Fake Phood Friday: Miracle Whip

Miracle Whip – is it food or “phood”? Did Miracle Whip grow in the ground?  Did it come from a river or a farm? Please don’t feel I’m insulting your intelligence here, as we both know the answer to these questions is NO, absolutely not. Now you might like Miracle Whip in your tuna or chicken salad sandwich but if you are motivated to get healthier, perhaps lose some weight, then start simple by eating real food and ease the toxic burden of preservatives, additives and bad fats on your body.

I am featuring Miracle Whip on my first edition of FAKE PHOOD FRIDAY because it has been sold for over 70 years now, and in the year 2000, it was one of the top 20 brands of anything sold in North American grocery stores.

Let’s review a few of the ingredients of Miracle Whip (Calorie Wise):

Water, soybean oil, glucose-fructose, vinegar, sugar, modified cornstarch, salt, whole egg, egg yolk, corn dextrin, mustard, colour, microcrystalline cellulose, potassium sorbate, spices, xanthan gum, calcium disodium EDTA, dried garlic, modified coconut oil or modified palm kernel oil.

Note: Ingredients are listed from the largest quantity to the smallest.

There’s more ingredients listed here than the number of items it takes to make a turkey dinner for 20 people! If you follow my guidelines for eating real food, this doesn’t pass the test. Wonder what all these ingredients are?

Soybean oil: Second to water, soybean oil makes up the majority of Miracle Whip’s ingredients. According to GMO has NOT been proven safe for human consumption – avoid please! Bit of background on soy: Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is among the largest processors of soybeans and soy products. ADM along with DOW, DuPont and Monsanto support the industry trade associations United Soybean Board (USB) and Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA). These trade associations have increased the consumption of soy products dramatically in recent years. The dramatic increase is largely credited to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of health claims for soy which very likely is unfounded. Since the bulk of the soy grown in the US is GMO variety, the chief beneficiaries of the increase are the biotech seed companies. Dr. Jane E. Henney who was the FDA commissioner at the time, now sits on the board of biotech giant Astra Zeneca. Many top agency officials from the Bush Administration, have been under criticism for close ties to industry and possible financial conflicts of interest. The former USDA Secretary of Agriculture, Daniel Robert Glickman, also left to accept seats on the boards of soy related companies including Hain Foods.

From 2001 to 2004, food manufacturers in the US introduced over 1600 new foods with soy as an ingredient, averaging 400 new products per year, according to the Mintel’s Global New Products Database. From 1992 to 2003, soyfoods sales have experienced a 15% compound annual growth rate, increasing from $300 million to $3.9 billion over 11 years, as new soyfood categories have been introduced, soyfoods have been repositioned in the market place, and new customers have selected soy for health and philosophical reasons. Dramatic growth followed the FDA approval of a health claim linking soy, and soybean oils, with heart disease reduction.

Remember, the problem is that cooking soybean oil turns it into a rancid fat. In short, soybean oil is the furthest ingredient from healthy. If you eat any fast food, you are getting a heavy dose of it as well. If you want more information about processed soy (and there’s plenty more, but I need to move on to the next ingredient) please read this article by Mike Adams on articles . By the way, I do not recommend agave anymore – if you watch my video for sugar alternatives I have agave listed. The newest research has exposed the processing of most agave brands and it is very high in fructose, which is as damaging to our health, as high fructose corn syrup.

Calcium disodium EDTA: EDTA stands for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. It is added as a preservative to prevent the colour from turning. Harmful to our health? I haven’t a clue, because I’m not a scientist. I have a real food rule, I don’t eat foods with ingredients I can barely pronounce, common sense really. Were are great-grandparents eating these types of phoods? No way!

Now I realize that many of you might use Miracle Whip, so here’s a healthy and yummy alternative made with real ingredients!

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks*

2 tablespoons mustard

Dash salt and pepper

Squirt of lemon juice

1 to 1 1/2 cups organic sunflower oil (dark glass bottle)

Method: Put ingredients in blender, and blend slowly, adding oil until you have desired consistency.

*RAW EGG WARNING: Use caution in consuming raw eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, certified organic, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

If you want to avoid raw eggs, you could always make a zingy zip with yogurt, lemon, garlic and dill.