Attention Why do we tolerate so much salt and sugar in every damn thing?

[Vannie]

I bought a jar of apricot preserves that was like putting a spoon full of sugar in your mouth. Becomes acidic.....blech!


I would buy so many more products with less sodium and sugar in them. Grrrrrr.

 

[Vannie]

Bonne Manan from France.

 

[unloadonme]

That's a good question in general, but I think the whole idea of jam is that it has a lot of sugar in it. For that reason, it's best spread on scones or whatever rather than eaten by the spoonful straight from the jar.

 

[me203]

What? You bought apricot preserves. They were out of cabbage jam?

 

[me203]

In general, a lot of products have sugar added to make it more addictive and thus generate sales. Plus I think past this, sugar probably gets used to try to make not very good products more appealing. There may be some other variable at work, but I've noticed that low sugar mass market bread seems to taste noticeable worse than a mass market bread with higher sugar content.

 

[rareboy]

You are asking someone who just downed a can of coke for breakfast?

 

[Dargelos]

Sugar and salt are extenders, cheap ingredients used to cover up the low quality of processed food. Bulking out products in this way used to be called adulteration. Adulterers were once sent to prison, today we let them become billionaires instead.

 

[Alistair]

Try buying a premade barbecue sauce that doesn’t have 50% of your sugar intake, and they’re all loaded with salt. Same thing for salad dressings and tomato sauce

 

[rareboy]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[Norri]

As long as food is sold by weight it will contain more salt and sugar than it should.

 

[Kahaih]

Try buying a premade barbecue sauce that doesn’t have 50% of your sugar intake, and they’re all loaded with salt. Same thing for salad dressings and tomato sauce

LOL @ 50% of your sugar intake

Honestly, most people who buy/eat barbecue sauce are three times my size and less than a quarter as physically active as I am.

I think the sizes of our 50%s might be different.

 

[BiBtm64]

I guess fruit preserve, like jam, would be expected to be made with sugar. You don't have to tolerate salt and sugar in everything if you prefer to eat food fresh and unprocessed. You could consider buying the apricots fresh and eating them as they are. You're only getting extra sugar because you're paying someone to chop them, stew them, and put them in a jar for you.

 

[NotHardUp1]

I remember trying Polaner All-Fruit and it seemed too bland.

As for too much sugar, I'm more concerned that companies are cutting corners to save on shipping costs for sugar and are adding artificial sweeteners to the sugar, which is not OK.

That said, I agree they pump too much sugar into many products. The oversalted I tend to miss as I don't buy much canned or snack chips, or prepared frozen foods.

 

[me203]

As for too much sugar, I'm more concerned that companies are cutting corners to save on shipping costs for sugar and are adding artificial sweeteners to the sugar, which is not OK.

I think I've also seen plenty of products that proudly claim to be "low sugar." I look at the label, and see that yes, there is less added sugar. But they make up for it with adding artificial sweetener.

I don't view sugar as a health promoting choice; however, I feel more comfortable with it than I do with artificial sweetener.

 

[lockeroomguy]

Salt, sugar and fat are the three ingredients that food producers, and restaurants use to make food taste better, at minimal cost. If you check food labels, like I do, you'll find low fat foods loaded with salt, and low salt food loaded with calories.
The good news is that these are acquired tastes, that can be reversed. I have followed a low salt diet for decades. At first everything tasted bland, but after a month or two, everything tasted great again. Now, if I do accidentally eat something with a lot of salt, it tastes disgusting.

 

[Peloso]

Food manufacturers have been gradually inching up the sugar levels over the years. Back in the days when I ate like a goat, I used to love those Celeste pizzas for one. Feeling nostalgic, I bought one about a month ago and I couldn't believe how much sweeter it was. And smaller.

You could do worse than Bonne Manan. At least they don't use high fructose corn syrup and all sorts of other thickeners and preservatives. Plus the jar it comes in is good for repurposing. I've found that any more than half a teaspoon overwhelms toast or peanut butter with its sweetness so I only use a tiny bit. I found Polander to be bland as well. Fruit spreads need to be sweet. I think if you made preserves at home you'd be disheartened at how much sugar you'd need to add to make it taste right.

At least I don't eat Campbell's tomato soup anymore. That used to be my go-to nom nom yum yum comfort food until I took a step back and realized I was adding like 20 tablespoons of salt to combat the taste of the sugar they dump into it. It's got as much sugar as a fucking can of soda.

 

[me203]

I bought one about a month ago and I couldn't believe how much sweeter it was. And smaller.

Not surprising. The only thing that might get larger is claimed penis sizes on hookup sites.

I think if you made preserves at home you'd be disheartened at how much sugar you'd need to add to make it taste right.

I don't think it would be just for taste, but at one time, I think the high sugar content helped act as a preservative back when homemade preserves were only put into clean jars that were capped off by melted wax.

At least I don't eat Campbell's tomato soup anymore.

This was one of the regular weekend lunches that my mother served me. There have been times in recent years I've gotten a can out of nostalgia. But it's been a while--simply because I take one look at the nutrition label and think: I don't need all that sugar!

Being fair, I've noticed that Progresso Tomato has its fair share of added sugar.

 

[me203]

I don't think I'd ever be interested in even trying Polaner All Fruit. It would feel canabalistic...

 

[me203]

Meanwhile, the people in my private life--the two I know who still haven't bolted--are encouraging me to eat as much sugar laden food as possible. They are hoping that it is true that you are what you eat! And thus I'll become sugar sweet.

 

[Peloso]

Meanwhile, the people in my private life--the two I know who still haven't bolted--are encouraging me to eat as much sugar laden food as possible. They are hoping that it is true that you are what you eat! And thus I'll become sugar sweet.

Nah you'll just get diabetic. A better way would be to scatter ten pounds of powdered sugar on the floor, get all wet, and roll around in it.