Here at Green Plate Foods, we are big fans of Michael Pollan
and agree with so many of his “Rules for Eating”…except the one about avoiding
anything that your grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
While there are Frankenstein-like things happening with some
of our food, this rule ignores the fact that there have actually been some great ingredient innovations over the past
several years, many of which are not only perfectly safe and healthy, but also
result in fantastic recipes and products. If grandma knew more about them, you
can bet she’d want to use them too!
How well do YOU know
your ingredients?
Take our quiz to test
your knowledge about which items pass the ‘grandma test’ and which ones she
would flunk!
PASS OR FAIL?
1.
Chocolate Liquor
2.
Vanillin
3.
Sunflower Lecithin
4.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
5.
Xanthan Gum
Want to know how you did?
See below for the results:
1.
Chocolate Liquor: PASS.
Chocolate
liquor sounds like you would need to be 21 or older to consume but it contains
NO alcohol. It’s really just a fancy name for the liquid product that results
from grinding the cocoa nibs into a paste. It can be found in many chocolate
products, such as chocolate chips or baking chocolate.
2.
Vanillin: FAIL
Vanillin
is a compound that can be found in vanilla beans and gives it that familiar
vanilla flavor profile; *however it can also be found and produced from other
sources, specifically wood pulp, and used as a cheaper “vanilla”
alternative. Because it is a lower
quality product, it is often an indicator that the overall product itself is
not the best choice.
Look
for: products that list “Vanilla Extract” or “Pure Vanilla Extract” in their
ingredients
3.
Sunflower Lecithin: PASS
Sunflower
lecithin is extracted from the sunflower seed once it is dehydrated. It is a
type of fat that is used as an emulsifier (keeps ingredients mixed together)
and is often added to baked goods to result in a better texture. Not to be
confused with *soy* lecithin, sunflower lecithin is even taken as a nutritional
supplement because it has nutrients which are helpful with muscle conditioning,
memory recall and more.
4.
High Fructose Corn Syrup: FAIL
HFCS
was developed as an alternative to table sugar because it is less expensive to
produce. Manufacturers looking for a
cheap sweetener started replacing sugar in all types of products from pickles
to baked goods to condiments. A couple studies have shown this ingredient is processed
very differently in the body than the way other natural sweeteners are. While the TV ads may lead you to believe it
is perfectly safe, many doctors and dietitians believe this product is partly
to blame for numerous health problems, including GI issues, in the United
States.
Look
for: products that contain natural sweeteners like “Raw Cane Sugar” or maple
syrup
5.
Xanthan Gum: PASS
Xanthan
gum has one of those funny names but it is a very useful product when it comes
to baking. It is made by mixing sugars with a certain type of (safe) bacteria.
Because it can thicken and maintain the structure of baked goods, it has become
essential replacing gluten in the gluten-free baker’s kitchen, where lower
protein flours without xanthan would result in dense final products.
How well did you do?
Our favorite rule is #CraveHealthy! Treat your body right by choosing wholesome
foods and quality ingredients, regardless of their funny names. Grandma may not recognize all of them but as
long as YOU know what to look for, there’s a lot out there to enjoy!
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