Dear Brand Doctor:

My son was recently diagnosed with a wheat allergy and his physician recommended that he follow a gluten-free diet. Can you PLEASE provide some easy label reading tips on how to quickly determine if a product is gluten-free? I am going nuts having to read every label!!

Signed, Wheatless in Seattle

Dear Wheatless,

You’ve come to the right place! Not only can we offer timesaving tips on how to spot the hidden gluten in many food products, but we also have some gluten-free product lists for many brand name foods. So don’t make out your next shopping list until you’ve checked out what eBrandAid has to offer!

Let’s start with a quick gluten-free diet overview. This type of diet needs to be completely free of wheat, rye, and barley. The good news: you can safely eat corn, potato, rice, soybeans, tapioca, arrowroot, carob, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and quinoa.

Here’s the tricky part that requires a keen eye when reading labels. Grains are used in the processing of many ingredients, so it’s extremely important to be able to spot the hidden sources of gluten. The following label terms may mean that there is gluten in the product.

• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), unless made from soy or corn.
• Flour or Cereal products, unless made with pure rice flour, corn flour, potato flour, or soy flour.
• Vegetable Protein unless made from soy or corn.
• Malt or Malt Flavoring unless derived from corn.
• Modified Starch or Modified Food Starch unless arrowroot, corn, potato, tapioca, waxy maize, or maize are used.
• Vegetable Gum unless it’s carob bean gum, locust bean gum, cellulose gum, guar gum, gum arabic, gum aracia, gum tragacanth, xanthan gum, or vegetable starch.
• Soy Sauce or Soy Sauce Solids unless you know they do not contain wheat.

If you see any of the following words on a food label there’s a good chance that a grain containing gluten has been used:

• stabilizer
• starch
• flavoring
• emulsifier
• hydrolyzed plant protein

That’s a lot to absorb, although, it is important for you to know this information when decoding food labels. So, to make things super easy for you, we did some research and found two great online resources that provide downloadable lists (see links below) of gluten-free products in most food categories!


Our food sleuths uncovered a goldmine of gluten-free products on the websites for both Trader Joe’s (a specialty grocery store) and Whole Foods Market (the world’s leading retailer of natural and organic foods) – they really go the extra mile for their customers!

Reality Check

Not lucky enough to live near either of these specialty stores? Your local grocery store may carry some of the brand name products mentioned on these lists. You’ll probably find most of them in the “healthy foods” section.

If not, download the BrandAid Product Request Form. Simply complete our form with the gluten-free products you’d like to try and you just might prod your grocer into stocking the products you desire!

We hope we’ve eased your mind mom, so you aren’t Sleepless in Seattle, too!

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you’re in control at the grocery store.

Spotting Hidden Gluten is a post from eBrandAid

Dear Brand Doctor,

How do you rate FUZE green tea? It has honey and ginseng and is very refreshing. But will it really make me healthier?
~Giovanna P.

Hi Giovanna,

Thanks for your inquiry! Designer beverages are all the rage. Manufacturers make a lot of big promises – as is the case with FUZE products, made by soft drink giant Coca-Cola.

They say their vitamin and herb-infused drinks boost health, suppress your appetite, and give you extra energy. We say: PROCEED WITH CAUTION. Some of the claims are simply too hard to swallow!

For instance, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is urging the FDA to take enforcement action against FUZE product claims that state the beverages will help you avoid cancer, heart disease, colds, flu and infections of the lungs and kidneys.

“FUZE drinks won’t do anything for your kidneys, your lungs, or your heart; nor will they lower your cholesterol or prevent you from catching a cold,” says CSPI senior nutritionist David Schardt. “FUZE quacks like a duck, and the FDA should be shooting these wacky claims out of the sky.”

While the FDA mulls over CSPI’s accusations, FUZE products remain on store shelves. Enter the BrandAid food sleuths. Our crack investigators are teeing off on FUZE Green Tea. They drank in the ingredients label and spit out this review:

Healthy Food Imposter

FUZE Green Tea

Ingredients: Filtered water, crystalline fructose, honey, green tea extract (polyphenols), citric acid, ascorbic (C), green tea solids, vitamin E acetate, niacin (B3), calcium pantothenate, Siberian ginseng root extract, pyridoxine, hydrochloride (B6), folic acid, cyanocobalamin (B12)

Serving size: 8 fl oz; calories 60; total fat 0g; sodium 0mg; total carbs 16g; sugars 16g; vitamin C 50%; vitamin E 50%; folic acid 25%; niacin (B3) 50%; vitamin B5 50%; vitamin B6 50%; vitamin B12 50%

The first three ingredients are water, crystalline fructose (code for sugar) and honey. Keep in mind that the majority of most food products are made up of the first few ingredients.

Since the drink is named FUZE Green Tea, shouldn‘t green tea appear among the top three ingredients? Apparently not. Read further along, and there in the fourth and sixth ingredients you’ll find green tea extract and green tea solids. Down near the end you’ll find Siberian ginseng root extract. This means that there are probably miniscule amounts of the stuff in your drink.

The added vitamins listed on the ingredients list are pretty much what you’d get in a multi-vitamin, or from other fortified foods. Keep in mind that it’s NOT beneficial to overload on vitamins if you’re already getting them from other sources.

Bottom line: This “tea” is comprised mainly of water, sugar and a dash of green tea. Couple that with the potentially false label claims, and we have no choice but to declare this a Healthy Food Imposter!

We hate to burst your bubble but there really isn’t a magic bullet for better health. You should be getting your nutrition from unprocessed, whole foods – not from flavored, sugary drinks that add vitamins and minerals to the mix.

Advice That Fits You to a Tea

If you’re looking for a truly healthy green tea drink, you might consider making your own. It doesn’t take a scientist to boil some water, toss in a few bags of flavored green tea, add a bit of all-natural honey for sweetening and extra flavor, and chill. You’ll get the nutritional benefits without the added sugar…for a lot less money than FUZE, or any other trendy drink product!

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you’re in control at the grocery store.

‘Healthy’ Tea Takes its Lumps is a post from eBrandAid

When we think of comfort foods, we conjure up yummy visions of cheesy macaroni, crispy fried chicken or decadent fudge brownies. The common denominator? They’re often fat-filled foods!

And then there’s oatmeal – a piping-hot bowl can give you that same warm, fuzzy feeling – minus the guilt. When made right, this guiltless pleasure has nutrition experts singing an Ode to Oats because of the wealth of goodness packed inside these tiny grains. Take a look.

Oatmeal is:

• Chock full of soluble fiber
• Packed with a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
• Full of protein, iron and complex carbohydrates

And, even more amazing, oatmeal is thought to help lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, control weight, lower high blood pressure, and even shrink the threat of certain cancers!

Sounds great, right? Well, before you start bulking up on oats at every turn, spoon up this BrandAid reality check.

Reality Check

Unless you pick oats straight off the stalk, oatmeal is a processed food, so depending on the amount of processing, its nutritional punch can be compromised. Your best bet will always be the slow-cooking steel-cut oats that are minimally processed and contain only 100 percent wholesome grains – no artificial anything!
Here’s the rub. These oats aren’t called slow cooking for nothin’. They require an inexhaustible 30 minutes of stove-top cooking (and stirring). And, in our fast-paced world, unless you’re a June Cleaver type (not that there’s anything wrong with that), your jam packed schedule might not allow time to spend preparing a major breakfast. It’s an unaffordable luxury that, sadly, has been replaced by heavy traffic and long work commutes!

Translation: Nutritional sacrifices must be made when there’s only an instant to spare for the day’s most important meal!

Case-in-point: Instant Oatmeal

Although, instant oats are more processed than their slow cooking counter parts, they can still be a healthy breakfast option. And, as you probably know by now, not all varieties of instant oatmeal are created equal – not even within the same brand.

Healthy Food Imposter

Quaker Weight Control – Maple and Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal

(Single Serving; calories 160, total fat 3g, sodium 310mg, dietary fiber 6g, sugar 1g)

INGREDIENTS: WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE, MALTODEXTRIN, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, SALT, OAT FLOUR, CALCIUM CARBONATE, GUAR GUM, CARAMEL COLOR, SOY LECITHEN, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, SUCRALOSE, NIACINAMIDE*, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, REDUCED IRON, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE*, RIBOFLAVIN*, THIAMIN MONONITRATE*, FOLIC ACID.

Decoding the Fine Print:

• There are three artificial sweeteners padding out the ingredients list: maltodextrin, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose – this explains the one gram of sugar on the NFL.
• Maltodextrin is the third ingredient listed, making it one of the main ingredients. Eek.
• Other junk ingredients include artificial flavors, caramel coloring and calcium carbonate.

Bottom line, unsuspecting shoppers may think they’re buying a wholesome low-calorie, low-sugar breakfast food– but, it’s only an illusion. With all the chemical additives, this variety of Quaker instant oatmeal is hands down a Healthy Food Imposter!

BestBrands Oatmeal

Quaker Simple Harvest Maple Brown Sugar With Pecans Instant Oatmeal

(Single Serving; calories 160, total fat 3.5g, sodium 75mg, dietary fiber 4g, sugar 9g)

INGREDIENTS: WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED WHEAT, ROLLED BARLEY, WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED RYE, SUGAR, PECANS, WHOLE FLAXSEED, OAT FLOUR, NATURAL FLAVORS, SALT, MOLASSES. CONTAINS WHEAT AND PECAN

Wondering why this variety, also made by Quaker is a healthy choice? Check it out:

• The first four ingredients are easily recognizable: a whole grain blend of oats, wheat, barley and rye.
• It also includes powerhouse ingredients like flaxseed, oat flour and pecans. Although it does contain a small amount of sugar, it isn’t the lab-created, refined make-you-fat kind.
• There’s also a healthy dose of fiber (4 grams) and protein (4 grams), and its low in sodium.

So, before rushing head-on into gridlock traffic, take an instant for a bowl of oatmeal that has earned our BestBrands stamp of approval!

And remember, when there’s time, indulge in the Brand Doctor’s all-time favorite:

McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal

(Single Serving; calories 150, total fat 2g, sodium 0mg, dietary fiber 4g, sugar 0g)

INGREDIENTS: 100% WHOLEGRAIN IRISH OATS

Notice there’s only one ingredient – 100 percent whole grains! Nothing is added and nothing is artificial. And, it contains all natural fiber and protein. Top it off with fresh fruit, chopped nuts, a smidge of real butter, and some cinnamon – and you’ve created a real comfort food. Plus, a delicious bowl of nourishment that provides plenty of fuel to jumpstart your day!

Isn’t anything worth having, worth waiting for? We think so.

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you’re in control at the grocery store.

Oatmeal: A Guilt Free Comfort Food is a post from eBrandAid

Dear Brand Doctor,

I would really appreciate some information on sugar-free ice cream. I found a few popular brands that offer sugar-free varieties. Call me crazy, but can these actually be better for you? By the way, what exactly do they put in them to make up for the lack of sugar?

Signed, Nancy R.

Hey Crazy (sorry, we couldn’t resist),

Thanks for your question – it’s actually a really good one. Here’s why. There are so many “sugar-free” products lining the grocery store shelves these days. It’s important to understand what’s in ‘em before you try ‘em!

For starters, when manufacturers remove the stuff that makes their products taste extra yummy, they have to replace it with something that makes up for the loss of sweetness. So, when you see “sugar free” anything (cookies, cakes, ice cream, etc.), this usually means the product is packed with artificial and refined sweeteners and other junk ingredients.

Our food sleuths did a full-on comparison between Breyers All Natural Vanilla Ice Cream (regular variety) and Breyers Vanilla Ice Cream – No Sugar Added. Take a look.

Decoding the Fine Print

Our food sleuths compared the two varieties by the ingredients list, the Nutrition Facts Label (NFL), and taste. Here’s what they discovered.

Ingredients: The Breyers regular variety has only 5 ingredients – and none are harmful junk ingredients. The sugar-free version has 21 ingredients for the same half-cup serving!

Let’s dig a little deeper. Of the 21 ingredients in the sugar-free variety, three are natural (milk, skim milk and cream), three are sugar alcohols (polydextrose, sorbitol, and lactitol), three are artificial sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and maltodextrin), and the remaining 12 ingredients are a mish-mash of random fillers, thickeners and preservatives. It chills us to the bone!

Fun Fact: Sugar-free products that contain sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners will sometimes have the fine print warning: “Excessive consumption may cause a laxative effect.” This laxative effect is triggered by the sugar alcohols that aren’t easily absorbed. Uncomfortable side effects can range from gas to diarrhea. Nothing says yummy like a good dose of stomach cramps!

Nutrition Facts Label: With that amount of artificial sweet stuff padding out the ingredients list, you’d think the savings in calories, fat, and sugar would be tremendous, right? Um, not so much. The NFL reveals that the sugar-free variety provides a mere savings of 60 calories and 3 grams of fat! We think that’s hardly worth the trade-off for ingesting 16 additional chemical additives. But hey, that’s just us.

Taste: Putting aside the excessive amounts of artificial sweeteners and other chemical additives, and the not-so-great calorie and fat savings, the deal breaker for our food sleuths was the TASTE. The sugar-free ice cream just didn’t have the same great creamy texture that the regular variety had. Oh, and it left a slightly weird aftertaste. Hmmm, did we just pay extra for that?

Bottom line: There’s just no sugarcoating it…the Breyers Vanilla Sugar-Free ice cream was more like taste-free in our book, and has earned our Healthy Food Imposter status!

Reality Check

The “sugar-free” hype is totally misleading! It implies that such varieties are somehow healthier than their natural sugar counterparts. The cold hard fact is this couldn’t be further from the truth. Junk food is still junk food, with or without the sugar. The sugar-free varieties are still void of any nutritional benefits and should be consumed in moderation.

Here’s our recommendation: If you’re trying to be healthier or to lose a few unwanted pounds, fill up on plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. And then, if you’re craving something sweet like ice cream, go for a really good variety that uses all-natural, real ingredients like milk, cream and sugar. Limit your portions and you can enjoy every creamy bite!

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you’re in control at the grocery store.

The Scoop on Sugar-Free Ice Cream is a post from eBrandAid

Soy, gingsing extract, wheatgrass… Let’s be honest – we’ve all been suckered in by the media hype on the “superfood of the week” syndrome. It’s exciting to think that simply by adding certain foods to our diet we can cure what ails us.

The trick is distinguishing between the hype and the stuff that actually helps!

Case in Point:

Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice is one of the most talked about health foods today. Preliminary evidence suggests that drinking pomegranate juice may not only reduce cholesterol levels, but could also help prevent heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, cancer, diabetes…even Alzheimer’s!

So, why have medical experts tabbed this powerhouse juice a miracle food? Well for starters, a glass of 100% pomegranate juice NATURALLY contains:

• About 40% of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C!
• Vitamin A, E and folic acid in good quantities!
• Excellent antioxidant properties from polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins!
• About three times more antioxidants ounce for ounce than red wine or green tea!

Another benefit: some research suggests that pomegranate juice, though highly concentrated with natural sugar, has very little effect on blood sugar levels.

Sounds great, but before you start planting pomegranate trees in your backyard consider the following Reality Check.

Reality Check

1. Pomegranate juice should be thought of as one in a variety of healthy eating habits that will go a long way in the prevention of chronic disease. In other words, if you’re downing Big Macs and Ding Dongs by the dozen, but chasing them with pomegranate juice… well, your health is still in jeopardy.
2. Not all brands of pomegranate juice are created equal. Many juice manufacturers are promoting less than healthy pomegranate juice that’s packed with junk ingredients and cheap filler juices.
3. 100% all-natural pomegranate juice is expensive. In some cases, it’s twice the price of more common juices. This gives you more of an incentive to make sure you’re buying a high quality brand. You’ll pay a little more for the best, but the health benefits are priceless

We’ve compiled the BrandAid Pomegranate Juice Guidelines so you can be certain you’re buying a Super Juice, not a Super Imposter!

BrandAid Pomegranate Juice Guidelines

• Look for the words “100% Pomegranate Juice” on the front label and the Nutrition Facts label.
• Avoid labels with words like “Drink,” “Punch,” “Cocktail,” “Beverage,” and “Ade.” These are all code words for added sugar, minimal juice, and lots of junk ingredients.
• Look for a short ingredients list (less is usually more) that spells out the type of juice you’re buying. Manufacturers sometimes sneak in cheaper filler juices like apple, grape, and pear juice. Too often these filler juices are listed even before pomegranate on the ingredients list!
• Avoid juices with malic acid or citric acid. These additives are used to create acidic juice flavor to hide the fact that the product has been watered down.

And, as always, avoid these common junk ingredients: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, artificial flavors and colors, sodium citrate, modified cornstarch, cellulose gum, sodium hexametaphosphate, sodium benzoate… and any other word(s) that you can’t pronounce!

BestBrands

These varieties and brands have met the Brand Doctor’s standards for ingredients and taste. Plus, they pack a nutritional punch without all the harmful junk ingredients found in many brand-name products claiming to be the real deal.

Note: Remember, all varieties of the same brand are NOT created equal! Please make sure you’re choosing the recommended variety within each brand. When in doubt, read the ingredients label!

Pom Wonderful 100% Juice Pomegranate
Purely Juice 100% Juice Pomegranate All Natural
Naked 100% Pomegranate Juice
Woodstock Farms Organics Juice Pomegranate Pure
R.W. Knudson Just Pomegranate

Pomegranate juice mixed with other types of super juices like blueberry, cherry, and acai juice are also super healthy. These super juice blends earn our SilverMedal distinction (we think they are good choices, just not the best).

SilverMedal

Odwalla PomaGrand Pomegranate Juice
Pom Wonderful 100% Juice Blueberry
Pom Wonderful 100% Juice Cherry
Purely Juice 100% Juice Pomegranate Blueberry All Natural
Bolthouse Bom Dia Antioxidant Rich Juice Acai Berry with Pomegranate
Langers All Pomegranate Blueberry

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you’re in control at the grocery store.

Pomegranate Juice: Superfood or Super Imposter? is a post from eBrandAid

Remember the good old days? Those simpler times when TV moms like Carol Brady didn’t break a sweat while whipping up pork chops and apple sauce for her pack of six almost-perfect kids.

OK, so Bobby, Peter and Greg may have sported striped pants and Afros, but life was less complicated. You – or your maid Alice – could walk into the corner store and EASILY find a healthy apple sauce because there were far fewer food varieties to choose from.

While we’re happy saying goodbye to feathered hair and leisure suits, we now struggle with selecting the truly healthy varieties from trusted brands that have been around, well, longer than a man named Brady!

Case in point: Mott’s Apple Sauce (single servings)

When we asked our food sleuths to go BestBrands shopping for apple sauce in single serving cups, little did they know they’d have an extended stay in the snack cup aisle deciphering labels for a single brand! Here’s what they uncovered:

• Mott’s single serving cups of apple sauce come in four varieties with over 22 flavors to choose from.
• The majority of the choices are Healthy Food Imposters; they contain added sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup and, in some cases, artificial coloring.
• The front-of-box labels are very similar across varieties and flavors – with only a few key words distinguishing the Imposters from the BestBrands.

(Note: This is a classic label trick used by many manufacturers to get shoppers to buy their less than healthy versions filled with cheaper junk ingredients.)
* The price was the same across all varieties – with and without the junk ingredients.

Decoding the Fine Print

Seeing is believing. Sample these examples that help illustrate the point that “not all varieties within a brand are created equal”… not even close.

Natural (unsweetened)

(4oz serving, 50 cals, 11g of sugar)

Ingredients: Apples, Water, Ascorbic Acid (To Maintain Color).

Reality Check

The front labels on both versions within the same variety are almost identical. But the “original” variety is clearly a Healthy Food Imposter with the added high fructose corn syrup and almost double the calories. The Natural (unsweetened) version is a BestBrands contender with no added junk ingredients.

Mott’s Fruit-flavored vs. Mott’s Healthy Harvest

Fruit-flavored – Strawberry

(4 oz serving, 90 cals, 20g of sugar)

Ingredients: Apples, Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Strawberry Puree, Sugar, Natural Flavor, Ascorbic Acid (to Maintain Color), Red 40.

Healthy Harvest – Summer Strawberry

(4 oz serving 50 cals, 11g sugar)

Ingredients: Apples, Water, Strawberry Puree Concentrate, Fruit And Vegetable Juices For Color, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Natural Flavor

Reality Check

Both varieties are flavored with other fruit. Even though the labels are different, they’re not THAT different – a time-pressed shopper could easily grab the Imposter!

The Healthy Harvest varieties get our BestBrands Stamp of Approval! They’re sweetened with real fruit concentrate, rather than added sugar. And they contain no artificial colorings. Its counterpart, Mott’s Fruit-flavored, is a Healthy Food Imposter due the cheap chemical fillers used to make this variety look and taste fruitier. Plus, it has double the calories and sugar!

This begs the question: Does it really have to be this hard to find a healthy apple sauce?

Not anymore, thanks to our handy BrandAid Apple Sauce Guidelines. Now you, our honorary food sleuth, can zip through the snack cup aisle, happily humming tunes from your favorite sitcoms of yesteryear. Take it from the top… Here’s the story of a lovely lady, who was bringing up three very lovely girls…

BrandAid Apple Sauce Guidelines

• Look for words like “unsweetened,” “no added sugar,” and “all natural” on the front label. When in doubt, read the ingredients labels!
• Look for a short ingredients list – apples should be the first ingredient!
• Avoid junk ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and artificial colorings

BestBrands

These varieties and brands have met the Brand Doctor’s standards for ingredients and taste. Plus, they pack a nutritional punch without all the harmful junk ingredients.

Note: Remember, all varieties of the same brand are not created equal! Please make sure you are choosing the recommended variety within each brand!

Mott’s Classic Variety – Natural (single serving cups and family size)
Mott’s Healthy Harvest – (single serving cups) All Flavors
Mott’s Organics Unsweetened Apple Sauce (single serving cups and family size)
WhiteHouse Natural Plus Apple Sauce (single serving cups and family size)
Musselman’s Apple Sauce Natural Unsweetened (single serving cups and family size)

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you’re in control at the grocery store.

Label Trickery: Finding a Healthy Apple Sauce is a post from eBrandAid

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. That holds true for everything, from that new diet pill that promises to help you lose weight without exercising or eating less, to the big-letter label claims on your favorite foods and beverages.

Case in point: Welch’s Light Grape Juice Cocktail

In this case, “light” simply means less juice and more chemical ingredients. Take a look.

(Serving size 8 oz., 70 calories, 0g fat, 80mg sodium, 17g sugars)

Ingredients:
Filtered Water, Grape From Concentrate (filtered water, Grape Juice Concentrate), Grape Juice, Calcium Gluconate, Malic Acid, Natural Flavor, Sodium Citrate, Grape Skin Extract, Ascorbic Acid), Calcium Lactate, Sucralose (Splenda), Acesulfame Potassium. No artificial flavors or colors added.

Decoding the Fine Print

Okay, I’ll admit it, they had me at “half the calories.” But after reading the fine print on the back label and comparing this product to Welch’s “regular” grape juice, our sleuthing staff declared the lighter version a “healthy food imposter.” Here’s why:

• The light version contains 60% LESS JUICE – that’s probably why they call it a “juice cocktail”!
• Sure, it contains one-half the calories and less sugar than the regular version, but that’s only because all the natural sugar went out the window along with most of the nutrition and flavor.
• They added a bunch of additives to compensate for the lack of juice (read: flavor), two of which are artificial, chemical sweeteners.

Gulp! Not quite the healthy juice drink you were looking for, huh?

Reality Check

If you love Welch’s Grape Juice as much as we do, then stick with the 100% juice version that gets our BestBrand Stamp of Approval. Drink it and you’ll get all the nutritional benefits, plus that delicious Welch’s Grape Juice taste. What you won’t get is anything artificial! Take a look.

Welch’s 100% Grape Juice

(Serving size 8 oz., 170 calories, 0g fat, 20mg sodium, 40g sugar)

Ingredients: Grape juice from concentrate (filtered water, grape juice concentrate), Grape Juice,
Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C). No artificial flavors or colors added.

By the way, if calories are an issue, simply cut the serving in half (from 8 ounces to 4) and add a few ounces of water. Do this and you’ll say goodbye to half the calories but not the taste!

The Lesson

• Don’t get sucked in by big-letter front label claims that sound too good to be true.
• The “light” versions of most juice drinks may sound like healthier alternatives; however, manufacturers usually compensate for the lack of calories (read: sugar/carbs) by replacing much of the juice with water and then adding chemicals to boost the flavor. Don’t you feel sort of cheated?

Let’s recap: When shopping for a healthy juice drink look for varieties that offer 100% juice on the front label, not those “lighter” wannabe cocktails packed with a bunch of chemicals.

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you’re in control at the grocery store.

Label Trickery: What ‘Light’ Really Means is a post from eBrandAid

Dear Brand Doctor,

It seems that every few months or so something new – both good and bad – comes out about high fructose corn syrup. I recently saw a TV ad created by a group called Sweet Surprise. The ad suggests that high fructose corn syrup is fine in moderation, nutritionally the same as sugar, and is natural since it’s made from corn. What gives?

Signed,
Please Stop The Madness!

Yes, this whole high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) controversy has taken on a life of its own. We agree with you – it’s quite maddening!

This important issue has turned into a “He Said/She Said/They Said” whirlwind of information that’s not only confusing, but frankly, it’s hard to know what to believe anymore!

What is clear is that the Brand Doctors are far from sweet on this stuff. Check out what we wrote about HFCS last April.

As your trusty food sleuths, it’s our job to sort through all the conflicting information – and to provide an opinion based on our findings. Once we pass the information along, it’s up to YOU to decide what’s best for you and your family.

So, here’s our take on the “Sweet Surprise” HFCS campaign…and we’re sticking to it!

For years now, food experts have been warning consumers about the dangers of HFCS. Many feel it plays a major role in the obesity epidemics plaguing America and its youth.

We’re hoping consumers have been listening and opting for the brands that don’t contain this sweetener. In our opinion, consuming less HFCS would be good for the nation’s health… but not so good for the Corn Refiners Association’s (CRA) bottom line. That explains the recent launch of their $20 million (yes, $20,000,000) ad campaign aimed at making over the not-so-sweet image of HFCS.

CRA Core Messaging: High fructose corn syrup is natural since it’s made from corn and has no artificial ingredients. It has the same calories as sugar, so it’s okay to eat in moderation.

This approach is simple and to the point. But is it true?

Decoding the Fine Print

For starters, we agree that all sugary foods should be consumed in moderation. Bravo CRA!

Unfortunately, HFCS has crept into just about EVERYTHING we eat or drink – from salad dressings, to yogurts, to breads and cookies, jams, barbecue sauce, and soft drinks.

If you’re not carefully reading food labels, odds are you’re being stalked by HFCS and consuming it all day long without knowing it. So much for moderate consumption!

Now onto the issue of HFCS being natural. Sorry, but no amount of advertising can convince our food sleuths that this stuff is Mother Nature-approved natural. Here’s why:

HFCS doesn’t actually exist anywhere in nature. It’s a manufactured product created by using enzymes to increase the fructose content of corn syrup to about 90%. Two of the three enzymes used in HFCS production are naturally occurring but the third is synthetic – and it’s this glucose-isomerase that causes concern.

The CRA claims that the synthetic enzyme is never actually added to the HFCS. Instead, the sugar mixture is simply passed over it and it interacts with glucose to produce fructose. Hmmm.

Okay, then what about this fun fact: During the production process chemical bonds are broken and rearranged, making it… well, not natural, right?

This “Sweet Surprise” campaign is turning sour fast. But, if you’re still on the fence, read on, because like syrup the plot has thickened recently for our friends at CRA!

News Flash: According to a recent Reuter’s UK news article, a study published in the current issue of Environmental Health revealed that researchers found detectable levels of mercury in nine of 20 samples of commercial HFCS. Gulp! But, you guessed it, an organization representing the refiners is disputing these published results.

Looks like this “mercury” issue is stirring up another “He said/She said” scenario for this controversial sweetener! Our heads are spinning…how about yours?

Reality Check

It looks like we’re back to square one, so now what? Well, here’s what we know for sure:

High fructose corn syrup May or May Not:

• Cause obesity
• Be natural
• Contain mercury

Here’s what we say: When in doubt, opt for brands that DO NOT contain this suspect sweetener. There are so many other brands that don’t contain HFCS, so why risk it?

Not sure where to turn? We can help.

You won’t find any sweet surprises on our latest and greatest list of BestBrands.

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you’re in control at the grocery store.

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Who Do You Believe? is a post from eBrandAid

Dear Brand Doctor:

My kids drink orange juice for breakfast, and since they’re not the best eaters, I started buying Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice with Calcium and Vitamin D so they’d get the added vitamins. I thought more vitamins would be a better choice for my not-so-good eaters! Please shed some light on this!
Squeezed in Scranton

Dear Squeezed,

You sound like a very caring parent… good job! To answer your question about the vitamin-infused Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice with Calcium and Vitamin D, we instructed our food sleuths to see exactly what it brings to the table for your family! Check it out:

Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice with Calcium and Vitamin D

Nutrition Facts: (100% Juice), 110 calories per serving, og fat, 22g sugar, 2g protein, 35% calcium, 120% vitamin C

Ingredients: 100% Pure Squeezed Pasteurized Orange Juice, FruitCal (Calcium Hydroxide, Malic Acid, and Citric Acid) (Ingredient Not Found in Regular Orange Juice) and Vitamin D3 (Ingredient Not Found in Regular Orange Juice).

Decoding the Fine Print

This premium drink is 100% juice – and that’s a great start to any day. If your kids are not consistent dairy fans (milk/yogurt/cheese), then the added vitamin D and calcium are definitely a big bonus – in fact, this variety has as much of both as you’d find in a serving of milk!

So, if your kids need a calcium boost, buying OJ varieties that are 100% orange juice with added calcium and vitamin D gets a thumb’s up in our book!

Reality Check

A Word of Caution: Not all vitamin-infused foods and beverages are created equal! In fact, some sneaky manufacturers will splash marketing buzzwords like “vitamin-enhanced” or “antioxidants” on their flashy labels to insinuate that their products are healthy!

Case in Point: Capri Sun Juice Drinks

Nutrition Facts: (10% Juice) 100 calories per serving, 0g fat, 15mg sodium, 26g sugar, 20% vitamin C

Ingredients: Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Pear, Apple, and Strawberry Juice Concentrates, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin E Acetate, Natural Flavor.

Take a look at the front label – it boldly states “ANTIOXIDANTS!” To a time-pressed shopper this might be all the nudging needed to get this product in the grocery cart. After all, the word ANTIOXIDANTS implies it’s a great choice. Right?

Not so fast. When you take the time to read the fine print, you’ll quickly see you’re getting nothing more than sugar water with a splash of juice and an insignificant amount of added vitamins! For more on this story, click here.

CENTS & SENSIBILITY: A handful of extra vitamins will not magically transform any sugary juice or soda, and any salty snack or other junk food into something that is good for you. Don’t fall for the hype. Bypass that front label and target instead the fine print on the ingredients list.

Bottom Line: Added vitamins can be beneficial – like when vitamin D is added to 100% fruit juice. But adding vitamins to junk food… well, we hate to squeal but that’s akin to putting lipstick on pig!

The Verdict on Vitamin-Infused Juices is a post from eBrandAid

Craving a cookie? Go ahead… eat a cookie! Seriously.
The Brand Doctors here at eBrandAid.com never preach total abstinence. What we do urge is that you practice safe snacks. And, what we mean by that is you should opt for the cookies that are still great-tasting, but don’t contain a bunch of junk ingredients.

Abstinence from anything you desire is unrealistic, inflexible, and frankly no fun. So, if you’re going to indulge every once in a while, you might as well choose the cookie that has the least amount of preservatives, additives, and harmful ingredients. We recommend that you go for the ones that use mostly real, all-natural ingredients.

Reality Check

Cookie buyers beware! Label deception and false advertising claims have even made their way into the cookie aisle. Popular food manufacturers are jumping on the better-for-you bandwagon – offering popular brand name cookies as “healthier” options because they’re made from whole grains. Suspicious!

Case in point: Nabisco Fig Newtons 100% Whole Grain Cookies

Nutrition facts: 2 cookies per serving, 110 cals, 2g fat, 115mg sodium, 2g fiber, 12g sugar, 1g protein

Ingredients: WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT FLOUR, FIGS PRESERVED WITH SULFUR DIOXIDE, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEY (FROM MILK), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA, CALCIUM LACTATE, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), POTASSIUM SORBATE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.

Watch the cookie crumble as we check out the fine print on this wannabe healthy cookie.

Decoding the Fine Print

Wow. Nabisco’s new and improved Fig Newtons list “whole grain wheat flour” as the first ingredient on the label! If we were lazy readers we might have stopped there and taken the cookie at face value. But since we’re savvy-shoppers we kept reading to discover that those whole grains are followed up with a whole lot of junk ingredients. Take a look.

• These cookies contain two chemical preservatives: sulfur dioxide and potassium sorbate.
• Their sweet taste is chemically induced using corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.
• There’s nothing “whole” about partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil, which is code for trans fats – the most harmful fat!
• And the unnatural icing on this cookie is a mish mosh of chemical fillers like calcium lactate, malic acid, and artificial flavors!

Although these Fig Newtons do contain whole grain wheat flour, the other junk ingredients cancel out any benefit you might get from the whole grains. Nice try Nabisco!

BestBrands

Readers, before you buy into the latest healthy cookie trends, tune in next week for the BrandAid Cookie Guidelines. There are a few brands in the cookie aisle that have answered our prayers and created cookies that are safe for consumption. When you follow our safety guidelines you’ll be sure to bypass the Healthy Food Imposters and go straight for the BestBrands cookies!

Can’t wait? Here’s a sneak preview of some of our favorite BestBrands cookies:

Barbara’s All-Natural Fig Bars – (all flavors)

Kashi TLC Tasty Little Chewy Cookies – Oatmeal Dark Chocolate
Back to Nature Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Remember, when you’re armed with a little eBrandAid know-how, you’re in control at the grocery store.

Whole Grain Cookies – Help or Hype? is a post from eBrandAid