Food Preservatives - Learn How to Avoid Common Food Preservatives While Shopping

Food Preservatives - Learn How to Avoid Common Food Preservatives While Shopping
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Food Preservatives

Many foods available nowadays contain additives and food preservatives. The FDA estimates there are over 3,000 additives and preservatives. These are put into food to give them a longer shelf life. They also add for convenient meals. However, these additives and preservatives may not always be healthy to eat. For this reason, many people choose to avoid these foods while shopping. Distinguishing between common food preservatives can easily be done following a few simple tips.

Keep It Fresh

The easiest way to avoid common food preservatives is to only buy fresh food. Fresh foods are not likely to contain any additives or preservatives. It is healthier to buy fresh foods, not only because they do not contain preservatives, but because of the nutrients they contain. When buying fresh fruits and vegetables, it is important to properly wash them because even the freshest produce can contain pesticides and fertilizers.

Colors and Numbers

There are too many preservatives and additives in food products to list. A simple way to learn how to avoid these products is to remember to avoid colors and numbers. Check a product’s ingredients list for any colors or numbers. If you see any of these two things, avoid it. This includes all dyes, such as red dye #4.

Anything you Can’t Pronounce

Another way to learn to avoid additives and preservatives is to remember this simple rule; if you can’t pronounce it you probably shouldn’t be buying it. The same goes for large words you can not spell. When reading a food product’s label, if you can’t pronounce half the ingredients on the packaging, put the food back.

Home Cooked Meals

Although it may take longer, one of the easiest ways to avoid preservatives is to eat home cooked meals. If a meal comes prepackaged or can be cooked in a reasonable amount of time, avoid it. This means no hamburger helper, no boxed food, and no frozen dinners. Home cooked meals are better to eat because the often contain fresher ingredients.

Ingredients to Avoid

These tips will help you avoid many additives and preservatives. There are other ingredients you should definitely avoid. These include aspartame, blue dye #1, and BHA. You should also avoid partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated vegetable oils. Other ingredients to avoid are sodium nitrate, propyl gallate, and potassium bromate.

References:

“Secrets to Avoiding Harmful Food Additives” Fountia.com

“Top 20 Food Additives to Avoid” AltMedAngel