On literally thousands of ingredients lists that you will find on cracker boxes, cereal boxes, pasta boxes, etc., you will find the first ingredient to be: Enriched wheat flour. Sound familiar? It should, as it takes up the bulk of food consumption in America. So what is exactly "enriched flour"?
"Enriched wheat flour" is flour that has been stripped of its nutrients and subsequently has nutrients infused back into it. Simply put, it is processed dough that has no nutritional value. Your body also processes it like sugar and it turns into fat. Or dough. Either way.
I know having snacks around for the kids, etc. usually means that this is probably a staple of the American cupboard. Even though you may be buying snacks at the natural food store that are "better" than those you'd find at a conventional store....it still pays to read the ingredient list.
Typically you will still find enriched wheat flour as the first ingredient, regardless of the fact that the snacks may be more "natural". Natural, is a term that is used very loosely by the FDA. There is not much regulation on it!
Again, your best bet is to buy things that really don't have an ingredients list. Our family is by no means perfect and we face the same struggles as all other families. Sometimes I throw my hands in the air about it. But for the most part, trying to keep snacks around with denser nutrient and satiety value seems to keep all the peripheral temptations at bay....at least until the next sleep-over or birthday party! ugg.
Small steps for yourself and your family. Keep it up!
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