Sugar control and food labelling...

[1FinickyOne]

I know it is best to eat only fresh veggies etc and nothing packaged...

 

however - - I just bought some biscuits labelled 0% Sugar... except in the fine print they have a sweetener that is way worse than sugar that is added... 

 

They say that most of the olive oil on the market is not 100% as advertised. 

 

It makes you question everything other than fresh produce as to honesty. Is there no punishment?

 

Where in Chiang Mai might I purchase healthy items that are sure to be as advertised? Who do you trust? 

[h90]

specially with sugar you must be careful as there are many ways to declare it different...like grape juice concentrate which is a tasteless (beside sweet) concentrate with the sole purpose to not write sugar on it. But there are several other ways to do things like that. No way around than read it in detail (and not forget the glasses at the size they use). Mostly you'll end cooking everything yourself as I do....

[1FinickyOne]

27 minutes ago, h90 said:

specially with sugar you must be careful as there are many ways to declare it different...like grape juice concentrate which is a tasteless (beside sweet) concentrate with the sole purpose to not write sugar on it. But there are several other ways to do things like that. No way around than read it in detail (and not forget the glasses at the size they use). Mostly you'll end cooking everything yourself as I do....

Yes. I read that there are 50 different names they are using for sugar... anything ending with ose - - sure, but they get creative... we are growing many fruits and veggies at home but... it seems particularly odious when companies deliberately mislead... but yes, glasses and patience... 

[BigStar]

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

however - - I just bought some biscuits labelled 0% Sugar... except in the fine print they have a sweetener that is way worse than sugar that is added... 

Strike biscuits off the list, even those beloved Brit "digestive biscuits." Helpful quotes from Jack LaLanne: "If man makes it, don't eat it." But even more draconian, "if it tastes good, spit it out."

 

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

They say that most of the olive oil on the market is not 100% as advertised. 

 

Bertolli, Filippo Berio, and Pompeian will do. 'Course, our absolutely shrewdest posters know the Thais have simply refilled old bottles with flavored palm oil. Oh--prove them wrong!

 

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

It makes you question everything other than fresh produce as to honesty. Is there no punishment?

Again, our shrewdest members know that the fresh produce is coated with toxic pesticides. Solution: stop eating. Become a Breatharian. Breatharianism has never gained much popularity on our beloved forum, however.

 

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by BigStar

[Lorry]

19 hours ago, BigStar said:

"If man makes it, don't eat it."

Yes.

 

Eat only stuff that your grandma would recognize as food.

Don't buy anything that comes packaged.

 

That rules out 90% of what an American style supermarket sells. 

[KhunLA]

"Who do you trust? "

... NO one  ...  as profits are the priority.  Reading the ingredients, and in order of % is a bit spooky at times.  Explains a lot of the health issues & size of some people.

 

Sugar not really the demon, unless one of the top 5 ingredients of 10 total.  Much better than sugar substitutes.   If more than a few grams per serving, may want to give that item a pass.  Especially since some serving sizes are ridiculously small.

 

Olive oil can be refined, without noting it is, though not entirely bad, if it actually is olive oil, but not as good either, as better version of.  Veggie oils seem to be anything, and if hydrogenated oil is listed, simply avoid.  Many of the 'all natural' ingredients, aren't exactly healthy for you, with the volume of, that is used.

 

We buy very little processed food, and most foods done in home from scratch.

 

[Puccini]

22 hours ago, KhunLA said:

...If more than a few grams per serving, may want to give that item a pass.  Especially since some serving sizes are ridiculously small...

From what I have seen, nutritional information is listed per 100 grammes (g) or 100 millilitres (mL) in Thailand, not per serving.

[KhunLA]

5 minutes ago, Puccini said:

From what I have seen, nutritional information is listed per 100 grammes (g) or 100 millilitres (mL) in Thailand, not per serving.

Shows how little we buy processed foods, as not noticing the transition.  100gr sounds like a really small serving of most things.  Anything to mask the truth.

 

Goes right in line with the slight increase in prices, for smaller packaging ...

... people are so stupid, it's mind boggling.

 

"oh honey, it only went up 10% in price" ... didn't notice the package is 10% smaller ????

[1FinickyOne]

23 hours ago, KhunLA said:

most foods done in home from scratch.

Where do you buy this 'scratch' that you are making your foods from?

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, 1FinickyOne said:

Where do you buy this 'scratch' that you are making your foods from?

Makro, or local fresh market.  Meats at Makro.  99% or our shopping is at Makro.  Lotus's here sucks, no Big C, though I'd never use anyway.  Or even Lotus's if it was better.  No Villa Market, Gourmet Market or FoodLand here.

 

Didn't even settle on building house here till Makro arrived ????  Timing worked out good, as had the land about 5 yrs prior, and kid finished HS, then Makro arrived here at PKK.

 

Pop into Gourmet Market @ BluPort when @ Hua Hin since there at least once a month.  Along with Makro/Pranburi/HH as ours is limited sometimes.   Not much we can't source here or online.

 

Have Global House & HomePro now, and all in the last 5 ish years.  Lotus's has been here a while, good for KFC (wings zap) and Swensen's, and that's about it.

[markclover]

Even fruits contain sugar.  Not sure why you have a problem with biscuits.

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, markclover said:

Even fruits contain sugar.  Not sure why you have a problem with biscuits.

Perhaps because of incommensurability.

[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, markclover said:

Even fruits contain sugar.  Not sure why you have a problem with biscuits.

i dont have a problem w biscuits but with dishonest deceptive labels and packaging

[BigStar]

6 hours ago, markclover said:

Even fruits contain sugar.  Not sure why you have a problem with biscuits.

Here ya go:

 

In large UK study, higher free sugar intake was significantly associated with risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), and stroke

[ozimoron]

Anything your body can turn into glucose contains sugar.

[save the frogs]

6 hours ago, markclover said:

Even fruits contain sugar.  Not sure why you have a problem with biscuits.

fruit is not the same as processed sugar.

 

ideally, learn to make your own cookies

- coconut flour

- erythritrol or monk fruit 

- baking soda

- eggs

- butter

- sugar free chocolate chips

 

[connda]

Thailand isn't the US.  100% Stevia!!  But it's not.  And the Thai guberment isn't going to crash the corporate party.
So?  You can not trust labeling here.  But?  Eat healthier.  Cut sugar 100%.  Or?????  But Stevia from iHerb.com

[CanadaSam]

When I buy fruits or veggies, I always avoid "perfect" looking produce like the plague!

 

It has to have at least one or two insect bites, and be a little imperfect.

 

If insects won't eat it (due the excessive amount of chemicals on it), than I sure won't either!

[KhunLA]

@1FinickyOne

Makro having larger packaging, bulk items, the others usually don't carry.  Dairy, butter & cheese you can buy in 1/2 kg & up blocks, packs, instead of 100-200kg packs.  So much cheaper.

 

Same with spices, bags of, instead of little jars.  Cooking oils also.  Better selection of items and package sizes.

[Puccini]

On 2/18/2023 at 9:11 AM, KhunLA said:

Shows how little we buy processed foods, as not noticing the transition.  100gr sounds like a really small serving of most things.  Anything to mask the truth...

100 g (grammes, US English: grams) is not intended to represent the size of a portion. It is used as a standard to enable easy comparison between products.

 

Nota bene: gr is the abbreviation for grain, a non-metric unit of measurement of mass equal to 64.79891 milligrams.

[h90]

On 2/16/2023 at 1:52 PM, 1FinickyOne said:

Yes. I read that there are 50 different names they are using for sugar... anything ending with ose - - sure, but they get creative... we are growing many fruits and veggies at home but... it seems particularly odious when companies deliberately mislead... but yes, glasses and patience... 

Yes but not only....I eat only what I cook myself...or what my wife cooks. Just currently we have sugar at home but for years we didn't even have sugar in the kitchen

[h90]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:33 AM, KhunLA said:

"Who do you trust? "

... NO one  ...  as profits are the priority.  Reading the ingredients, and in order of % is a bit spooky at times.  Explains a lot of the health issues & size of some people.

 

Sugar not really the demon, unless one of the top 5 ingredients of 10 total.  Much better than sugar substitutes.   If more than a few grams per serving, may want to give that item a pass.  Especially since some serving sizes are ridiculously small.

 

Olive oil can be refined, without noting it is, though not entirely bad, if it actually is olive oil, but not as good either, as better version of.  Veggie oils seem to be anything, and if hydrogenated oil is listed, simply avoid.  Many of the 'all natural' ingredients, aren't exactly healthy for you, with the volume of, that is used.

 

We buy very little processed food, and most foods done in home from scratch.

 

At university we got honey for food production....that honey is not what we would imagine when we read it on the label....It is whatever they can not sell as honey...black with parts of bees in it.
My father went to a company that produces noodles with eggs (to fix some sealing problems on a machine) since than any food products with eggs were banned at home. He told it was the most disgusting thing he say in his life....

[1FinickyOne]

8 minutes ago, h90 said:

Yes but not only....I eat only what I cook myself...or what my wife cooks.

That's great - - what time is dinner served? Or would you prefer live-in? 

[1FinickyOne]

On 2/18/2023 at 6:48 PM, connda said:

Thailand isn't the US.  100% Stevia!! 

OH NO NO NO!!!

 

yes, I think I bought Stevia that was like 1 or 2% stevia... I am using Lokanta... it's expensive but it seems to work ok - monk fruit, 0 calories... 200 baht for a sneeze. 

[KhunLA]

35 minutes ago, h90 said:

At university we got honey for food production....that honey is not what we would imagine when we read it on the label....It is whatever they can not sell as honey...black with parts of bees in it.
My father went to a company that produces noodles with eggs (to fix some sealing problems on a machine) since than any food products with eggs were banned at home. He told it was the most disgusting thing he say in his life....

If you've never worked in or consistently visited some kitchens or restaurants. trust me, you'd avoid dining out.   Price and star ratings, in my experience of delivering to, the finer, higher rated restaurants were worse.

 

I worked for 1 vendor that supplied linen service, and another supplying flowers, aside from working in, and all 3 experiences were eye opening.

 

The 2 family bakeries I worked at, were actually quite good, and would expect them to not be.

 

Why we rarely dine out, and cook at home from scratch, using minimal processed food.

[JackGats]

On 2/18/2023 at 6:31 PM, ozimoron said:

Anything your body can turn into glucose contains sugar.

Google "glycemic index" and you will see that "contains sugar" is not equal to "contains carbohydrates".

 

I avoid packaged food in Thailand whenever I can. It is difficult to avoid added sugar in fresh food though. For example what about the green and red curries flavoured with coconut milk? I suspect they contain added sugar, ie not just the natural sugar content of coconut milk.

 

Sugar is cheap. Also, everywhere Thai consumers go "หวาน" with a broad smile on their face, as though this were something to celebrate and not a national health disaster worse than meth.

[h90]

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

That's great - - what time is dinner served? Or would you prefer live-in? 

I think you wouldn't like it.....when the week is busy and it is the 4th time in a row having musli or fried eggs

[h90]

1 hour ago, KhunLA said:

If you've never worked in or consistently visited some kitchens or restaurants. trust me, you'd avoid dining out.   Price and star ratings, in my experience of delivering to, the finer, higher rated restaurants were worse.

 

I worked for 1 vendor that supplied linen service, and another supplying flowers, aside from working in, and all 3 experiences were eye opening.

 

The 2 family bakeries I worked at, were actually quite good, and would expect them to not be.

 

Why we rarely dine out, and cook at home from scratch, using minimal processed food.

I don't know how it looks in restaurants, I don't want to imagine, but I don't eat outside. Many years ago I had these pickled cucumber (if it is called that way) huge glass....had it stay warm for many years and they were fresh like on the first day. Don't know how many preservatives were in it.....sure thing good to clean before a surgery but can't be healthy to eat.

[h90]

1 hour ago, JackGats said:

Google "glycemic index" and you will see that "contains sugar" is not equal to "contains carbohydrates".

 

I avoid packaged food in Thailand whenever I can. It is difficult to avoid added sugar in fresh food though. For example what about the green and red curries flavoured with coconut milk? I suspect they contain added sugar, ie not just the natural sugar content of coconut milk.

 

Sugar is cheap. Also, everywhere Thai consumers go "หวาน" with a broad smile on their face, as though this were something to celebrate and not a national health disaster worse than meth.

Meth when you buy it, you don't think it is healthy, but people who buy the "0% fat" yogurt full with sugar think it is healthy. Staff in our company: I have seen many who had diabetics at a very young age. There favorite food is that 7/11 food (without blaming 7/11 in particular, they offer what their customer demand)

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, h90 said:

Meth when you buy it, you don't think it is healthy, but people who buy the "0% fat" yogurt full with sugar think it is healthy. Staff in our company: I have seen many who had diabetics at a very young age. There favorite food is that 7/11 food (without blaming 7/11 in particular, they offer what their customer demand)

I often relate that during my visits to the States, I have a hard time getting to the full-fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese because of all the fat ladies in my way grabbing the low fat.