I read an article on the weekend that honestly scared the crap out of me. It was an article on why our food was making us, as a society, fat. It looks at the origins of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and how it became a staples in a majority of foods being produced. I had known HFCS wasn’t the best for you, but I wasn’t aware of how bad it was for you and how it, being in a sauce or a can of coke, could lead to me being heavier. It discusses how eating HFCS increased a person’s appetite and that the more we ate, the more we wanted.

So I did an experiment–I went to the grocery store, and I went to the food I normally pick up and started reading all the labels to see what I normally ate that could contain this horrifying ingredient. I was surprised that I was already making a lot of good choices–my hummus was a solid choice, the ingredients I put in my homemade protein bars was fine. The surprises? Sauces! It’s actually kind of crazy how every kind of ketchup has HFCS, plus other sugars. Same thing with the barbecue sauce I was using to cook my chicken in frequently. Also the chicken and rice I was cooking a lot had it, although it wasn’t as high on the ingredient list as other foods. The kicker was the cereal–this food is what Robert has for breakfast. Honey Nut Cheerios has four different listings of sugar, including HFCS. It’s horrifying!!!! Lastly, I was reading the labels of my Weight Watchers bars, and the ingredient was listed on two of the products I own. I can’t believe that WW would have a product that would contain this ingredient. I am going to be extra careful with anything I buy there from now on.

Going forward I am going to be reading the label of every food I think to buy and I am no longer going to be cooking my chicken in any kind of barbecue sauce. Also, I have broken up with ketchup. So thanks. I don’t need a condiment to secretly make me fat. HFCS, I don’t want you.