22 September 2009

Dumb Choice of the Day Dumb Choices Tuesday: Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Crackers

In an effort to promote the truth about what the “Smart Choices” label actually means, every Tuesday I’m going to feature a different product that’s been given the green check seal of approval. Oh, and also? Explain why it’s not so smart of a choice. Let’s call it Dumb Choices Tuesday, since Tuesdays sort of suck anyway. I like it.

First up, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Cheddar Baked Cheese Crackers (which can be found on the list of approved substances here). Let’s look at the nutrition stats:

Calories per 30g serving: 150
Fat: 7g, 2.5 saturated
Carb: 18g with <1g fiber
Protein: 3g

So far, not TOO bad. Well, unless you think 7 grams of fat (with 2.5 of them saturated) is bad. It sort of is. But! It could be worse, right? How about less than one gram of fiber per serving? That’s pretty bad for a cracker. An actual smart choice for a cracker would be one that contains plenty of whole grains and thus… FIBER! Whole grains also naturally contain protein, meaning a cracker full of ‘em would probably provide a little more protein per serving than these bad boys.

Now let’s dive a little deeper into the ingredient list:

Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt and Enzymes), Soybean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Whey, Tapioca Dextrin, Salt, Leavening (Baking Soda and/Or Yeast), Sour Cream (Cultured Cream, Skim Milk), Cheddar Cheese Powder (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Blue Cheese Powder (Cultured Milk, Salt and Enzymes), Dextrose, Lactose, Monosodium Glutamate (Flavor Enhancer), Lactic and Citric Acids, Vegetable Color (Annatto Extract, Paprika Extract), Onion and Garlic Powders, Skim Milk, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Romano Cheese Powder (Cultured Cow’s Milk, Salt and Enzymes), Parmesan Cheese Powder (Cultured Milk, Salt and Enzymes), Artificial Color (Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5), Spices, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate (Flavor Enhancers), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Malted Barley Flour. Contains: Wheat, Milk.

First of all… Ahhh! What?! That’s like 50 different ingredients. FOR A CRACKER. Some of them are pretty benign (enriched flour, cheddar cheese, etc.). But the one you have to watch out for is that big bold one: PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OIL. That, my friends, is trans fat. In other words, the evil kind of fat. The kind of fat that food companies are allowed to say their products don’t contain if it’s less than .5g per serving. But it accumulates in your body! So a little .5g serving here, a little .5g serving there and suddenly, you’re a perfect candidate for heart disease.

Besides all the artificial nonsense (Yellow 6 Lake? Huh?), you also have to watch out for the soybean oil (for all you soy sensitive folks out there).

Please tell me, Smart Choices, how is this a smart choice? Does it contain whole grains? NO. Does it contain any valuable nutrients? NO. Oh, sorry, I forgot that it does contain a whopping 4% of your recommended daily calcium intake. 4% people! So, eat like 5 servings of these crackers and you’ll be up to 20% (and also 750 calories fuller)! Or you could just eat a cup of spinach to get 25% of your recommended calcium with no side of Yellow 6 Lake.

Just a friendly message from your neighborhood Nutritionista. :) See more about the Smart Choices label here.