Label Lessons Archives | NaturallySavvy.com

Label Lesson: Pumpkin Spice Latte

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 05:00:15 +0000

It’s PSL season, but first, we wanted you to make sure you knew what you may be drinking. In this Label Lesson, you can clearly see the ingredients we like to avoid like annatto, potassium sorbate, and sulfiting agents. Based on the research we did when we wrote our book “Unjunk Your Junk Food,” we learned that these are ingredients to be wary of.

Plus, a Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte has 50 grams of sugar and 14 grams of fat, including trans fats.

We've created out own Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe which you can find here.

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Label Lessons: Chips

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 06:00:53 +0000

Who doesn't love sitting down and binge-watching Netflix with a big bag of chips? But some of the ingredients in your chips might not be the best thing for you. Corn can be from genetically modified crops, so we suggest eating only organic corn chips. The flavors of chips can be artificial and enhanced with MSG (monosodium glutamate). Many people experience uncomfortable symptoms from MSG like hot flushes, headaches, and nausea. So we just stay away.

We prefer organic chips made from potatoes and other root vegetables like sweet potatoes, cassava chips, or even banana chips. Really the possibilities are endless, as are the shows to binge-watch on Netflix.

Next time you reach for a bag of chips, be sure to read the label and enjoy a healthier alternative.

Check out more Label Lessons and Savvy Swaps.

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Label Lessons: Whole Thing

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 06:00:24 +0000

“I’ll just eat one more…” and then before you know it … the whole package is gone.

Labels can be tricky, especially if they say something like “low calorie” or “low sugar.” These claims generally refer to individual servings. But what happens when you eat the whole package? Well, this involves some elementary math, which can add up quickly.

There are also some loopholes around trans fats and how they are labeled. It's because of this that allows companies to write "0 trans fat" on the nutrition facts panel if there are less than 0.5 grams per serving. I repeat, PER SERVING! So once again if you eat the whole thing you could unknowingly be eating trans fats.

See more Label Lessons.

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[Label Lesson] Pickles

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 06:00:15 +0000

When is a pickle more than just a pickle? When it has added artificial colors, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial preservatives like polysorbate 80.

It's super easy to make your own pickles at home or choose ones that are in the refrigerated section of the grocery store as they are usually preservative free.

See more Label Lessons here.

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Label Lessons: Soup

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Tue, 27 Oct 2020 05:00:43 +0000

Cooler temperatures, the leaves turning bright colors are the hallmark of fall. We return to comforting foods like roasted vegetables, stews, and soups. Sometimes you may just reach for a can of soup on the grocery store shelf and we wanted to give you a list to check when reading soup labels. So here is our list:

We suggest that you try and keep your consumption of canned soup to a minimum. Many grocery stores have homemade soups that have healthier ingredients and you can find these in the refrigerated or freezer section.

If you are making homemade yourself we have some recipes to inspire you here.

Also, check out our other Label Lessons.

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Label Lessons: Yogurt

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 05:00:22 +0000

Here we are again with a new Label Lesson. Yogurt can be a great source of gut-friendly probiotics however, this can come with a catch. When you choose yogurt you may want to look at alternatives to dairy if you are sensitive and also lookout for a lot of added sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Other ingredients people don't often expect to see in yogurt are artificial flavors, colors, and sweeteners. Yuck.

We love cashew yogurt and often will buy plain greek style yogurt because it is higher in protein as well as being very low sugar. If you find it too plain you can mix in some fresh fruit and a little bit of maple syrup if you want a sweeter version.

See more Label Lessons.

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Label Lessons: Sandwich Meat

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 05:00:57 +0000

When I was a kid, I would open my lunch box and find the sandwich mom had packed for me which often was on white bread and had some meat slapped in between. Every afternoon, when there was sandwich meat, involved I would end up with a headache. Now I am much wiser and more in tune with my body, however, at the time it did not even occur to me that it was that lunch that was giving me those headaches. A lot of brands have eliminated some of the ingredients that were likely triggering me like MSG, nitrates, or aspartame.

Now I choose preservative-free sandwich meat and often skip the bread. I love topping a salad with shredded meat or even wrapping meat with some mustard inside a piece of lettuce for lunch.

Keep a copy of this Label Lesson handy next time you are at the store.

More Label Lessons.

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Label Lessons: Salad Dressing

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 05:00:27 +0000

Salads are a great way to make sure you are eating a lot of plant-based foods. You can add extra toppings for extra flavor and energy. We have some suggestions below for salad dressing you can make on your own or simply search for salad recipes on our site.

When you do reach for bottled salad dressing at the store keep this list handy for ingredients to avoid.

Learn more about Harmful Food Additives in Salad Dressing

Salad dressing recipes:

Summer Salad Ideas Plus a Salad Dressing Recipe!

Simple red wine vinegar salad dressing

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Label Lessons: Flavored Sunflower Seeds

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 05:00:28 +0000

If you have kids who play baseball, they’ve likely asked you to buy them, Spitz. Although sunflower seeds are rich in vitamin E and selenium, these health benefits could be negated by ingredients like sugar, fructose (from corn), and artificial flavors.

It’s easy to roast your own sunflower seeds and have fun with flavoring them with any spices you have on hand like dill, pepper, or sea salt.

Directions for Flavored Sunflower Seeds

Place 2 quarts water with ½ cup of sea or Himalayan salt in a saucepan.
Add one cup of sunflower seeds to the water and salt.
Bring water to a boil, then turn down to simmer. Simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Drain the seeds and allow them to dry. You can add your own herbs or spices.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Spread seeds on a cookie sheet & bake for 25 to 30 minutes moving them frequently.
Remove from oven when seeds are slightly browned & fragrant. Allow them to cool and place in an air-tight container.

Enjoy.

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Label Lessons: Sugar Free Ice Cream

Lisa Roth Collins, RHN — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 19:20:27 +0000

One of the big things we associate with summer is ice cream and we are also trying to limit our family's sugar. Like you, we have asked is sugar-free ice cream an alternative we can consider. We would only consider buying ice cream that is naturally sweetener with fruit or natural alternative sweeteners like xylitol. Sugar alcohols can cause digestive discomfort for some people so check the labels for these or artificial sweeteners have been linked to some health issues.

There are also other ingredients in all ice cream that people should be on the lookout for like dairy if you are sensitive to it and artificial flavors and colors that can lead to behavioral changes in some kids.

You could also consider buying an ice cream maker and creating your own delicious recipes where you can control the amount of sugar added.

Here are some recipes to try:

Vegan Dairy Free Beautiful Berry Nice-Cream

4 Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes

More Label Lessons.

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