Let's Talk About Dates...the small, brown, oval-shaped dates that grow on palm trees

Benefits of Dates

With Valentine’s Day nicely tucked away for another year I thought it would be a good time to talk about dates.  No, not the date who showered you with good food, chocolates and red wine on February 14th, but the small, brown, oval-shaped dates that grow on date palm trees.

What Are Modified Milk Ingredients?

This package of cheese has "no modified milk ingredients"

“And, it’s made with real liquid milk,” said the elderly woman in a chef’s hat and apron at the grocery store.  

She handed me a small, free sample of Monterey Jack cheese produced by a Canadian cheese company. 

 “And, it has no modified milk ingredients in it.” She added.

“Oh really?” I said. “And what exactly are modified milk ingredients?”  

“Oh, it’s kinda like a paste or a powder, but not liquid milk.” 

Hmmm….not exactly a scientific answer, but my curiosity was piqued so I headed out to discover exactly what modified milk ingredients were and if I should be eating them.

A Food Paradox

How Food Packaging Is Misleading

We all know how to eat well. Everyday we are reminded how by the media, the health experts and even the food packaging. Walk down any grocery store aisle and you will be bombarded with food products screaming healthy messages: low fat, transfat free, low sodium, natural, light, 0 calories, whole grains, fibre!  It's all so confusing and at times often hard to believe.  

For instance, let’s take Froot Loops, a popular breakfast cereal. The packaging says it is “made with whole grain and a source of fibre,” plus it is blessed with having “natural fruit flavours.”  I have often wondered how or what could be natural about brightly coloured lifesaver shaped cereal that appears to be coated in sugar.  It’s paradoxical to me so I decided to buy a box to experience the ‘natural fruit flavour’ taste. 
  

Full disclosure, I do not eat cereal. I overdosed on the stuff as a kid, but for this paradoxical experiment I was willing to chow down on some.  

I poured the breakfast cereal into a white round bowl and I must admit, they were colourful, like the rainbow - orange, rose, natural (or was that yellow) and green.  

First I tried the green loop. I’m not sure what flavour green was trying to be, it was kinda like me trying to grow vegetables and not quite succeeding but getting an E for effort (good try green!)

The rose was faintly like cherry. I was hoping the purple  would be grape (my favourite flavour), but it was like opening up a birthday present expecting money but getting a t-shirt…a slight disappointment (nice attempt purple!)