Are You Eating These Fake Foods?

By Sara Butler

It may surprise you to learn that some foods you’re eating aren’t really what they claim to be! Some foods are so highly processed that they become a strange cocktail of chemicals and colorings before being formed into a shape you recognize as edible. The truth is that many convenience foods aren’t really what they claim to be -- and you may be eating fake food that’s not good for your health and wellness.

Processed Cheese Slices

Those individually wrapped squares of cheese sure are more convenient than taking a slice off a block of cheese, but are they really cheese at all? If you look closely at the package, you’ll see that it’s not actually called cheese but a cheese product or even simply a single. The reason for this is that it has so many artificial ingredients that it can’t legally be called cheese -- it must be at least 51 percent cheese to be able to do so.

When it comes to cheese, it’s far better for your health to buy and eat the real thing instead of the processed kind.

Fake Butter

That never-ending fountain of movie theater butter that begs to be slathered all over your popcorn at the movies isn’t really butter at all. It’s hydrogenated soybean oil mixed with artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors. This flavoring has been associated with lung disease, so it might be best to give it a pass and just enjoy your popcorn as is.

Pancake Syrup

Real maple syrup is delicious, but chances are that’s not what you’re actually putting on your pancakes. The mass-produced syrup that is probably residing in your cabinet is made from high fructose corn syrup and has a lot of additives to make it look and taste almost like the real thing.

Instant Mashed Potatoes

Instant mashed potatoes are dehydrated potato flakes with a lot of emulsifiers, trans fats, preservatives, and artificial flavorings. In other words, you’re getting a whole lot more with your instant mashed potatoes than you probably bargained for, so make your own with only natural ingredients you can control.

Imitation Tea

When you have a glass of real iced tea, you’re having water, tea, and maybe a little bit of sweetener. But if you opt for tea that comes from a soda fountain you’re getting flavorings instead. In fact, those imitation teas have real tea so far down on their ingredients list, it makes you wonder why they even bothered to put it in at all. Hold out for the real thing and you can reap the true health benefits of all different kinds of teas.

Don't be fooled by fake foods -- keep your diet as real as possible!