poll: foods you avoid

which of the following foods do you go out of your way to avoid eating:

artificial sweeteners?

hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oils?

high fructose corn syrup?

I was just curious about who avoids what. personally, i stay away from artificial sweeteners and don't like to eat foods that have them in it; i don't buy foods that have them (unless i forget to read the label, which doesn't happen too often.) I also avoid trans fats, and i don't eat ANYTHING that has declared transfats in it (in the label) but occasionally i will eat something with partially hydrogenated oil in it. never, however, will i eat two items with partially hydrogentated/hydrogenated oils on the same day. i know that i should avoid HFCS more than i do....but it's HARD. it's in EVERYTHING. rarely do i find bread without it... but next time i buy bread i think i'll go for the organic stuff. i think most of my hfcs consumption comes from the breads i eat.

so what about you?

I don't have a problem with artificial sweeteners, and not even hyrogenated oils, but I try my best to stay clear of HFCS and trans fats.

Except if I'm treating myself to a moonpie - then I overlook it for a bit.

Artificial sweeteners

canola oil

shortening

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Try looking through Oroweat brand of bread, most of their breads do have HFCS but some don't. 

why do you avoid canola oil?

i avoid "empty calories" ie candy, deep fried things etc., but not totally religiously, ie if i feel like i really want some of that, i will incorporate it into my plans.

If you're looking for bread without HFCS, try to find Demspter's WholeGrains. They have the ingredients posted on their site. Not sure if they're available in the U.S. though, but they probably are...

Personally I try to avoid as much of all three of those things as possible, and to eat as clean as I can.. but it really is impossible to avoid it 100% of the time.

Any kind of snackie type thing. Like popcorn, granola bars, All Bran bars, etc. It always makes me hungrier, and gives me massive cravings. ..They always seem to make me feel ill, too.
I also avoid any food that does not provide at LEAST 10% of a nutrient per serving. ..Except for pickles. I love how crunchy they are!

I agree with alysha_, although I do have one "flavored" water packet a day (I'd have more, but they get pricey).

I also avoid the partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, deep-fried foods, foods with added white sugar, and--because I have portion control issues with them--most full-fat cheeses.  I do, occasionally, have a little of them or of low fat cheese, though.

I make my own multi-grain, whole wheat, or oat bread and pizza dough but buy La Tortilla Factory whole wheat tortillas b/c they are very high in fiber and I don't have time to make everything from scratch.  :D

I try to aviod:

HFCS

empty calories like ka2007 said.. candy, deep fried things, added sugar

non whole-wheat products

 

... I havent been able to elminate all of these items (except candy and deep fried things) but I try to limit them as much as possible

According to a close source who read the material (I didn't) your body can't digest and/or breakdown canola oil.  He works in grocery and knows a lot of the "behind the scenes" info about so-called health food.  He's fairly biased against soy too. 

Grapes for I am an addict but I can't.=[ 

I actually can't eat grapes anymore because for some reason, I started to associate them with snot =/

It's strange because when I read this post title, I was sure it would be about "trigger foods."

I cannot eat ONE potato chip. Or one salty, greasy cracker. Or it becomes a downward spiral.

So... partially hygrogenated oil and excess sodium?

And now I wouldn't dream of eating any bread/cracker/cereal that wasn't whole wheat. All those years with white bread... I had no idea what I was missing!

Edited to add:
I had my first diet coke in over 2 months today, and it was sooo not refreshing as I thought it would be.  So yeah, add artificial sweeteners.

My sister told me that she heard once trans fat enters your body, just imagine it never leaving.  I've sworn it off ever since.  I threw away several dollars worth of groceries because of the trans fat.

I avoid all of the above, but I had hoped that I would have been able to rant about how much I dislike eggplant!  I avoid that too.

I wouldn't count on canola oil not being digested.

Not a doc, but...  If it wasn't processed (digested) to some extent, it would be inert and unable to cause allergic reactions.

My child is DEADLY alergic to canola oil.

For that reason, we all avoid it.

Other than that, moderation is my key

When I first began:

• sodium
• added sugar
• trans fats

Now that I have a fairly good handle on those evils (sodium down to 1500mg), I'll be working on the rest (already on my way). Hey, new goal idea!

I do know that something may state "NO Trans Fat!" on the label, but still contain hydrogenated oils and therefore, still contain trans fat.

Found a link. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/04 /cspi_trans_fat.html

Tip; Thomas' English muffins are now made without HFCS.

Ezekiel foods are a great healthy option. Not as doughy, but no bad stuff added. Bread INGREDIENTS: Organic Sprouted Whole Wheat, Filtered Water, Organic Malted Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Millet, Organic Sprouted Whole Barley, Organic Sprouted Whole Lentils, Organic Sprouted Whole Soybeans, Organic Sprouted Whole Spelt, Fresh Yeast, Sea Salt.

Serving Size 1 slice Amount per serving Calories 80 Calories from Fat 5 Hide Daily Values % Daily Value* Total Fat 0.5g 1%   Saturated Fat 0g 0% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 75mg 3% Total Carbohydrates 15g 5%   Dietary Fiber 3g Protein 4g Vitamin A 0%     Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0%     Iron 4% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Whew! I'm just full of info tonight .

same as above, and also--

--> preservatives, like calcium propionate in almost all breads

--> MSG

--> pretty much anything artificial

 

empty calories

All of the above, plus I always check the labels for sodium content.  Canned items especially are notoriously high in this department.  I also avoid white sugar, white flour, white bread/pasta, etc. and opt for whole wheat instead.  Although it wasn't exactly a change - I have always gotten wheat since I have hated white bread my whole life.  To me white bread tastes like Elmer's glue so I don't see how anyone can actually prefer it.

I pretty much try to avoid any packaged processed foods, especially those with a multitude of ingredients with long, chemical sounding names.  Oh yeah, and anything containing animal products.

I'm trying to stay away from any food that will give me cravings. So far, light beer makes me want something....unhealthy. I'm staying away from candy, of course, bread, pasta and fried foods. I figure the less I have of that unhealthy junk, the better I will feel and the faster my progress. I'm happier now than I have ever been in my life and it all seems to be from eating healthy. I still miss eating the fattening food, but I can't say that I actually want it. The "prize" outweighs a few moments of glory.

 

"Keep Smiling!"