Eat a Manwich, Get Your Veggies?
photo by lanmius via flickr
Is It True That You Can Eat This Sandwich and Get a Serving of Vegetables? Maybe . . . But Maybe Not.
Once again I saw another example of a big name food company trying to trick parents into thinking that their products are “healthy” and “wholesome” for their children.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out this video:
I must admit that I admire the creativity with this commercial, especially when they attacked a good ole American favorite food – corn. If that statement actually surprised you (that corn is a grain, not a vegetable) then I can assure you that’s exactly the reaction they wanted.
But let’s take a closer look at what’s in the Original Manwich:
Tomato puree (water, tomato paste), high fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, corn syrup, less than 2% of: salt, sugar, dehydrated onions, dehydrated red and green bell peppers, chile pepper, tomato fiber, spices, guar gum, xanthan gum, dehydrated garlic, carob bean gum, natural flavors.
So aside from some tomato paste, you’re also getting a healthy dose of not only high fructose corn syrup, but also corn syrup and sugar. Oh yeah: that’s a recipe for healthy goodness.
Seriously, everyone needs to stop trying to disguise popular foods as being “healthy”. We’re seeing this with everything from corn syrup, to canned ravioli, and everything in between. (I’m still waiting for them to say Oreo’s have something healthy in them!) If all of these foods really were healthy, I don’t think our country would be plagued with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses and diseases.
I don’t care what that advertisement says and the BS facts they use to back it up: you’re not getting a serving of vegetables in a Manwich. The only way I could possibly agree with that is if you put on a few slices of tomato, green pepper, and onions; but that’s it.
And yes I know some people will argue that “tomato paste is a vegetable and the body can use the lycopene more easily and blah blah blah.” That is a valid argument for foods with cooked tomatoes (i.e. spaghetti sauces). However, if a food (sauce, salsa, whatever) has a lot of sugar and other junk in it, then I don’t consider it healthy.
Keep that in mind when you buy spaghetti sauce and salsas and look over the label. If it has a really long ingredient list along with sugar and/or corn syrup, put it back and find one with natural ingredients, excluding sugar.
PS - keep in mind that companies like this don't give a rip about your health or the health of your children. They just want you to buy their products and they will market them anyway they have to in order to get you to purchase their products.
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Comments for This Entry
I thought the exact same thing when I saw that commercial. It really pisses me off when food advertisements try and trick the public into thinking that their product is healthy. Sadly, most people do not anything about how to eat healthy and they can easily be tricked into believing that kind of garbage.
Well they now market all the cold cereals-like general mills- as "whole grain". So my kids think that now they are healthy. But, as you said, there still tons of sugar in Cinnamon Toast Crunch--even if it boasts that now it has "added calcium". You should see these boxes!!
It's very hard to find healthy food other than fruit for kids to snack on--esp when TV fills their heads with the worst kinds of junk.
Zach-
Hopefully more people can come to realize the BS behind the ads. Most (not all) food companies truly don't give a damn about peoples health. They just want their hard earned money. All we can really do is spread the word . . .
Thanks for the comment! ; )
Maria-
Yep. Cereal and fruit snacks are a huge market, and they definitely hit the kids hard and heavy, and now more than every they are targeting parents. "Choosy Moms choose Jiff", "Kid tested, Mother Approved", and on and on.
I don't have kids, but do love sweets myself. So to be able to eat "sweet" foods but still get some nutrition, I make stuff on my own. One of my favorite things is trail mix. Some other great stuff is making homemade oatmeal cookies and what not.
There are dozens of recipes on line that are, well, I won't call them "healthy" but they are not near as bad as store bought cookies.
It's times like this that we really have to get creative and fight against the food industry. If I have any more ideas I'll defnitely pass them along.
Thanks for the comment!!
Any recipes or healthy sites you have are appreciated! My last oatmeal cookie recipe was a disaster--they were more like ammunition. :)
Maria-
I've made these oatmeal cookies and they were good, and I don't recall them being good for ammunition ; ) => http://www.recipezaar.com/Healthy-Honey-Oatmeal-Cookies-147497
I'll post anymore I find in an article.
Perfect- easy is just what I'm looking for too! These look great! Thanks, Nia!
How about a healthier alternative to Manwich. A good spaghetti sauce in a jar, and something better than high fructose corn syrup to sweeten it for the kids. Tomatoes are already sweet. Add some caramelized onions maybe, and the chili peppers for a kick (they also rev up your metabolism.
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