN afford it if it is a priority like it should be.

- Replaced my white flour and sugar with Sucanat, raw local honey (I'm very fortunate in that we have a lot of great honey people about), and whole white wheat flour.

- Taken all the nasty little buggers like MSG, HFCS, etc. out of my house. I figure that since I eat at home the majority of the time, if it isn't available at home, I won't get as much of it.

- I was already doing well with my oils (I hate margarine :yuck), but I bought some coconut oil from Whole Foods and I'm really liking it as a replacement to that nasty spray oil my husband is ridiculously fond of.

I know these are baby steps compared to how a lot of you ladies cook and eat, but they feel pretty massive to me. ;) I've found that "organic" and "whole foods" aren't really THAT much more expensive, like I was scared about. I do think that I will have to trim back our meat consumption, but that is probably a good thing. DH is pretty much onboard.

[Katigre]

So... How did you do this past week? Have you been able to stick to it?

February thread is here :
http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/community/showthread.php?t=473040


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[MercyInDisguise]

I had a Sprite yesterday :shifty but did great other than that.

[librarianjojo]

I had a Dr. Pepper yesterday. :doh It was so good. :shifty BUT I did not have it at home.