Companies making “healthier” snack foods... hmmm

Some food manufacturers are grabbing “healthy” headlines as of late. Last week, Pepsi Co. reported that by 2012 they’ll remove all of their full-calorie, sweetened drinks from schools in more than 200 countries.  Yesterday, they announced they’ll cut the sodium in their major snack food brands such as Doritos and Fritos by 25 percent within the next five years. They’ll also drop the sugar in drinks by 25 percent over the next 10 and reduce the saturated fat in their snack foods by 15 percent. Hmmm. Should we be thankful or skeptical?
 
                    Well, anytime sodium, added sugars and saturated fats in these types of foods gets downsized, it’s a good thing. But, do these moves make these foods “healthy” or even healthier choices?  Not so much.   Here are some things to consider:

  • What’s left after you take out some salt, sugar and saturated fat in these types of snack foods and beverages?  Answer: Still some salt, sugar and fat—just less of it. (Plus when you look at the ingredient list on a package, there are usually several other not-so-great items listed such as preservatives, artificial colorings and manufactured flavors.)
  • Bump down salt, sugar and saturated fat, and something must take their place to ensure the taste consumers expect and “want” is still there. What ingredients will be used?  Best guess: some artificial and/or highly processed ones.
  • Even if there’s less sodium, added sugars and saturated fats in these foods, it doesn't mean a free pass to eat more of them.  That's happened before (remember Snackwell® cookies?).   I love a good chip as much as the next person (truly), but Doritos and its other snack food friends should still be once-in-a-while foods. 
  • There are better, super tasty treats to snack and sip on. We’re on the cusp of spring and summer’s bounty. Why not ditch the crackly bags of one-dimensional snacks and sodas and feast on the juicy, crisp, sweet and savory flavors of the season?  Not much beats a lightly salted sun-ripened tomato, a mouthwatering wedge of watermelon or a bright bunch of sugar-snap peas.  Put a variety of these luscious foods on your plate and in your refrigerator and you’ll never look back.
                     
                            Salt is an acquired taste -- one we learn to like and one we can retrain our tastebuds to like less.  In the case of Pepsi's "healthier" snack foods, the company created a new salt that delivers the same salty taste, but due to the shape and size of the crystals, it does it in a smaller amount, thus less salt is used on the chips.   Never mind the reconfigured chips... your best health bet is to gradually walk away from super salty tasting foods.  In their place, discover the flavors Mother Nature created to dance on the top of your tongue.  They're amazingly good.