/ Winter Food Watch-Outs

by Neera Chaudhary

Winter Food Watch-Outs

Oct 17, 2013

Many of us skip the produce aisle and butcher counter to stock up on canned or boxed food for the winter — all in an attempt to hibernate during the long, cold months ahead. But a lot of these prepackaged foods contain chemicals that shouldn’t ever enter your body. Read nutrition labels and steer clear of these curious ingredients.

Taste of Colour

Cranberry sauce is a favourite during the holidays. It adds the perfect red punch of festive colour. But homemade stewed cranberries never stay as red as canned cranberries do. That’s the magic of food colouring. But is it healthy? Food colouring manufacturing involves industrial solvents and carcinogens. Some dyes are associated with tumor development, and others with aggressive behaviour and impulse control problems in children. Avoid foods that have Red Dye #3, Red Dye #40 and Yellow Dye #6 on their labels.

Chemistry Check

Hot soups are a traditional go-to after ice-skating or while cuddling up on a cold winter night. But be careful when you choose that canned or dry-mix soup because these products often contain BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). These two chemicals prevent oil-containing foods from going rancid. And while that sounds good in theory, they’re known to cause cancer in lab rats. Given that they’re carcinogenic, it’s best to avoid BHA and BHT. Besides, there’s nothing like fresh-made soup.

Break the Mold

Spreading festive cheer with holiday treats is a tradition. But there could be an unwanted ingredient lurking in your cakes, pies and pastries. Designed to stop mold growth, parabens are chemical preservatives found in baked goods. Parabens are actually common in cosmetics and beauty products. There’s evidence that parabens in food may contribute to hormone-related problems in women, such as breast cancer, and reduced testosterone levels in men. Steer clear and spread good cheer with homemade baked goodies.

So Meaty

A tray of salami, pepperoni, corned beef, pastrami and other cured meats makes for a great cocktail party appetizer. But for these meats to look and keep the way they do, manufacturers add nitrites. Nitrites help preserve the pink colour and prevent the growth of bacteria that can cause botulism. That’s great for the meat, but not so great for you. Nitrites can trigger headaches and allergic reactions, and some research shows that a daily dose of nitrate-cured meats can increase your risk of cancer. That appetizer just became very unappetizing.

Seasoned Headache

What’s a holiday turkey without the gravy? And who can resist the plethora of dips for your chips, veggies and crackers at the holiday gathering? These sauces just raise the flavour profile of anything they touch! That’s because they often contain HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein), a flavour enhancer used in gravies, dips and dressings. HVP is a protein chemical substance similar to MSG and is often blended with other spices to make seasonings. And like MSG, HVP can cause headaches, migraines and heart irregularities. Look for labels with no HVP or MSG, and consider blending your own seasonings.

Go Natural

You can become a label-reading expert, but better yet, why not avoid foods that even come with labels? Go for natural food. You’re more likely to get all the good stuff your body needs and none of bad the stuff you can’t even pronounce.

_{Neera Chaudhary MHSc PhD (c) RD is a registered dietitian, foodie, culinary goddess and all-around fabulous girl in the kitchen. www.dietitian.ca}

Neera Chaudhary

Author

Neera Chaudhary is always on the lookout for the veritable wellness ingredients to feed your mind, body and soul because she knows beauty starts from the inside out. Neera helps to make sense of the science behind the plethora of prescriptions out there by sharing the essential elements for a heal...