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How is it not cheaper to get a box of cereal for $4 than buy all the fruits, vegetables and other foods you need to get what is in that cereal? Even an ultra cheap banana is usually $.60 and that is a single serving. Vitamin D is also really hard to get, so adding in that fortified vitamin D is certainly not hurting people, particularly in northern climates where they can’t really go out and get it naturally half the year.
$4 is a lot to spend on cereal. You can get TWO boxes for under $4 when you wait for the B0G0 sales. One serving with D-fortified milk and 1 serving to snack on will give you 100% of most of your daily vitamins and minerals. Add a snack-pack of fruit cocktail in pear juice for dinner and any homeless person will have all the nutrients they need for under $1 per day (not per serving - per DAY).
They'll be very hungry, and they still won't get enough calories overall to survive for very long, but they won't be lacking in any vitamins or minerals.
Compare to getting the same nutrients for your homeless friend by buying them whole foods. Good luck trying to feed them for $1 per day. A tangerine and salad from the salad bar at Whole Foods with enough free-range organic chicken on it to provide enough protein (remember homeless people don't have refrigerators, they have to consume what they receive right away) will set you back close to $10.
they'll still be very hungry and it still won't be enough calories to sustain them long-term but hey, no artificial ingredients amirite?
Hate to spoil the party, but you folks are aware that the so called Food Enrichment isn't actually mandatory in foods. The regulations state that certain foods served in certain public institutions must contain a specific nutritional level and that level can be achieved naturally or through enriched foods. As for all other consumer products, the regulations only say that if you make a claim of certain enrichment or use certain terms, the food product must contain what is claimed and to the level that term represents.
Where some of you come up with these ridiculous government requirements and how they morph from reality to some wacky fantasy is mind boggling! You can actually go direct to the FDA and USDA websites and read the actual regulations. Even their FAQ states it's not mandatory for consumer food products. (It's not even mandatory with baby food). The only mandatory enrichment requirements are for foods served in specific institutions (schools, hospitals and other government nutrition supported programs) and only to the levels required not necessarily that it must come from enriched foods if natural foods meet the nutritional requirements.
Otherwise the regs only say if a manufacture makes a claim of enrichment, it need to meet the requirement to make that claim. I'm starting to think that based on how these weird conspiracies start, maybe more people need to be consuming enriched foods!
Whatever the US government started in the '30-'40s with enhancing and enriching our food never stopped and is continued to this day. Perhaps this should be reevaluated, again. If nutrition adding is only recommended, but everyone is still doing it, then common sense is telling us that we are getting way too much of those "goodies".
Yes, there are people who don't eat right, but it should be determined how to provide the nutrients to those people who need intervention while avoiding imbalanced or excessive intakes for other groups. FDA started it, then they should take a look at it and take appropriate steps to control it better.
Sure, we could start to read every single label on every single product, make a spreadsheet and calculate daily intake, but who is going to have time for that.
In the meantime, we are pumped with artificial vitamins and there is no way to follow how much of it we actually consume a day.
According to the latest report from Washington, D.C.–based health advocacy organization Environmental Working Group, companies are adding micronutrients to cereal in amounts that are appropriate for an adult, not a child. That can have negative consequences for a kid’s well-being.
With some vitamins, there's a limit to what's healthy for you, but it's very hard to ever reach that limit. With others, there's really no limit. However, the window between what's good for you and what's potentially toxic is actually quite narrow.
For example: too much vitamin A can irreparably damage the liver, while too much zinc can cause stomach pains and vomiting. High doses of iron have been blamed for serious health problems among children - iron supplements were the single most frequent cause of death from accidental overdoses among children. Vitamins A and D is that they are fat-soluble and large doses can build up in body tissue. Vitamin A can easily be toxic. Just 2-3x the RDA can increase the risks of hip fracture and birth defects. Too much vitamin D can cause damage to blood vessels, eye tissue, and kidneys. Too much added calcium can cause kidney stones. Etc.
Although fortification has increased the intake of vitamins and minerals in the United States, there is little evidence to suggest that adding nutrients (other than folic acid) has improved our health. In fact, there are growing concerns that fortifying and enriching foods may be harming us. Companies often add vitamins at dangerous levels. Some levels may be up to 100% of the recommended daily allowance in a single serving, possibly causing you to exceed the limit.
Those of us who disregard the "conspiracy" theories mentioned in the post above, can read more about the topic here: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-n...enhanced-foods https://irispublishers.com/gjnfs/pdf...&ct=clnk&gl=pl <<<Health Risks from Long-term Consumption of micronutrient fortified foods. https://elmhurst1925.com/blogs/news/...and-enrichment
Whatever the US government started in the '30-'40s with enhancing and enriching our food never stopped and is continued to this day.
This topic is titled "Why is the US government enforcing mandatory food enrichment?". The answer is they are not. There is NO MANDATORY FOOD ENRICHMENT policy by the U.S. Government! That is a FACT and I defy anyone to show me any federal regulation that forces manufactures to enrich their foods.
I believe what the ill-informed is confusing is the US Government's mandatory requirement that IF a manufacture makes claim that their food is enriched, fortified, vitamin pack, etc, that such a claim must be factual and meet the minimum standards set by federal regulations to make that claim. They do not force anyone to do anything except be truthful to the public when a statement is made!
Meeting a minimum federal standard when a manufacture uses certain phrases and terminology is not the same as forcing a manufacture to produce only foods to that standard. READ THE REGULATIONS!!!!!!
Whatever the US government started in the '30-'40s with enhancing and enriching our food never stopped and is continued to this day. Perhaps this should be reevaluated, again. If nutrition adding is only recommended, but everyone is still doing it, then common sense is telling us that we are getting way too much of those "goodies".
Yes, there are people who don't eat right, but it should be determined how to provide the nutrients to those people who need intervention while avoiding imbalanced or excessive intakes for other groups. FDA started it, then they should take a look at it and take appropriate steps to control it better.
Sure, we could start to read every single label on every single product, make a spreadsheet and calculate daily intake, but who is going to have time for that.
In the meantime, we are pumped with artificial vitamins and there is no way to follow how much of it we actually consume a day.
According to the latest report from Washington, D.C.–based health advocacy organization Environmental Working Group, companies are adding micronutrients to cereal in amounts that are appropriate for an adult, not a child. That can have negative consequences for a kid’s well-being.
With some vitamins, there's a limit to what's healthy for you, but it's very hard to ever reach that limit. With others, there's really no limit. However, the window between what's good for you and what's potentially toxic is actually quite narrow.
For example: too much vitamin A can irreparably damage the liver, while too much zinc can cause stomach pains and vomiting. High doses of iron have been blamed for serious health problems among children - iron supplements were the single most frequent cause of death from accidental overdoses among children. Vitamins A and D is that they are fat-soluble and large doses can build up in body tissue. Vitamin A can easily be toxic. Just 2-3x the RDA can increase the risks of hip fracture and birth defects. Too much vitamin D can cause damage to blood vessels, eye tissue, and kidneys. Too much added calcium can cause kidney stones. Etc.
Although fortification has increased the intake of vitamins and minerals in the United States, there is little evidence to suggest that adding nutrients (other than folic acid) has improved our health. In fact, there are growing concerns that fortifying and enriching foods may be harming us. Companies often add vitamins at dangerous levels. Some levels may be up to 100% of the recommended daily allowance in a single serving, possibly causing you to exceed the limit.
Those of us who disregard the "conspiracy" theories mentioned in the post above, can read more about the topic here: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-n...enhanced-foods https://irispublishers.com/gjnfs/pdf...&ct=clnk&gl=pl <<<Health Risks from Long-term Consumption of micronutrient fortified foods. https://elmhurst1925.com/blogs/news/...and-enrichment
I don't agree with nanny government, either. Calling for the government to ban something that I am not forced to buy is calling for more nanny government, isn't it? Intervening on behalf of certain groups is also nanny government, no?
Don't eat heavily processed foods. I don't and to me it's just that simple. They are consummable food-like products, not real foods. I don't eat them because I believe it's up to me to take responsibility for what I consume.
There is a common belief that if something is good for you (like vitamins), then more of them must be better. No, too much is actually harmful. Processed foods are very nutritionally poor, even with added vitamins. Food manufacturers want to make their foods *appear* to be healthy choices. Consumers fall for the marketing.
Most of the space in a grocery store is devoted to processed foods because the majority of consumers demand them. They want them for the convenience. Many don't and won't cook whole fresh foods. They go for processed foods, no matter if they have added artificial vitamins or not.
I get your point. I just think it's more about personal choices and responsibilty. No one has more interest in my health than me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RamenAddict
How is it not cheaper to get a box of cereal for $4 than buy all the fruits, vegetables and other foods you need to get what is in that cereal? Even an ultra cheap banana is usually $.60 and that is a single serving. Vitamin D is also really hard to get, so adding in that fortified vitamin D is certainly not hurting people, particularly in northern climates where they can’t really go out and get it naturally half the year.
Those who want to learn how to do it - do it.
Last edited by SimplySagacious; 11-21-2019 at 08:44 AM..
I don't agree with nanny government, either. Calling for the government to ban something that I am not forced to buy is calling for more nanny government, isn't it? Intervening on behalf of certain groups is also nanny government, no?
Don't eat heavily processed foods. I don't and to me it's just that simple. They are consummable food-like products, not real foods. I don't eat them because I believe it's up to me to take responsibility for what I consume.
There is a common belief that if something is good for you (like vitamins), then more of them must be better. No, too much is actually harmful. Processed foods are very nutritionally poor, even with added vitamins. Food manufacturers want to make their foods *appear* to be healthy choices. Consumers fall for the marketing.
Most of the space in a grocery store is devoted to processed foods because the majority of consumers demand them. They want them for the convenience. Many don't and won't cook whole fresh foods. They go for processed foods, no matter if they have added artificial vitamins or not.
I get your point. I just think it's more about personal choices and responsibilty. No one has more interest in my health than me.
Those who want to learn how to do it - do it.
Not everyone has easy access to fresh/unprocessed foods without a significant amount of effort. I live in Chicagoland, which has many areas that are considered food deserts without access to grocery stores. That means they often have to rely on other nearby options that aren’t grocery stores (with higher prices) like convenience stores, gas stations, etc. to buy basic necessities because they don’t have the time or money to make a round trip that could take up to an hour or more on public transport to get to an affordable grocery store. Many of these places had grocery stores previously that closed, so it is not like these people chose to live in places without options. It just happened.
How is it not cheaper to get a box of cereal for $4 than buy all the fruits, vegetables and other foods you need to get what is in that cereal? Even an ultra cheap banana is usually $.60 and that is a single serving. Vitamin D is also really hard to get, so adding in that fortified vitamin D is certainly not hurting people, particularly in northern climates where they can’t really go out and get it naturally half the year.
Where the heck do you get your bananas? I have never seen 1 for .60. It would have to be a darn big one, seeing most are around .50 a lb and at Aldi's they run under .25 a lb. Also buying a box of cereal is not going to provide you with the same food value as a couple of servings of vegetable and fruits. As for having access to fresh and unprocessed or mildly processed foods is pretty easy if one tries. You can do al your shopping at a super market and buy nothing but fresh foods.
$4 is a lot to spend on cereal. You can get TWO boxes for under $4 when you wait for the B0G0 sales. One serving with D-fortified milk and 1 serving to snack on will give you 100% of most of your daily vitamins and minerals. Add a snack-pack of fruit cocktail in pear juice for dinner and any homeless person will have all the nutrients they need for under $1 per day (not per serving - per DAY).
They'll be very hungry, and they still won't get enough calories overall to survive for very long, but they won't be lacking in any vitamins or minerals.
Compare to getting the same nutrients for your homeless friend by buying them whole foods. Good luck trying to feed them for $1 per day. A tangerine and salad from the salad bar at Whole Foods with enough free-range organic chicken on it to provide enough protein (remember homeless people don't have refrigerators, they have to consume what they receive right away) will set you back close to $10.
they'll still be very hungry and it still won't be enough calories to sustain them long-term but hey, no artificial ingredients amirite?
There are a lot of ways to get daily recommended amounts of nutrition without going to Whole Market. I very much disagree with you on getting the vitamins and minerals one needs for $1.00 a day.
Where the heck do you get your bananas? I have never seen 1 for .60. It would have to be a darn big one, seeing most are around .50 a lb and at Aldi's they run under .25 a lb. Also buying a box of cereal is not going to provide you with the same food value as a couple of servings of vegetable and fruits. As for having access to fresh and unprocessed or mildly processed foods is pretty easy if one tries. You can do al your shopping at a super market and buy nothing but fresh foods.
If you are in a food desert, it can be hard to get to a rockery store, much less an Aldi. If you go somewhere other than a grocery store, it can easily be $.50 or $.60 per banana and in my local area they also charge for bags. It is not easy if one tries if there are no grocery stores in the immediate area. How hard is this for some people to grasp. Some areas do not have grocery stores. Not everyone in urban areas owns a car. If you have to rely on public transport, you might not have time to spend an hour getting to a store, and when you do have to use public transport, you cannot buy in bulk or take advantage of sales you’d get buying in larger quantities because you cannot carry them back to your house.
Not everyone has easy access to fresh/unprocessed foods without a significant amount of effort. I live in Chicagoland, which has many areas that are considered food deserts without access to grocery stores. That means they often have to rely on other nearby options that aren’t grocery stores (with higher prices) like convenience stores, gas stations, etc. to buy basic necessities because they don’t have the time or money to make a round trip that could take up to an hour or more on public transport to get to an affordable grocery store. Many of these places had grocery stores previously that closed, so it is not like these people chose to live in places without options. It just happened.
The "not everyone" excuses. Are you speaking for "these people" or yourself? If junk foods can be transported to those areas, so can natural fresh foods. That indicates that there is no consumer demand for natural fresh foods. They will rot while "these people" continue to buy the convenient junk foods. Supply and demand. If the demand for fresh food increases, so will the supply.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita
Where the heck do you get your bananas? I have never seen 1 for .60. It would have to be a darn big one, seeing most are around .50 a lb and at Aldi's they run under .25 a lb.
Yeah, I wondered about the validity of that too. So don't buy a banana, Ramen. There is nothing in it that you can't get from other foods.
Quote:
Also buying a box of cereal is not going to provide you with the same food value as a couple of servings of vegetable and fruits.
Right.
Quote:
As for having access to fresh and unprocessed or mildly processed foods is pretty easy if one tries. You can do al your shopping at a super market and buy nothing but fresh foods.
If you are in a food desert, it can be hard to get to a rockery store, much less an Aldi. If you go somewhere other than a grocery store, it can easily be $.50 or $.60 per banana and in my local area they also charge for bags. It is not easy if one tries if there are no grocery stores in the immediate area. How hard is this for some people to grasp. Some areas do not have grocery stores. Not everyone in urban areas owns a car. If you have to rely on public transport, you might not have time to spend an hour getting to a store, and when you do have to use public transport, you cannot buy in bulk or take advantage of sales you’d get buying in larger quantities because you cannot carry them back to your house.
What you are saying here is that getting better and affordable food is too inconvenient. That is perfectly fine and your choice to go for convenience. Each of us decides the amount of effort we put into our diets.
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