When is a 'Treat' not a Treat and can you tell what this is by the ingredients? 😊

Hi folks, as its National nutrition month and it was on the news this morning that the UK needs to go on a diet and one of the problems was the low quality of the 'product' by product they mean the food that people are buying to fuel their bodies.

So what is a treat? it implies a reward and something beneficial to us, so what is this and where would you find it:

Sugar, palm oil, rapeseed oil, rice flour, EGGS, coconut, potato starch, glucose syrup, humectant: vegetable glycerol; apricots, rice starch, strawberries, dextrose, ALMONDS (1%), stabilisers:locust bean gum, sodium alginate, modified corn starch, pectin; flavourings, salt, raising agents: sodium bicarbonate, glucono-delta-lactone; invert sugar, lemon juice, preservative: potassium sorbate; acidity regulators:citric acid, calcium citrate, calcium chloride; elderberry juice, concentrates (lemon, safflower), plant extracts (turmeric, paprika).

So where would this be for sale? and its not vending machines or fast food outlets. It's in Health food shops and the Free from section in the supermarkets. Now free from implies healthy and a health choice but really the majority of free from foods are highly processed foods made to replicate milk and gluten varieties.

It is one of the most popular free from 'treats' and it's a Mrs crumbles gluten free Bakewell slice. I wouldn't know where to buy the ingredients, so to me this shows how 'we' the consumer have to be savvy to slick advertising with hints and innuendo's that imply it is a real treat. When really it puts us on the road to obesity high blood pressure and diabetes...so some treat.

Now this is what I buy from a whole food shop for a treat and they're falafels made with ground chickpeas crushed and cooked with spices and with some tomatoes are a great snack. They cook them separately and keep them gluten free and at 3 for £1.00 they are a treat.

I'm a great believer in 'us' the consumer knowing exactly what we are eating. So remember to be mindful of what you really eat...😊

eatright.org/food/resources...

[Penel]

My son-in-law’s mum bought me some Mrs C’s Bakewell slices for Christmas. They were so full of sugar I could feel my teeth melting. Such a kind thought .... but I had to throw them in the bin! The additives in processed food can be simply horrific, especially so in the gluten free ones.

The falafels sound delicious. My ‘treats’ tend to be home-made.

[Hidden]

I was given some organic, expensive chocolates of late, I had some to show my appreciation and sharing. Geeze, they were so sweet and I didn't like so much sugar in them. I wished I could spit it out, quite frankly. But I was being nice.

[Zest]

Hi Hidden ,

This is a great post, and you've made some good points here. I also very much like the look of those Falafels. They look delicious!

Zest

[TheAwfulToad]

Our idea of what constitutes a 'treat' is just totally messed up these days. Falafel in a pita, loaded up with salad and slathered with tahini sauce and harissa .. awesome. We used to have an Israeli guy near here selling them (he just relocated to bigger premises elsewhere, sadly).

It especially irritates me when the government continues to spread the myth that people with limited funds "have to" eat trash - Jerry's three-for-a-pound falafel are pretty good value, but you can make your own (and your own pita and tahini) for a lot less.

[mdr1000 in reply to TheAwfulToad]

'Falafel in a pita, loaded up with salad and slathered with tahini sauce and harissa'

Stop it! I just had to read that whilst all I've got left for a snack is a carrot!

[mdr1000]

People wouldn't dream of giving their dog chocolate and yet think it's fine to put that ingredients list into their own body?!!

[avoid-sugar Star]

Sounds good falafal.I am going to prepare some a special an snacks..😊

[Millie09]

Very informative post jerry. I need a new way of looking at foods etc.. have fatty liver yet oh such a bad addiction to chocolate. I have an app where you input your daily foods . Seems my fat intake and my sugar is way off the scale..