Corn Syrup, the Creeping Menace!

  • So I have been making use of the Stop & Shop salad bar on the nights I don't feel like making a low-carb dinner.

    The first night I was there, I had the forethought to check the dressing (Italian) for sugar. Sure enough, corn syrup. They also had Bleu Cheese, Ranch, Raspberry Fat-Free Vinaigrette, Honey Mustard, and a couple others I forget. I expected the Honey Mustard to have corn syrup... but not all of them. All of them had corn syrup :P

    So I used the liquid in the roasted peppers bin as "dressing." I'm hoping that didn't have sugar added also.

    Next up, rotisserie chicken. No problem, right? There was 2 options, Honey and Natural. I avoided the Honey and got Natural. I didn't even think to check the label for sugars. I figured it was a roasted chicken, period. But alas, no.

    Per 3 oz. serving of roasted chicken:
    Natural: 180 cals, 1 g. Carbs (1 g. Sugars)
    Honey: 210 cals, 1 g. Carbs (zero Sugars)

    Natural contains Chicken, chicken broth, sea salt, corn syrup, carrageenan, brown sugar, natural flavor, canola oil, onion, carrot.

    Honey contains Chicken, water, salt, sodium phosphates, flavorings, honey, brown sugar, carrageenan, wheat starch, propylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, sugar.

    WHY, LORD, WHY? The Honey, ok, I get, no problem. But what is "natural" about sweetening up a roast chicken?

    Tricksters everywhere, I tell you. I am now fast becoming a fanatical label reader!

    ETA: I am now taking home the salads dressing-free and using my own low-carb dressings
  • U have to be a label reader to know what is going into your body. U will be amazed about some of the stuff u will read. It sounds like u have a pretty good hand on things now.
  • It's amazing how misleading things can be. I'm finding starch in things even though the carb count is permissable on the label -- now I read the ingredients list too on everything, too.
  • That was my mini-tantrum, ha!

    I know the carbs in the chicken are really nothing major, but it's just annoying

    I'm in Induction so I am trying to be hyper-aware of hidden sugars since 20 grams of carbs is pretty easy to max out unless you are eating straight meat and butter I'm eating a salad or vegetables every day... and I am surprised at how easy this is to stick to. Honestly, I have not been able to complete 1 week on a diet in YEARS. This past week, no sweat.

    I have done Atkins in the past but went off for vacation or some other dumb reason, and gained my weight back.

    I'm not messing up this time I have gone out to eat 4 times already and resisted having friends or family pressure me to drink or eat dessert. I am unstoppable I will not be moved, ha!
  • Sounds like you're doing great BerkshireGirl!! I just finished up Induction and found it to be pretty easy too.

    About your tantrum: I get so annoyed reading all the labels. It seems like HFCS or other sugars and soy are in everything that is prepared. I've been doing the homemade everything way for a while now (to avoid soy) but I wish there were SOME things that are prepared that don't have all the additives that don't even belong in those foods.
  • Oh heck yeah I hear ya! I'm sooo annoyed with all the extra crap in foods. Mostly I've given up on it all. I make homemade whenever possible or whole foods/natural (since the labels are usually easier to read and more straight forward) and as a last resort just go without.
  • Yeah, the processed food industry has invaded pretty much everywhere, even what is not supposed to be sweet tasting often has garbage added.

    Like uniquely normal I usually do my own or try for natural foods stores (and read carefully even there).