The Caption: Found this box of organic poptarts at Costco. I ate lots of regular Pop-Tarts when I was a child, especially the Cherry ones. Well the Nature's Path brand offers a Cherry Pomegranate flavor. Ooo la la. The Comment: This, my friends, is a prime example of Health Washing. Companies trick you into thinking that their product is actually good for you because it organic, fat-free, packaged in an sustainable way, etc. Nature's Path is a brand people often associate with healthy products so consumers will likely assume that this product is good for them. But don't let the organic label, reputable company name, and inclusion of a superfood (they are not just cherry, they are cherry pomegranate... how fancy). Organic sugar is still sugar, organic white flour is still white flour, and these are still junk food/a treat.
However, if you are a die-hard tart fan who loves a good tart for breakfast, then this product is a much better option. The ingredients are simplier (fewer chemicals) and more sustainable. Health Washing only applies if you never ate chips but then started because the particular chip product claimed to be good for you. It doesn't apply if you already eat chips everyday and then switched to the organic, low sodium ones.
One more story before I sign off for the day: I was in a health food store looking to buy some sunscreen (note: healthy suncreen tends to be very expensive). I came across a cheap one that also claimed to be organic. Score! Yet, upon further investigation of the ingredients, I saw that the sunscreen contained all kinds of junk. And as for the organic labeling, only one ingredient amongst the thirty or so in the product was certified organic... and guess what this one ingredient was: the fragrence! Needless to say, I did not buy this product.
Moral of the story: Companies can be sneaky, sneaky! Read labels carefully.
This is crazy! Lately I have been craving cherry pop-tarts, even searching various store shelfs(all the way to Bellie)to see if they are still sold. Seriously!
ReplyDeleteOf course I never mentionned this to my daughter,because of glutens and because this is a junk product, so this is hilarious - can you read your wacko Mother's mind?
I love this blog, kiddo :) it makes me smile!
xoxo Momma
Great post! So true! Though, really, wouldn't it be glorious if we didn't need to scrutinize every detail? If things could just be the way they should: go to the market/garden, grab a carrot. Now people need to think soo much over every choice! Local carrot, organic carrot, packaged carrot...etc. It's life now, but it sure would be lovely to live more simply and relax our overworked brains sometimes. Being a parent is costly enough and leaves you with so little time to spare, it sucks to spend that time reading deceiving labels!
ReplyDeleteMomma - well if you are still craving Cherry Poptarts, I think if pointed you towards a better product to fulfill that craving. Just remember that they will still be a sometimes food :P
ReplyDeleteMCC - I completely agree and love the carrot example :) I know that I spend too long buy groceries each day because it becomes a mental marathon. Too much thinking goes into finding the right products! My it is frustrating...
Ok --I agree with most of your posts and your thinking about avoiding processed foods because of the many additives and chemicals and fillers, but I don't agree with the tirade against organic white sugar and white flour. Generations survived on it the white stuff and are living well to ripe old ages. Ofcourse the whole grain flour and the raw sugar is better. And the health washing accusation is sort-of true, but come on--have the pop tart. Live a little!
ReplyDeleteTo me it's the difference between living in a sterile bubble or heading to the park despite the pollution and the ultraviolet rays. What's life without enjoying nature and enjoying a pop tart even more than once in awhile! Mamma M
Momma M - but that's what I said! "However, if you are a die-hard tart fan who loves a good tart for breakfast, then this product is a much better option". An organic poptart is much better than a normal one, but don't think it is perfect and can be eaten EVERYDAY because it is organic.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, life is to be lived, and most things that we love are unfortunately not the best for our bodies, but we must live to keep-on-living and not just for-the-moment or we will burn-out too quickly.
As for the white stuff and living forever... that's a whole other post! Flour today is NOT AT ALL what our grandparents lived on! They lived on clean, non-genetically modified/mutated wheat flours, not the scary stuff of today. The flour of today has been mutated to contain more GLUTEN among other things. ...possibly why we are seeing SO many more people sensitive to gluten these days.
Thanks for the comment/discussion!