"nutritional informaiton" news and stories

A new poll reveals that 80% of Americans say that they read nutritional labels when they purchase food, but half of those people buy the food no matter what the label says. So, why do they bother reading a label when it's not going to influence their decision to purchase?  "I don't know, force of habit" was one woman's response.

This is surprising because, in the past, other studies have indicated that consumers change their buying habits when confronted with an unhealthy food label.

Of those who do check the labels, they look for things like calories and trans-fats, but not necessarily for overall nutrition. Other things that the survey found are the women are most likely to read a nutrition label, followed by men and then single men, and that women are more likely to place importance on what they read there.

It sounds as though people simply don't know what they're "supposed" to be reading, even though there is no right answer on the label. The information for all the food eaten during the day is what should be taken into account, not just for one product.

 

Source

I discussed the release of Starbucks' new summer tea-based drinks a few weeks ago, but they were officially introduced to stores over the past couple of days. The Pomegranate and Tangerine Frappuccinos offer a lighter, more refreshing taste of summer. Since Starbucks is now the target of criticism from the consumer watchdog group CSPI for offering fattening drinks on the menu, I thought it would be interesting to see how the new tea blendeds stack up compared to a couple of the standard frappuccinos. 

• Pomegranate Frappuccino® Juice Blend (grande): 280 cal, 5 gm fat
• Tangerine Frappuccino® Juice Blend (grande): 190 cal, 0 gm fat
• Coffee Light Frappuccino® (grande, no whip): 150 calories, 1 gm fat
• Coffee Frappuccino® (grande, no whip): 260 calories, 3.5 gm fat
• Mocha Frappuccino® (grande, no whip): 290 calories, 4 gm fat
• Mocha Frappuccino® (grande, with whip): 420 calories, 16 gm fat

The Tangerine and the Light frappuccinos are the best choices for those who are really trying to stay in shape for swimsuit season, but the biggest thing to avoid is whipped cream. Save that for a special treat and you can enjoy the rest of your favorite drinks almost any time. Full Starbucks nutritional information can be found here.

By the way, the Tangerine flavor is pretty good. It has a hint of lime and is very refreshing, especially with the high temperatures we've been getting out here in Southern California. Has anyone tried the Pomegranate yet?