Food Q#2: Do You Read the Ingredients Label?

I read every label...sometimes the ingredients shock the living daylights out of me.

I cannot believe some of the "food" that is sold. It isn't even actually food, other than you can eat it and not die. We can eat a lot of things and not get sick or die, but it doesn't make it FOOD!!

Please read labels!!!

I do. Everything on the label fascinates me. How they find new terms for objectionable ingredients, how they list calories based on small portions (knowing most folks eat more), how they label foods "low-fat" and then add sugar, or how they label foods with "reduced sugar" and then add artificial sweeteners in tiny print. Of course I eat some things that I shouldn't, even enjoying them, but I want to know what I'm eating. Makes me fill my shopping basket with more fruits and veggies!

We have to read them a lot because my hubby is super picky about what we eat. So, we can't have any-- nitrites, nitrates, high fructose corn syrup, no palm kernel oils/fats, no partially hydrogenated fats, and we try to go lower fat as well.

I know that a lot of other people don't look like some of us do, but I have to admit that if I didn't have him, I would probably look less than we do. I guess its a good thing we have him huh?

I read all of the lables unless i have bought them before.

I find that salt raises my blood pressure so I always look for low salt foods.

California has Prop 37 on its ballot that would make the lables different. The problem is that Prop 37 is so loaded with foolish government regulations that it is a farmers' nightmare. Its a lawyers' pot of gold. For instance, pizzas will have to have new lables depending on which state the company bought the cheese or the pepporoni. Now tell me, why is cheese from California exempt, but cheese from Oregon isn't.

If prop 37 passes, food bills in California will climb $400+ per year. Its government regulations run amuck.

Good luck to you and yours.

Yes. Our whole family reads labels, even my 8yo. My husband started eating a very limited diet a year or so ago that limits sugar, alcohol, caffeine, meat and gluten, so we started really watching what we eat then, and never stopped. It has been enlightening. We also watched several food documentaries that were really interesting, and also made us more aware of what we eat.

NEVER. Quite literally, never.

I read the labels to see what kind of grains they have in them. I try to avoid gluten as much as possible but sometimes I do crave things. However I will be reading them more if proposition #37 passes. I want to know when I'm eating GMO's. It won't stop me most likely from eating stuff but I want my right to know what I'm putting in my body.
So come on fellow Californian's let's all vote YES!

I have to read the labels. I can't have MSG, my daughter can't have gluten, my granddaughter can't have dairy or MSG, my grandson can't have eggs or peanuts.
Dairy is almost immpossible to stay away from I was amazed at how many things have dairy.

I always have, even before my gluten sensitivity. I grew up with dietary restrictions (religious), so I'm always mindful that there are less obvious things in there. For example, do you know that many sausages that tout an ALL BEEF label are packed in pork casing? Yeah, it's dead last on the list of ingredients. For a person who doesn't eat pork, that stands out as kind of ridiculous. Besides that, I always like to know what I'm putting into my body. I'm the one at a party who doesn't mind asking what's in the dip or just not eating it if they can't tell me.

That IS gross! Thanks for the tip!
Yes, I do read most labels mostly to see what the calorie count per serving is. I started doing this a few years ago when I tried Weight Watchers. I still count calories although sometimes I am not strict about it but at least I know about how much I am taking in.
I try not to buy very many processed items, and often I find I can make the item cheaper and without any mystery ingredients. I usually make my own broth, yogurt, bread items, soups, sauces. We get tortillas and sandwich bread as well as produce from Bountiful Baskets (a food co-op) and it is actually a bit of a challenge to use up all the produce each week so I have to be creative so I don't waste anything, this has really helped me to step away from buying processed foods and trying to make things on my own. My husband hunts and my FIL raises cattle, so we are lucky to have inexpensive-free meat that we know does not have gross fillers.

Yes, I do. I take the time to do it. . It is easier to do it and read carefully labels while shopping without my kids. They do behave well, but still they distract me. I read labels and choose carefully what we eat since my first pregnancy.

I always read the label if it's processed and I'm not familiar with the product. Not to say that we don't eat junk occasionally but at least I know what it is, right?

A few years back I read the ingredients on one of those noodle cups and it said "chicken powder" I kid you not, I don't even want to think about that one!

I read labels a lot but not always before buying because shopping with kids is hectic enough. Sometimes I'm reading while eating and decide we will never buy this again. It's hard to keep track of all the good/bad food choices, but worth the effort.

I usually check labels for high fructose corn syrup. Geez, that stuff is in almost everything! Sometimes when we're shopping one of my girls will ask "does that have corn syrup", LOL.

Yes, especially on anything named or similarly named "Mr. Noodles." Pretty much anything that sounds silly or junky is going to be suspicious. Even things that sound healthy are not necesarily good for you. I'll have to google Mr. Noodles. I have never even heard of it.