Five Things I'd Never Buy

Pantry items I loved as a kid but would never buy for my children (or myself)

This is a fun, informative, non-judgy Substack. Here you will find tangible nutrition advice next to my favorite t-shirt and facial sunscreen because I think it makes nutrition feel more approachable and lighthearted. I like to be more pragmatic than dogmatic, lay out the facts, and offer solutions so you can decide for yourself the best course of action.

But (you knew there was a but, right?) the more you know, the more you know. I could appease more people by saying “everything in moderation,” but that would be a lie. There are certain foods I wouldn’t consume, even in moderation. It has been extremely well documented that ultra processed foods are a major contributor to the skyrocketing rates we’re seeing in everything from obesity and learning disorders, to food allergies, anxiety, and even cancer. They’re highly addictive, and they’re everywhere (think 58% of caloric consumption in the US!). I’m actively avoiding these foods (many of which I consumed as a kid!) and refuse to purchase them both for the health of my family and because I don’t want to support these companies.

Personally, I find this really sad. You shouldn’t have to have a masters in nutrition to be able to make healthy choices for you and your family; and we should be able to trust that our government is keeping toxic ingredients out of our food supply, or at the very least making it easier and more affordable for us to avoid them. But they’re not. Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death in this country and I don’t hear any mainstream politicians talking about this.

I’m not here to judge anyone’s choice, but I want you to be informed. That’s why you’re here, right? So, I’m sharing a few foods that I categorically would never buy (plus some alternatives that taste great!), along with a photo of my kiddos because they deserve real food for their growing bodies. Remember, we vote with our forks, so avoiding these foods is simultaneously good for your health and an act of résistance.

Any Kellogg’s Cereal
This includes Fruit Loops, Frosted Mini Wheats, Apple Jacks, and even the healthier seeming ones like Raisin Bran (I used to love this cereal!), Kashi, and Smart Start. The first ingredient in Kashi (which I considered a healthy cereal for a long time) is soy protein concentrate. A serving of Fruit Loops has 12 grams of added sugar, virtually no protein, and food dyes that have been linked to cancer and ADHD. They also use BHT, a controversial, endocrine disrupting food additive that’s also been linked to cancer. Not to mention that if it’s not organic it has pesticides. Kellogg’s is also well aware of how harmful their ingredients are—they even offer different versions of their popular cereals in other countries that have more stringent regulations on acceptable food ingredients. BHT, for example, is banned in Europe, Canada, the UK, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. This feels sinister to me and they will receive zero of my hard earned dollars. I hope you’ll do the same and consider signing this petition to get them to sell the same cereal in the US as they do abroad.

My favorite alternative cereals are Lovebird and Three Wishes. Thrive Market also makes some good cereals that are all organic and don’t have food additives. I just added this one to my cart to try.

Fruit Loops Nutrition Label

Kirkland Trail Mix
If I didn’t know better, I’d think that trail mix was a pretty healthy option. This one features an assortment of six things: peanuts, raisins, almonds, cashews and two types of M&Ms. But look at the label and you’ll find 10x this many ingredients, including multiple inflammatory oils, added sugar, food dyes, and more. The last line in a laundry list of ingredients states “contains bioengineered food ingredients,” which is defined as ingredients that have genetic material that has been modified through laboratory techniques, and cannot be found in nature or created through conventional breeding. One serving (which is only 1/4 of a cup, mind you) has twice as much sugar as it does protein. HARD PASS. No wonder they now sell Ozempic at Costco.

Instead, I’d mix some organic peanuts, almonds, raisins, cashews, and dark chocolate chips in a bag myself. Thrive Market has organic nuts at a good price, organic, regenerative dark chocolate chips (impressive!!), and these white chocolate chips for a little something extra (see, we still have fun here).

Kirkland Trail Mix Nutrition Label

Nacho Cheese Doritos
Gahh I loved these as a kid. Looking at it now, there are over 30 non-organic ingredients in this little bag of chips, including seed oils, food additives, synthetic dyes (yes, those same ones linked to ADHD and cancer), and added sugars. There also isn’t any nutrition. Literally 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein, a bunch of carbs and trans fats. The Environmental Working Group gave these chips a 7/10 (10 being the worst!). Try Siete’s Nacho Grain Free Chips instead, which have far superior ingredients but are still a carb bomb. Dip them in guac or some black bean dip to offset the blood sugar spike.

Doritos Nacho Cheese Nutrition Label

Smucker’s Jelly
Instead of relying on the natural sweetness of strawberries or even a little extra cane sugar, this jelly is full of high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is absorbed more quickly in the body and is correlated with insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, impaired cognitive function, and more. And it doesn’t even have strawberries—just the juice. When researching this piece I learned that the FDA requires any product labeled a jam, jelly, or preserve be made of 55%+ sugar. Gross.

I buy Chia Smash, which can’t be called any of these things because it has no added sugar—just 3-4 grams per serving from fruit and dates. I also have a recipe in Foodwise for raspberry chia jam. It’s so easy to make with frozen or fresh fruit.

Smucker’s Strawberry Jelly Nutrition Label

Go-Gurt
23 grams of sugar for a “snack” is out of control. It’s one thing to get an ice cream from time to time, and another thing completely to have this everyday. That’s a lot for a little kids body. The fact that they boast about not having high fructose corn syrup on their packaging just tells us how far gone we are. I was looking at their strawberry flavor online and saw that there weren’t any actual strawberries in the ingredient list. Pass.

Instead, try Stoneyfield Organic yogurt pouches or Cocojune dairy free kids pouches.

Go-Gurt Nutrition Label

Last thing I’ll say because I know I’ll get asked. What do I do when we’re in a place that has highly processed foods and Ozzie wants it? I do my absolute best to not make a big deal of it and we don’t bring it home. I know that if he feels he can’t have something he’ll want it more. We talk about ingredients in food and how they could make him feel, but I want him to have autonomy around his food choices. And we do seek out less processed foods and desserts, like the swaps I mentioned, along with trips to the ice cream shop, homemade cookies, Lesser Evil snacks (we love Space Balls), and more.