It’s Not What You Cannot Eat Anymore; It’s What You CAN Eat

What a journey we have come from the days of the ‘Olestra’ Fiasco. Remember That? At that time the idea was that food in its original form was lethal and therefore needed to be altered. Back then Fats and Carbs were seen as the perpetrators more than they are today, and low-fat and low-carb. products became endemic in the marketplace. The ironic thing is that one by one, the substitutes used to compensate for what was being removed from food, have since then been proven to be more harmful-artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup to replace sugar, hydrogenated fats to replace butter and lard etc.

Many people were settling for synthetic substitutes and loosing the wholesomeness of their meals in the process. Some took it to the extreme as with dangerous quantities of fat exempted from the diet for example. Many didn’t think the repercussions of this to, for example, the uptake of vital fat soluble vitamins. Fat is still a nutrient our bodies require in moderation.

Thankfully, the perception of food as 'the enemy' is slowly dissipating, and embracing the natural essence of the food itself is becoming the new focus. So, more and more the emphasis is becoming what we can eat and what value can be found in the foods we eat. Words like 'pytonutrients', 'high fiber', 'probiotics', 'organic', 'natural sweeteners', 'superfoods' etc. come to mind. There are so many alternatives available in what we can eat now.

As consumers like you and me demand more of these healthful alternatives based on what we purchase, they will only increase. You can continue to set the tone for the quality of food you want to see in the marketplace with the power of your food dollar, so use that power to help further improve the food supply. The mighty food dollar can say so much more than words alone.