I quite like the "traffic light system" on food labels. I can see at a glance whether something is high in fat, salt or sugars. Here is the label from a pack of falafel wraps.
By doing the maths, I worked out the item on the right scored
fat high
saturates medium
sugar high
salt medium
Not a green tab in sight
In case you are wondering, this is a new McVities product
My friend passed a box on to me - having eaten one and found them too sweet,
The advert says
Our magic
combo but with a twist - soft donutty shaped sponge, tangy orangey filling,
topped with a layer of crackly chocolate.
Jaffa Jonuts
offer a fun and distinctive new edition of the original McVitie's Jaffa Cakes
for fans to try out. Perfectly suited to a lunchtime or evening
treat
Jaffa Cakes
are the original cake in the biscuit aisle and are on a mission to inspire the
nation to be what they want to be as well. After all, if Jaffa Cakes can be a
doughnut, you can be what you want to be too!
The other issue was that the right hand item was a smallish cake, and I can imagine someone would easily eat two at one sitting [although I should say they are individually wrapped, which may deter greediness] TWO Jonuts would be 32% - almost one third - of the recommended daily sugar intake. And the small print and grey tabs do not make that obvious. So probably not a good thing to have in your diet every day.
Like my friend, we both found them too sweet. The only donut-ness was the shape. And the orangey filling was not the jellified texture which I really like.
I found myself asking "If they use monochrome food labelling,not the red/amber/green traffic light system, what are they trying to hide?"
You can't have your cake and eat it...
You can't have your cake and eat it...
As diabetic I buy very little processed food but do enjoy a beetroot burger and falafels, but the burger is high in salt,why.? I also drink beetroot juice but this has apple juice added so again too much sugar,why? So, although I do not enjoy cooking one bit I’m required to prepare every meal from scratch without salt, sugar, carbs or meat as I’m a lifelong vegetarian. So good job I like apples, veg soup and chickpeas, bit of a restrictive diet though. Sandra.
ReplyDeleteAt least by preparing from scratch, you know what is going into your food. But it must be time consuming and at times frustrating.
DeleteColour, shape and size are powerful tools to (mis)represent data .. I remember reading a book in the 1970s called 'how to lie with statistics' by Daryl Huff. It made a big impression on me.
ReplyDeleteI remember our maths teacher presenting the same data on three different graphs and showing how at first glance they could be misinterpreted. It was around election time, and she wanted to demonstrate how some parties, whilst not actually manipulating figures, could make things look better/worse for gullible voters!
DeleteI still have that book on one of my bookshelves. It’s brilliant! Truncated graphs or stretched/compressed axes are such a trap.
DeleteI really should look at wrappers more!
ReplyDeleteThe donuts sound very sickly!
I thought they were very sweet. But I guess some people will like them
DeleteAvoiding the obvious truth seems to be a common theme in many places!
ReplyDeleteLuckily I will find Jonuts very easy to pass by if I see them, but that's a supermarket aisle I rarely go down
Avoiding the cakes and biscuit aisle is a wise move
DeleteAs lovers of Bahlsen little jaffa biscuits, we may have been tempted by these. Thanks for the warning-I will now pass them by! Catriona
ReplyDeleteBahlsen biscuits are very tasty - & need to be eaten in moderation
DeleteOur packaged foods usually have all their nutritional info in a table format in the back in small print, usually. Not at all easy to read!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to be diligent about reading it all
DeleteIt really is a minefield of information disguised to fool us isn't it. As well as the obvious we have to be so careful to see what the portion size is that it's referring to, and it's rarely the portion that we would normally serve ourselves. Luckily my sweet tooth is easily satisfied these days and I can even ... shock, horror ... put half a chocolate bar into the fridge for the next day. I must be a grown up!!
ReplyDeleteIf I leave half a bar of chocolate for later, I label it with my name so my beloved doesn't eat it!!
DeleteInteresting how the official guidance has low fat as good. I did an NHS healthy eating course, which advocated not to eat any low fat foods, like yoghurts, but to always go for the full fat version, which keep you fuller for longer. Plus cut down on carbs, obviously, so these would be a no no!
ReplyDeleteAnd today I was reading about the problems with artificial sweeteners. Rather than low-fat, lo-sugar, we need to educate our palates to eat better
DeleteYes, in low fat products, artificial sweeteners are often used to make them more palatable. As you say, they have an adverse effect on metabolism, and should be avoided. Home cooking fresh ingredients, using minimal processed foods is the best way. No need for traffic lights then!
DeleteI'd almost forgotten about Jaffa cakes. I used to love them but I don't fancy those over sweet Jonuts. It's sad how manufacturers go to such lengths to try to get people to buy more and more.
ReplyDeleteI like Lidl's 'cherry' jaffa cakes.
Delete