Real Foods Vs. Fake Foods: Coffee Creamer, Salad Dressings, And Hamburgers
In round one a couple months ago, butter wholloped margarine, bacon took down turkey bacon, and eggs KOed Egg Beaters. Today, I want to look at three more foods that have been replaced by seemingly healthy industrial alternatives and are far too prevalent in our world.
Cream vs. Non-Dairy Creamer
I’m a big fan of coffee…dark roast and black as can be. I try not to drink it too often, but as a vice, I think it ranks as pretty harmless in small quantities. Lots of people don’t share my love of black coffee, however, prefering a little something to color their coffee brown (if they’d start with good coffee though, they might change their tune). And few people use cream, opting instead for “non-dairy creamer”. Let’s see how these non-dairy alternatives measure up to the real deal.
Since the use of cream is pretty much verboten in our society, I’m going to consider it the challenger. So what is cream? Simple…it’s the butterfat layer that comes with real milk. That’s it…just butterfat. It’s about 64% saturated fat (not something I have an issue with of course) and has about 6g of fat per tablespoon, an amount I’d assume is sufficient for a mug of coffee.
Now what about the leader of the pack when it comes to flavoring coffee? Let’s look at the ingredient list for Coffee Mate Original, a variety of non-dairy creamer found in many office breakrooms and more than a couple household kitchens.
“Corn syrup solids, Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (coconut, palm kernel or hydrogenated soybean), sodium caseinate (a milk derivative but not a source of lactose), Dipotassium phosphate, mono- and digycerides, artificial flavor and annatto color.”
Okay, so we start off with corn syrup solids, which is corn syrup liquid dehydrated of most of its water. Next up is our good buddy, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, aka trans fats. Here’s the part that boggles my mind though. Coconut and palm kernal oils are both highly saturated, making them already stable at room temperature. Why is there a need to hydrogenate these oils?
We then have sodium casienate, which is marked as a milk derivative. Can someone please explain how a product with a milk derivative is “non-dairy”? Regardless, it’s added to give a thicker creamier texture to the aforementioned sugar and trans fats. The dipotassium phosphate (or phosporic acid) and mono- and diglycerides basically serve to improve mouth feel, keeping ingredients that don’t want to go to together, together. The only ingredient in that list that I approve of is “annatto color”. It comes from the annatto seed, a darn tasty spice also used for its bright red color.
Essentially, when you choose to put Coffee Mate (rest assured that all of their flavors contain similar ingredients) in your coffee, you are basically pouring in sweetened trans fats. No matter what your thoughts are of saturated fats, you absolutely cannot believe that trans fat-laced corn syrup is a better alternative. If you can actually make that argument, please do so in the comments…I’d love to see this.
The funny part is that Nestle bills Coffee Mate with the tagline “Stir it up with coffee’s Perfect Mate.” Now, I know of some good pairs, such as peanut butter and jelly, pizza and beer, Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. I’ve never considered “coffee and pseudo-food” to be on that list.
Your best option: Ditch the Coffee Mate and go with full-fat cream or coconut milk if you can’t stomach black coffee.
Oil and Vinegar vs. Fat-free Italian Dressing
Here’s one that really gets me in a twist. When you walk through the salad dressing aisle or through the dressing section of any salad bar, what do you see? Inevitably, there are a few fat-free dressings, usually fat-free ranch (already covered by our buddy Mark Sisson here) and fat-free Italian. As bad as fat-free ranch is, taking a cream-based dressing and somehow making it fat-free, fat-free Italian really confuses me.
Real Italian dressing is olive oil, vinegar, perhaps a few herbs, and salt and pepper. Pretty simple and definitely made of stuff that’s good for you and that you can easily envision in its natural state. We all know that olive oil is a healthy oil and the rest of the ingredients don’t have any real drawbacks. The best part is that you can tailor this dressing to your own liking.
And now, I present to you Kraft Fat-Free Italian:
water, vinegar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, salt, contains less than 2% of parmesan cheese (part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes), garlic, onion juice, whey, phosphoric acid, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate and calcium disodium edta as preservatives, yeast extract, spice, red bell peppers, lemon juice concentrate, dried garlic, buttermilk, caramel color, sodium phosphate, enzymes, oleoresin paprika
Other than “vinegar” and “salt,” I don’t see anything remotely resembling real Italian dressing in that list. It’s basically flavored, sweetened water with a bunch of preservatives. It may be low-calorie, but it neither tastes like, nor is health-promoting like, real Italian dressing. Next time you’re at a salad bar, pick the spoon up out of the fat-free Italian dressing and notice how sludgy it is. Then put it down and grab the tiny bottle of oil and vinegar hidden somewhere in the area.
Your best option: 2 parts olive oil, 1 part vinegar (such as balsamic or red wine), a handful of fresh herbs, and a few cracks from your pepper mill.
A Grass-Fed Hamburger Vs. The Boca Burger
Finally, our top match-up, a real hamburger versus a veggie burger. Now when I make a burger in my kitchen, it’s made of grass-fed ground beef, an egg (to help hold things together), and some combination of onions, garlic, cilantro, cumin, or various other herbs and spices. I’d imagine most homemade hamburgers are similar.
Or, I could have delicious vegetarian option from Boca, makers of various meat alternatives, like Boca Burgers, Boca Breakfast Sausage, and Boca Chik’n. How about this Boca Burger on your plate?
water, soy protein concentrate, reduced fat cheddar cheese (pasteurized part-skim milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto (color), vitamin a palmitate), wheat gluten, corn oil, contains less than 2% of methylcellulose, hydrolyzed corn protein, wheat gluten and soy protein, salt, caramel color, cheese powder (cheddar cheese, [milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes], cream, salt, sodium phosphate, lactic acid), dried onions, yeast extract, natural flavor (non-meat), sesame oil, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate. browned in corn oil. contains: soy, milk, wheat, sesame.
Seriously? Do people just not care about what they eat or do they actually look at these ingredient labels and think, “Yeah, that’s better than meat”? We have soy, which isn’t the health food it’s made out to be. We have wheat gluten, destroying intestinal linings since 10,000 BC. We then have some emulsifiers, a bit of cheese powder, which is obviously nothing like real cheese, and natural flavor (*cough* MSG *cough*). And don’t forget the low-fat cheese, another highly processed food since milk is not naturally low in fat.
Okay, so here’s me being blunt about these meatless alternatives. I really have no problem with you not eating meat, if that’s what you choose. However, if you really don’t want to eat meat, stop trying to replace it with fake alternatives. If you’re not going to eat meat or if you’re going to talk about how meat is unnecessary in the human diet, trying to replicate the taste is only undermining your argument. Sure, vegetarians can definitely put together a healthy, meatless diet with a good bit of care and focus on not consuming too many grains. One thing is for sure though…a healthy vegetarian diet will never include fake foods like this one.
Your best option: Eat grass-fed meat; avoid fake alternatives no matter how pretty the packaging.
Once Again, The Winner Is Clear
Does anyone vote for the fake foods over the real foods? Now, I’m not going to say that any of the foods here are right for everyone. I don’t think cream, real oil and vinegar, or a hamburger are unhealthy; perhaps you do. So avoid those foods if they don’t agree with you. But don’t seek fake alternatives to these foods, made up of various industrial ingredients, low-quality proteins, hydrogenated fats, sugars, and flavorings.
It actually blows my mind that people can fall for the marketing that somehow makes sugary trans fats, flavored sugary water, and some strange amalgamation formed into a patty healthier than the foods they are intended to replace. Marketing is amazing!
About Scott
Scott Kustes loves to cook and loves to eat. He started Real Food University to help you get maximum enjoyment out of the meals that you eat. To find out more about how he has rebelled against the fast food culture and counting calories or carbs, join the Real Food Revolution.
30 Reader Comments
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That was one killer article. Good stuff. Let’s not forget SUGAR vs SUBSTITUTES either. Splenda is being bought by the truck load – when its more like a load of s***!
Natural organic food is what we were meant to eat, so eat it. And hydrogenated oils in Coffee Mate? Hah… interesting. Heard that stuff is getting the ban?
I knew a guy in college who was a vegetarian and only ate Kraft Dinner and veggie Chef Boy R D Ravioli in a can. Pick most diets and you can eat only the poorest examples. For example, low carb and eating tons of replacements like Atkin bars, etc.
It’s a bit easier for us Paleo folk because written right into the code is “real food”.
Why that isn’t in the definition of ANY diet I really can’t figure out.
oh Amen, but why dont people just think about what they eat ?? this always beats me…..they are so brainwashed or just are not using their brain or something……this is a GOOD article. thank you.
Yes! More articles like this! Love ‘em.
Let’s not forget that “yeast extract” is also a codename for MSG – covering up the taste of crap for years!
It amazes me how many people can’t eat something as simple and delicious as vegetables without covering up the flavor with some kind of artificially flavored junk. How many people out there have no idea what a salad actually tastes like?
“I don’t think cream, real oil and vinegar, or a hamburger are unhealthy; perhaps you do. So avoid those foods if they don’t agree with you. But don’t seek fake alternatives to these foods, made up of various industrial ingredients, low-quality proteins, hydrogenated fats, sugars, and flavorings.”
I couldn’t agree more. This is redundant, but I’m waiting for Americans to wake up to the fact that the industrial ingredients are far more harmful than those things they’re intended to replace. You want improved health and weight? Stop eating foods with industrial ingredients. Personally, I don’t think refined white flour and sugar are nearly as bad as the industrial ingredients.
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It completely boggles my mind to watch people buy horribly unhealthy and tasteless “food products” that are twice as expensive as the genuine article.
More money = less flavor, less satisfying, and less healthy?
The food industry’s marketing is based upon selling bad math to the public. Sadly, most people don’t realize the flaws in the overall equation.
I believe that while coconut oil is stable, a mix of coconut oil and sugar would still have a shorter shelf life and require cold storage.
Hydrogenating the oil allows it to be stored at room temperature.
I’m not in any way defending the practice, just trying to shed some light on the motivation companies have for using these ingredients.
so what are we supposed to eat if we can’t have wheat bread… any other type of bread safe to eat???
Is Oatmeal safe to eat??
Great post. I don’t think that people read labels very much. They are all about “convenience” and think that being healthy involves a lot of work when it’s really quite simple. Buy real food and not Frankenfood!
When I was under the spell of “raw vegan,” I ate such burgers. I think the condiments in burgers dominate the tastebuds, so a vegan burger tastes like a regular burger but no animal had to be killed. But I never stopped to question the ingredients of the vegan burger.
When I would look through vegan cookbooks for something I could eat, I just couldn’t design a plan for myself because of the massive amounts of vinegars, oils, and nuts used to mimic SAD food. Then add all the oxidation going on through shredding, dehydrating and refrigerating food overnight, and I thought, “What’s the point? The food’s ruined now.”
An hour ago I ate a large salad with olive and flax oils and balsamic vinegar and had a piece of wild-caught tuna grilled by George for less than a minute followed later by a can of smoked oysters. So simple. So satisfying. And no crap. (There was probably some crap in the oysters, but my cupboards are bare. I was desperate.)
Great post. We would all do good to realize that the “fake” stuff is not the best for us. Almost without exception, there always seems to be some problem that is uncovered years later.
Fit Jerk, I wrote an article a couple months ago on sugar vs. fake sugar. I came to the conclusion that both should be minimized, but if you’re going to indulge, do it with the stuff your body recognizes.
Arlo, good point. Most diets are about macronutrient ratios, not food. Unfortunately, we eat food, not macronutrients. Your vegetarian buddy is a case-in-point.
Pin Pirate, I think it comes down to “being too busy” to worry about food. Perhaps we’re so far into believing that physical decline is a necessary part of aging, that we don’t think about how food affects us.
Abe, good point on the yeast extract. Most people would find a salad boring with its lack of overly salty or sweet tastes. People have destroyed their taste for natural foods with processed junk.
Sally and Shine, agree completely!
Chris, good call. Thanks!
Booba, check out this article I wrote on whole grains. Oats aren’t horrible as long as you can get them certified gluten-free (they are often contaminated from wheat processing). Sprouted bread is better than normal wheat bread.
Joanne, that sounds much more tasty than raw vegan.
Cheers
Scott
“Perhaps we’re so far into believing that physical decline is a necessary part of aging, that we don’t think about how food affects us.”
Nail on the HEAD…..that’s the route of the problem….if people came to the understanding that food and health are in direct relation….then the choices become clearer (as no one would eat rat poison….but why is it ok to destroy our bodies at a slower pace?)….too bad modern medicine usually tells people otherwise or has us “blaming” genetics…instead of how our food and lifestyle effect our own genetic expression (and giving us total control back of our health).
Aging also has a great deal to do with how we think. We’ve all met people who say things like, “The hearing’s not so great anymore,” or a 50-year-old saying, “It sucks getting old.” Fifty isn’t old! People unconsciously take pride in their aging and their bodies accommodate them. I’ve decided to grow younger.
Great post! I added you to my blog roll. Love this focus on real food! We may disagree a bit on the issue of noncaloric sweeteners (moderation does not work for all of us when it comes to real sugar!), but I’ve enjoyed so many of your articles. Boca burgers… blech! I guess we all went through vegetarian phases at some point, huh? Thanks, conventional wisdom!
Joanne, love it. The mind-body connection is strong, but the western world doesn’t seem to believe so.
Lauren B, thanks for the kudos! We’re allowed a few areas of disagreement.
And I agree that not all can do moderation. For those I recommend no sweeteners, artificial or not. I’m lucky…I did the low-fat phase, but never went vegetarian.
Cheers
Scott
Well, you know my thoughts.
No need to beat a dead vegetarian, well, then again, there is always a good reason to beat a vegataraian.
Jay
“If it has a Face, I have a recipe”
Sometimes I look around my workplace at peak lunch hour and see what qualifies for real food. Today for example were a bunch of microwave meals (most pasta and rice dishes) some people eating McDonalds or Fish and Chips, others eating subways. Very little real food on display apart from the odd piece of fruit which might get nibbled on at the end of a meal……..
While there I am eating my Tuna Salad from the local deli, filled with great real food like Broccoli, beets, sweet corn, olives and avocado….The sad truth is its hard to find real food these days you have to know where to hunt in the urban lunch circles to get close.
Processed junk is all too freely available and cheap that most people not into their health and fitness are ushered down the wrong path without realizing. Hopefully things will change for the better but who knows……
Sad how easily accessible processed food is, and how widely accepted it is as health food.
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Another great post that’s spot on! Btw: unsweetened full fat coconut milk and freeze dried coconut milk powder make great non-dairy creamers without added sugar or trans fats. Of course they have a smaller profit margin than the nondairy creamers promoted by the food giants! Not only do we pay more for food that doesn’t taste as good, we now pay more for food that’s more processed! Go figure!
If you compare the per pound cost of veggie burgers made from tofu, tempeh, and wheat meat, seitan (which sounds a little Satan!) to buying real ground beef, the meat costs less. People think it costs more to eat healthy food because their idea of healthy is based on the foods most heavily advertised! If only they knew healthy = real meat, real fats, fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, herbs, spices!
I never understood why people didn’t just flavour their coffee with plain old MILK.
Chris, I know what you mean. I’ve watched coworkers wolf down Snickers bars in two or three bites, just mindlessly packing away the sugar. French fries are a regular here.
Chef Rachel, where does one get coconut milk powder? And I agree with you about the cost. Grass-fed meat costs a bit more, but if you have a deep freeze, you can really knock the price down by buying in bulk. But farmer’s markets and buying in season tend to help bring the overall cost down.
Paracetamol Boy, I’m not sure why they refuse to do that either.
Cheers
Scott
Hi Scott,
You can order coconut milk powder (freeze dried, unsweetened coconut milk) from these two places that I know of:
Mid-American Marketing Corporation, Ph. 800-922-1744
P.O. Box 295, 1531 East Main Street, Eaton OH 45320
http://www.coconutoil-online.com/PRODUCTS.html
EnerHealth Botanicals, Ph. 866-762-9238
29454 Meadow Dr, Evergreen CO 80439
http://www.enerhealthbotanicals.com/EnerhealthBotanicals-Product-tree-s/81.htm
Great stuff. I like to add it to my Teeccino, an herbal coffee alternative made from roasted chicory root, carob, almonds, and spices that you can simmer and steep like tea or make in a coffee pot. Really nice, robust, hearty alternative to tea too.
Keep up the great work w/your blog. I enjoy reading it.
Rachel
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hello,
so after reading about original coffee mate which i use every morning am i to
believe that will give me stomach fat or it is bad for your heart? I must lose
weight i feel i am doing the wrong thing my knees are shot so i do not know
what to do for exercise can you answer questions.
Thanks Dottie
@Dorothy – You are probably always better off with less artificial additives to your food (as it all has to be processed by the liver, a big fat burning organ). For losing weight it is about keeping your metabolism strong (which is more dictated by lean muscle mass and exercise) and eating less. As far as “what to do” for exercises, stay tuned as we will have a new program up soon that should answer that. If you want more info on eating strategies, you can download a free ebook here: http://www.theiflife.com and/or also follow our 30 day challenge.
[...] we all want a little cream in our coffee? I know I love the flavored creamers but worry about coffee creamer chemicals that don’t come from cows, if you know what I mean. So I did a little research into how to [...]