Week 33: Juice

Last week I posted about an article that I came across.  It was about fresh squeezed/not from concentrate juice being de-oxygenated (to extend its life span) and reflavored with "flavor packets" containing orange oil and other things.  There are even different flavor packets depending on which part of the country you live in as taste preferences of the South may not be the same as the Midwest.  Good grief!  Can food producers stop tampering with our food?

We aren't huge juice consumers in our house.  I usually reserve it for a breakfast with the daycare kids and my kids will share the little bit that is left.  We do that once a week or even every other week. It's not like we're using a gallon a week or anything, it's more just the idea that another thing that I thought was ok, really isn't.

For those occasions I want or need juice, I will have to make my own (my girls love to make orange juice anyway).  I think this will end up being one of those changes where we just refrain from juice altogether rather than go through the task of making our own.  We'll see.

You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!

Are you a person who buys the "not from concentrate" orange juice expecting to get a healthier "fresh squeezed" product?  I am... well, was.  It appears that fresh squeezed orange juice is far from fresh and is loaded with flavorings and chemicals.  This article, featured on Health Impact Daily News uncovers the truth about OJ (and other 100% juices).

It just goes to show that unless you can see your food being produced, you cannot trust that it really is what it says it is.  We don't drink much juice.  I buy a bottle a week for the daycare kids.  My kids will usually drink the leftovers though.

I think I'll be making my own juice if I get a hankering for it.  I wonder how many oranges it would take to make half a gallon of juice.  I'm off to Google that one!