Sugar: Marketing Impact Part 4

I want to “discuss” (because it is not like I am sitting with you to talk about this) the how companies are impacting what we consume. I will just present my thought in main points, but I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.

I Feel:

• You can see sweets are in your face EVERYWHERE! Next time you are in the convenience store or grocery, pay close attention to what is eye level for you and children. What is the most accessible and visible products when you first walk into your grocery store?
• Sugars (processes, artificial and natural) are included in ingredients lists for things that it does not even make sense to have sugar in it. Look at the ingredients of the snack and packaged food items in your pantry:
  • How many of them have sugars in the list of ingredients?
  • Where is sugar on the list? Is it within the first 5 ingredients? Should it be so prevalent in the item you are looking at?
• Sugar is not the devil, but companies are making it out to be. Most companies have their profit in mind, not our health. If adding certain ingredients creates a product that you can get hooked on, they will do it regardless of whether it is good for people to be consuming it.
• Snack foods and sugary beverages do not solve the world’s food problems.

We Can Do More:

• Easiest thing, make different choices.
  • Educate yourself. This can be as easy as watching Jaime Oliver’s Sugar Rush, That Sugar Film or the documentary Fed Up.
  • Learn to make simple healthy food. Not enough time? Consider how you can make it work for you.
    • Slow cookers can save you time.
    • Pre-chopped vegetables and fruits may cost more, but could be worth the time saved.
    • Keep it simple. Salt, Pepper and Olive oil can create a lot of great flavor to your protein and vegetables.
  • Reduce or stop purchasing processed foods.
  • Request products at your grocery with simpler ingredients (5 ingredients or less) and that do not contained additives of which you have no clue what they are. Did you know you can submit requests for certain products in your local store? I even submitted a request at my local Whole Foods and they listened! 🙂
• Contact your politicians to voice your priorities.
  • They should listen to their community to vote on legislation and make decisions
  • If they can propose groceries stop distributing disposable bags, then they should be able to propose a tax on junk food and beverages or change up requirements of how stores are set up.
  • They could impact what is provided in schools.
• Get involved at your child’s school.
  • Provide whole foods for your kid’s snacks and lunches.
  • Talk with the science teacher about a field trip to a farm or garden to help the students understand where their food comes from.
  • Members if the PTA at some schools can work to make changes to what kind of foods children are provided.
• Contact brands with the number/email on the back of the package and provide your feedback on the ingredients they use.

The research I have been doing for this blog has me chanting, “I want to be more active in my community regarding this topic, I expect more from the food provided to me and I can not sit by anymore listening to the statistics of our country’s health crisis. I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore.”

So now what? I take action. I continue picking up that phone to call my city representative, making requests at my local grocery stores, purchasing whole foods to make simple, healthy meals, taking advantage of opportunities when someone asks me about what I am doing to feel so great and writing posts for this blog to show people it is possible on a budget. I want to impact people in a positive way, the same way I have seen people change how they feel about science in my work at the museum everyday. Positive experiences are long lasting. I hope my passion and actions are providing that to others.