Sunday February 10, 2008, 11:06 am
I chose the smoothie pic because the facts about it appall me...although ALL of these food purveyors deserve a big black eye! Artificial coloring in artisan bread? OH PUHLEEZE....

Sunday February 10, 2008, 11:38 am
Oh, and big THANK YOU to Charlene S. for the story lead...

Sunday February 10, 2008, 11:49 am
noted yuck! Thanks Cate & Charlene S.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 12:13 pm
thankx cate for this information. i really don't eat out much, tho' i know that a lot of people do. it's interesting to note that alot of the restaurants listed here do not want consumers to know what's in their edible (and some..very delicious!) products. would business go down if people knew? or on the other side...would people continue to go even if they knew the facts? good post!!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 12:20 pm
Sadly, this doesn't surprize me at all....

Sunday February 10, 2008, 12:22 pm
Noted with thanks Cate and Charlene. This is information everyone should read.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 12:32 pm
noted, thank you for posting, Cate.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 1:10 pm
From the article: "Our own investigation revealed that the chain's wing sauce (which consists primarily of butter, sweet cream, and partially hydrogenated margarine) also contains such unappetizing additives as maltodextrin, propylene glycol alginate, xanthan gum, calcium disodium EDTA, and potassium sorbate. (Not being able to tell what's natural and what's enhanced has always been a problem for us at Hooters.) "

Sunday February 10, 2008, 1:14 pm
thanks cate, don't eat out and don't buy anything processed or packaged... i haven't for years and years but, i'm still fluffy... i guess some things you just can't change no matter what... if your body is programmed to be a certain way, that is how it's going to be... whether you eat healthy or crappy... :(

Sunday February 10, 2008, 1:15 pm
Well this is pretty disgusting but so is most of what is in the grocery store if you read the ingredient list of those bright, colorfully attractive packages that hold down the shelves. Let's really live if up with slow, homecooked meals, shared with friends and family - made from fresh, locally grown organic ingredients. Yum

Sunday February 10, 2008, 1:20 pm
No smoothies for me i am a diabetic thank you

Sunday February 10, 2008, 1:35 pm
eating out to me is lunch in the back garden, stuff the major resteraunters theyre only there for a quick buck and do not care a jot for our health , good story but preaching to the converted, not though a reason for me not to pass it on thanks cate!!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 1:40 pm
Good eye there Carla..Ha!
I skimmed this too quickly. I do like how it brings to light the cross contamination of foods. This is really harsh for folks with allergies who may want something like fries, already unaware it is likely not really potatoes..then top it off with stuff like batters containing wheat/milk/yeast or the like. I only have one grocery store here..and it's organic can look kind of iffy. I'm hoping to garden this year and attempt canning. Bought a blancher(Have only done once on own..been awhile...so wish me luck)

Sunday February 10, 2008, 1:53 pm
I don't eat out at all, and try my best to eat
vegetarian at home. My reasons for not eating
out are personal, though.
Before having to retire due to my health in
October 2006 I was a restaurant chef. I worked
in too many kitchens, and saw too much of what
goes on behind the kitchen door, and most of it
is downright scary.
Even if you don't care about the sh*t that's in
the food, give a thought to how it's prepared.
Think of the worst you can imagine, multiply it
by about 50, and you'll be getting close.
Thanks, Cate and Charlene.
noted.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 1:55 pm
noted and thanks Cate

Sunday February 10, 2008, 2:52 pm
Interesting article. I avoid chain restaurants like the plague.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 3:01 pm
Remember this when you eat in todays fast-paced consumer world : " Death looks at you from the plate"- author unknown
Thx Cate!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 3:11 pm
Woody & Tim are correct,been here too! Home cooked is not sincure if the ingedeants are not out of own garden,but watch out there too,if you do not know how that soil was used before you got to it! Insect build up of the good kind is time ocnsuming,hard on you & paocket book,but is the way to possably have the first foot come a bit up out of it's Grave. You are attached to this,right,so it will be worth the pain the wallet suffers,right?! Do not forget to check the quaility of the water supply too,as the water sinks in,it leaves behing to build up the chemicals!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 3:39 pm
Thanks Cate & Charlene!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 3:41 pm
Great article-thx, Cate! FYI- a fellow student in Culinary School said his father developed ways of turning plastics into food compounds to be used in the "milkshakes" at famous Fast Food Chains in the U.S.!!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 3:50 pm
Plastics into food-True.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 4:42 pm
moted.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 5:09 pm
Thank you all for this information. The fact that the Gov. does not do anything to end these food atrocities is because it's a great way to get rid of people who do not have the sense to stop themselves. The Gov. want sheep who are well enough to carry on business as usual. Others are just collateral damage, the same as the soldiers of war, the homeless due to natural disasters, the non-collateral ones had enough money socked away to take care of their families.The very fact that the Gov. of California knew how health was affecting his constituents, shows his attitude leans toward the "pretty" healthy folks. The HMO'S look at the same people, because unhealthy folk don't make money for them they take it in the form of mediacal care.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 6:02 pm
Noted. As soon as I read this the adage, "You are what you eat" sprang to mind. I seldom eat out any more and my diet is primarily vegetables and fruit. I wish I could have a small garden...my apartment has neither balcony nor patio for container gardening, though the commons area is beautiful--no gardening. Several residents here have identified a good-sized plot of land on the premises, tucked out of the way. We are hoping to get permission from the group that owns the complex to allow us to plant and maintain a garden that is truly "green" and in which those who wish to sign a compact and have the use of a plot can garden. Then, I will return to preserving my own food. I loved doing that with my grandmother and we knew exactly what the growing conditions for our fruits and vegetables were. It would be healthier, economical, and satisfying to do that again. I plan to use this article to help us with our presentation. So, thank you twice over Cate.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 6:12 pm
Noted with thanks my good friend Cate...however, I never had a smoothie..lol..but I also stay away from fast food restaurants, and do a lot of home cooking, and I grow some of the food..much healthier..Great info..thanks much hon..Oh, and Tim, I used to be a Bartender and a waitress, and I saw the behind the scenes things that your talking about, not a pretty site, and no one knows what they are getting when your sitting at that table waiting for your food to come....food for thought.....lol...
FreeSpiritRunning...

Sunday February 10, 2008, 6:57 pm
Don,t eat fast food unless at the mall n hungry(lol) Enough preservatives in them to keep ya fresh long after ya die.Hey have trouble with constipation,,,,try a Big Mac.it,ll get ya regular.Noted and thanks Cate

Sunday February 10, 2008, 6:59 pm
I heard arteries hardening all over north america as I read this article.....Noted with thanks Cate!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 7:11 pm
Another good reason for eating at home.
And also by staying clear of processed foods you know exactly whats in the meal your eating. And by eating healthy enough you would be wasting your money on purchasing a health insurance policy.
Just figure out how many people that would piss off even with the restraunts and fast food servers aside.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 7:39 pm
I'd rasther stave first-& have done so!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 7:40 pm
FRIED FAST FOODS ARE CARCINOGENIC, ALL OF THEM. It's chemicals in the oils and what happens when they are repeatedly heated. ALL DIET SODAS CONTAIN TOXIC CHEMICALS, Don't drink them. Unless you are frying foods like home cooking, AVOID THEM. Also, if you enjoy CHARBROILED BBQ, limit how much you have of that because repeated exposure to the CHAR also can give a person Cancer. SORRY, but it's true! Noted, thanks Cate.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 8:15 pm
Toast,when charcole like,or near it-same as BBQ.

Bread as crust part,cooked or un cooked-same thing.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 8:26 pm
Thank God I never eat at these restaurants any more. I stopped most of them a long time ago. The one I had a had time giving up was Panera Bread but it was easier when 2 years ago I was curious enough to look at their nutrition facts online and found out they did indeed put coloring in their chocolate croissan! YUK!

I am so glad you shared this on care2 Cate for the many who do not know the hidden facts of those restaurants!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 8:40 pm
Very informative story. Noted with thanks Cate.

Sunday February 10, 2008, 8:59 pm

Thank you Cate. Really good to know!

Sunday February 10, 2008, 9:02 pm
16 Secrets the Restaurant Industry Doesn't Want You to know

Many of the restaurants took advantage of this protection and kept their nutrition facts to themselves. Here is just a sampling of the secrets the restaurant industry has been keeping (you can click the link below to find out all 16). Submitted 33 days ago at Care2.com

http://www.care2.com/news/member/917414322/593873

Sunday February 10, 2008, 10:17 pm
Thanks; NOTED...YIKES!

Monday February 11, 2008, 3:06 am
Cate, thanks so much for this informative post. Everone in America needs to read this. I do belong to the Center for Science in the Public Interest and recommend them highly. They are relentless in their pursuit of this kind of information and they deserve a lot of credit. I'm with Woody on the eating food you've cooked and if you're lucky, have grown yourself. Food with a past- a past you know (where it came from, how it was grown, what's IN it). It's hard to grow veggies in south Florida (until you get down around Homestead) because the bugs are killer. I get my veggies from a local farm on subscription. They're not 100% organic, but they are constantly trying to grow varieties that will withstand the bugs down here and much of the time, they are sucessful. Supermarket and restaurant food are minefields! For my south Florida care2 friends, just discovered Delicious Organics, an outfit down in Miami that delivers up my way in Boynton Beach area.
I hate to think of the food industry profiting while their unsuspecting patrons are damaging their health with every bite. It's not right. Ck. out CSPI and get involved!
Susan

Monday February 11, 2008, 5:05 am
AND ... maybe you thought eating out was good for you...???? :-) It's a convenience and a treat. If you want to diet, stay home or maybe eat a salad rather than that 16 oz. cut of prime rib... Ummmm good! LOL

Monday February 11, 2008, 5:15 am
Thanks everyone for a great feedback here. Although it wasn`t a good response from members about another article called 16 Secrets the Restaurant Industry Doesn't Want You to know that was submitted 33 days ago.
It came from my article that was linked to this article here.
http://www.care2.com/news/member/917414322/593873

Monday February 11, 2008, 6:11 am
My god, the calories! (gag) I'm sending the link to my X who refuses to quit eating at MacD's and Burger King! (He wonders why he can't get a good job! He weighs 300 pounds and can't lose any weight, and he's 60 years old!) And he wonders why he's my X.

Monday February 11, 2008, 7:12 am
noted and thanks Cate!
Packaged meat is not suppose to be red its suppose to be a brownish colr but they add red food dye to make it look good to the customer.
Most of us don't have the good fortune of growing our own food so to an extent even if we don't eat out we have to take what we can buy at a grocery store .I stay away from processed foods and cook my meals at home and in season I buy my fruits and vegetables at the farmers market .I try to eliminate as much as I can of buying foods that could be tainted but in all truth its virtually impossible to eleminate all !

Monday February 11, 2008, 8:03 am
And how about the fact that the food industry in the US misleadingly leaves out a factor of 1,000 when it comes to expressing the amount of calories in food ?

Monday February 11, 2008, 8:56 am
I cook at home, that way I know what's going into the food we eat. I know Restaurant food is packed with Fat and Calories that they don't want us to know about.

When I see someone eating a Burger with grease dripping from I know not to order a burger...

Noted, thanks Cate.

Monday February 11, 2008, 9:58 am
Noted. We don't eat out much and now I know why. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Monday February 11, 2008, 2:37 pm
Escuse me Cate but what are the news here?
Does anyone think KFC, MacDonalds, Dunkin, etc, are healthy?!
For God's sake!
Gimme a break!

However, there is something VERY WRONG ON THE ARTICLE:

"Sit-down chain restaurants don't want you to know that their food is actually considerably worse for you than the often-maligned fast-food fare."

WHAT?!
SO LETS EAT BIG MACS?!
ARE THOSE GUYS LUNATICS?!

If a person eats out should eat healthy food, seated and calmly.

And of course the article triggered a series of comments with more fearmongering.
Like stating that maltodextrin, propylene glycol alginate, and xanthan gum are bad!
Well, not quite...

Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate with a chain shorter than starch but longer than simple sugars.
Therefore it's much better than sugars since it releases energy slower than those.

Xanthan Gum is a carbohydrate resulting from bacterial fermentation!
And fermented products are known for being better.

Propylene glycol alginate is an ester of alginic acid, which is derived from kelp!
Kelp is a seaweed!
If this isn't natural what is?!

Another issue is the calories number.
Well Ruud, far from me to defend the American Food Industry but, in fact, there is a problem related with the energy units and the problem has nothing to do with them!
If you read 1000 calories is one thing.
If you read 1000 Calories is another!
Look ate the "c" "C"!
Capital "C" means 1000.
Therefore
1000 Calories means 1000 kc (kilocalories)
1 Calorie = 1 kc = 1000 calories.

Sorry folks, but academic knowledge does make a difference...
Don't take things at face value.
You have to be sceptic otherwise you'll be tricked...

Tuesday February 12, 2008, 12:42 am
Since my husband is a diabetic, we are very careful what we eat. Although I am not a diabetic, I cook for him the way he is suppose to eat. He also cooks. We rarely go out to dinner. We have an herb garden and when we have time, a vegetable garden as well. We buy organically grown fruit and vegetables. I am a compulsive label reader. Thanks for the story, Cate.

Tuesday February 12, 2008, 7:52 am
No surprise there. Thanks Cate

Thursday February 14, 2008, 5:04 am
By now, if people don't realize that fast food is about 200% bad for you, they are diluding themselves. That said I have been known to occasionally enjoy a fast food meal once in a while, but at least I know what I'm eating is ever so not good for me. *giggles*

Sunday February 17, 2008, 3:05 pm
I'm with Tim-my husband delivered food to those kitchens for yrs. and doesn't eat out much at all, after the stories-I can't either. Some of them (stories)were down right "pukers".