February 1, 2011

Those Salty Dogs!


Yesterday - an announcement went out through the media about the Federal USDA revamping Nutrition Guidelines. The reason why we can’t get our hands on it - yet? They’re waiting on - funding.

But they did manage to get one important change put out there to make us all cringe.

They’ve recommended a serious decrease in the amount of sodium intake - for everyone.

Read about it Here.

Recently - my family doctor put me on a 2000mg daily restriction on sodium intake. Now the government says I should cut that down to 1500mg.

As you can see from the photo above - I have shot photos this morning of a few items found in grocery stores.

Now - let’s just get one thing clear - for any photo bugs. These photos aren’t the best quality.

It was 5am in the morning. And the subject isn’t about filters and such. So get over it. We’re talkin’ about fat kids - little ones and big ones (including me)! And the Big White Monster in a mess of monsters that turns ‘em into fat kids.

Remember - I’m over 50 now - which means I should limit my sodium to only 1500mg on a daily basis.





This is the nutrition label for the 100% Whole Wheat (not the Whole Grain) bread in the photo shown above. Only 1 slice of bread holds 200mg Sodium.

I get to go from a whole sandwich to a half sandwich.





Two full cracker sheets is considered as 1 serving - holding 190mg Sodium.





The recipe I use for making Hubby’s Birthday Cheesecake calls for 1.5 packs - which hold about 13 crackers in each package. Do the math!





Two tablespoons is considered as 1 serving of the Karo Light Corn Syrup - holding 30mg Sodium.





The recipe I use for making Cashew Crunch calls for 1 Tbl. - for the whole batch.

Dwayne might be getting Cashew Crunch for his birthday from now on.






It almost hurts to look at this one.





It has 6 servings - at 2tsp. per serving - which hold a ridiculous 390mg Sodium.

It's going in the trash. I have my own spices.





Everybody know where grits come from?





One packet holds only 1oz of grits - which holds a whopping 310mg Sodium.

How does a vegetable come to hold that much crap?

The grits will be going out into the yard - to fight ants - maybe. Sodium isn’t good for soil - as well.





Sit and think for a minute. How many times in your past have you held a box full of these and chomped down like there was no tomorrow?





I opened one - just to count the crackers. I found almost 32 crackers.

This 1.5oz lunch packet contains 260mg Sodium.

More and more - I am finding items that have made it into our house - despite efforts I have tried to make with depleting the sodium coming home in the groceries.

Those efforts have failed up to this point - as far as I’m concerned.

I’m trying something new.

I’ll begin photographing my new findings on Tuesdays - good and bad.

One of the good things I’m seeing already - a scratch cake is healthier than most of the packaged snacks on shelves in the grocery stores.

Beginning to feel like a cow led by the nose - yet? That’s exactly what they’ve been doing - all for the sake of making a buck.

Anything to get our money - killing us in the process.

When they’re out to make profits - do you really think they care what goes into the product?

They care more about the quality of the advertising they’ll spend money on - to pull your chain hard enough - to get you hooked on buying their crap!

And that’s the God’s Honest Truth.

Wake up, people. I am.

3 comments:

Deb said...

Well I for one don't try to hard to cut down on salt. I think we need more than they try to tell us. Course we also don't use processed salt, so maybe that can make a difference too. I actually forget to use much when I'm cooking to much of the time...so maybe I cut down without trying to, I don't know. *giggle*

However in the processed foods, I'm sure they put to much...along with other not so nice things. LOL I totally agree it's better to make things from scratch, even if it's junk food, than to eat the junk food we can buy...unfortunately I still buy some of it, although have been trying to cut down on how much of it. LOL

d.a. said...

Preach it, grrrl!!

Leslie said...

Isn't that insane? I'm supposed to cut mine, too. I rarely even add a sprinkle, but you sure can't tell it by the water weight. lol Good, enlightening post. TFS!