"Cleaning" the Kitchen (Part 1)

When my brothers and I visit our parents, we typically open the pantry door and stand there staring at all of their food.  We do this regardless of hunger, we just do it.  I haven't figured out if it is habit (all those teenage years when we were STARVING and there was NOTHING to eat) or if we are just curious.  When O and I visited my parents a few weeks ago, I found myself staring in their pantry for a completely different reason.  I wanted to see what kind of food they were eating.  You see, I care about my parents and I want them around for years to come so I care about what they eat.  I also care about what they feed O when he is visiting.  I've spoken with my mom several times about switching to whole foods and she always reminds me that they eat healthy but living in a very small town in west Texas it is difficult to find good food.  Standing in my mom's kitchen I took it upon myself to "clean" her kitchen and show her that even she can eat clean food.  I started with her spices.  

Spices?  Really?  

I started with spices because they are easy to replace and it is amazing what you will find if you just pay attention to the labels.  For example, my moms' favorite 'spice' is Season Salt (Seasoning Salt, Seasoned Salt, etc.).  I noticed she put it on some vegetables we had for lunch one day, I had not looked at the label yet, but knew I probably wouldn't like it.  Here are the ingredients found in one brand of Season Salt

Ingredients: Salt, Spices (including Chili Pepper, Black Pepper, Celery Seed, Nutmeg, and Coriander [Cilantro]), Onion, Paprika, Maltodextrin, Garlic, Silicon Dioxide (added to make free flowing) and Annatto (color).   I was good until we got to Maltodextrin.  Here is what I did and what I suggest to anyone who is learning about real food.

1. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, look it up.  It’s amazing how much information we have at our fingertips these days, you really should take advantage of technology.  Run a Google search or use Wikipedia. 

2. If you find an ingredient you prefer to keep out of your body, run another Google search to see if there are alternatives.  You may also find alternatives on Pinterest.  Usually there are homemade alternatives, but you may find another alternative that you can buy at the store. 

Let’s do this with the ingredients in Season Salt. 

1. I can’t readily tell you what MALTODEXTRIN is, so I want to look it up.  Wikipedia says maltodextrin is absorbed in the body as glucose (a simple sugar).  In the US it is typically made from corn (a GMO crop in the US).  It’s not terrible, but it is highly processed and acts like sugar when it enters the body.  Not something I am thrilled with.  What is SILICON DIOXIDE?  Well, according to Wikipedia “Silica is used primarily in the production of glass for windows, drinking glasses, beverage bottles, and many other uses. The majority of optical fibers for telecommunications are also made from silica. It is a primary raw material for many ceramics such as earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain”.  It also is a “common additive in the production of foods, where it is used primarily as a flow agent in powdered foods, or to absorb water in hygroscopic applications. It is the primary component of diatomaceous earth, which has many uses ranging from filtration to insect control. It is also the primary component of rice husk ash, which is used, for example, in filtration and cement manufacturing”.  No thank you!  I’ll say, “No” to my family eating Silicon Dioxide.   Finally, what is ANNATTO?  Annatto is a plant used as a ‘natural’ food coloring.  I choose not to eat food with annatto as an ingredient.  There has not been enough research on this ‘natural’ coloring and some resources suggest it may be a carcinogen.  

2. Find an alternative….click here for one of many homemade alternatives to packaged season salt.  I made this for my mom and she said she liked it even better.

What about Lemon Pepper?  Just thinking about it one would assume it is lemon and pepper, but here are the ingredients from McCormick’s Lemon & Pepper Seasoning.  SALT, SPICES (INCLUDING BLACK PEPPER), CITRUS ACID, ONION, SUGAR, GARLIC, CALCIUM STEARATE, CALCIUM SILICATE, AND SILICON DIOXIDE (ANTICAKING AGENTS), AND EXTRACTIVES OF LEMON AND TURMERIC.

1. Let’s look up calcium stearate.  According to Wikipedia, applications for Calcium Stearate include: Calcium stearate is used as a flow agent in powders including some foods (such as Smarties), a surface conditioner in hard candies such as Sprees, a waterproofing agent for fabrics, a lubricant in pencils and crayons.  The concrete industry uses calcium stearate for efflorescence control of cementitious products used in the production of concrete masonry units i.e. paver and block, as well as waterproofing.  In paper production, calcium stearate is used as a lubricant to provide good gloss, preventing dusting and fold cracking in paper and paperboard making. In plastics, it can act as an acid scavenger or neutralizer at concentrations up to 1000ppm, a lubricant and a release agent. It may be used in plastic colorant concentrates to improve pigment wetting. In rigid PVC, it can accelerate fusion, improve flow, and reduce die swell. Applications in the personal care and pharmaceutical industry include tablet mold release, anti-tack agent, and gelling agent. Calcium stearate is a component in some types of defoamers.  Ummm, no thank you!  Let’s look at calcium silicate.  According to Wikipedia, “Calcium silicate is commonly used as a safe alternative to asbestos for high temperature insulation materials. Industrial grade piping and equipment insulation is often fabricated from calcium silicate.   One of the most successful materials in fireproofing in Europe is calcium silicate”.  Again, no thank you! 

2. I found an alternative to McCormick’s Lemon & Pepper Seasoning.  This recipe may be a little time consuming, but it looks delicious.  Yumm…

Can you believe what is put in our spices?  Makes you wonder what else we are eating, doesn’t it?  When you are going through your spices, look at all of them.  We had to throw out chili powder, cinnamon, and other spices at my mom’s house.  She and my dad were shocked, but love the alternatives we found just the same, if not more.

Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 of “Cleaning” the Kitchen.  I’ll explore my mother’s refrigerator and pantry.  Until then, happy clean eating!  

If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Take care,

Cyndi