Q: How can I make nutritional sense of all the different brands and types of hot dogs and lunch meats for my children?
A: I hate to start answering a question with a question, but where are you shopping? Most large supermarkets carry what has a selling history: big business and others continue to include MSG and chemical preservatives like nitrates and nitrites in their goods. On the other hand, some manufacturers like manufacture goods with nitrates as well as “Natural” goods without harmful chemicals and with natural preservatives such as celery. (note: “natural” is not the same as “organic”).
Since I’m an experienced product demonstrator, I find that many parents today freely give their children samples of food and if it tastes good to them, they buy it without ever reading the label. Other parents, looking at label ingredients, decide to forego the product and head for the natural foods section. Uncured turkey hot dogs are just as tasty they say, and don’t carry the health risk of preservatives. Slowly, slowly, will we ever learn to eat for health, not just taste?
One elder recently was convinced that cooking the foods to a high temperature killed the preservatives. Perhaps at most the harmful bacteria, but the preservatives are still there to play havoc with your hormonal and other body systems.
Sandwich Image source: Pixabay | Shopping Cart Image Source: Pixabay
Betty is a California-based writer whose work explores local history, travel, food, and the people who shape community life. Her storytelling is rooted in curiosity, culture, and real-world experience.