When you think fruit you think about something healthy. But are all fruits healthy?
Well, I went to a grocery store and got a can of peaches. I know that most canned fruits have added sugar, so I was looking for a non-sugar version. I thought I found it, but I quickly realized my mistake.
The label on the front was boasting “No Sugar Added”, “No Artificial Flavors or Colors” “Peach Slices in Water”.
I thought, this was exactly what I wanted and there was no need to investigate any further the quality of the fruits. After all, the labels covered all my concerns. However, when I got home, opened the can and tasted the fruit I got suspicious.
Are all fruits healthy, even if the label says so?
I looked more carefully on the label and my eyes drifted to a hidden bottom right corner of the peach photo, a place that was not visible when a can was facing me while on the shelf. I looked on the text with disbelief. It said “Sweetened with Sucralose”.
Is sucralose-sweetened fruit healthy?
I could not believe my eyes! Since when is using sucralose healthier than sugar? How can you even get away with boasting “no artificial flavors or colors” and put in an artificial sweetener.
Besides, since when naturally-sweet fruit (due to being ripe) have to be additionally sweetened? I see only one reason: if you pick green peaches that are not suitable for human consumption you need to hide them in cans and add a sweetener to have an unsuspecting consumer eat it.
Beware, not all fruits are healthy!
I felt cheated. They sold me an inferior product with a bunch of health claims on the label. Unfortunately, I am not alone. Many people got duped by misleading health claims. I guess cheating consumers brings larger profits.
In 2008 scientists at Duke University have concluded that Sucralose (Splenda) is hazardous to health. Side effects of Sucralose are many and range from intestinal changes to promoting obesity. Multiple scientific studies have exposed sucralose as a toxic chemical, however the information has not yet reached the mass media.1
Don’t get cheated!
There is one way to stop producers from cheating you. Stop spending money on inferior products. Read labels thoroughly, back and front. That one habit alone will serve you well, and will help those horrible food items disappear from our shelves (due to lack of popularity). Let’s make things happen.
Make your kitchen fruit & veggie friendly
Running out of time? Running out of desert ideas? Here is a cookbook that could make you smile: 69 Pleasures. Only fresh fruit and fresh vegetables are allowed. And only one pot is allowed. No blenders, no ovens, no microwaves, no anything else. Enjoy simplicity. You may even be surprised that there is nothing to wash, because you lick the pot clean yourself!
