South Beach Diet Vending Machine :

If you ever wanted proof of the commercial juggernaut that is called dieting - this is it.

Kraft Foods is rolling out a vending machine stocked with South Beach Diet branded food.

Apparently the machines are already in service in Florida. The machines are only stocked with foods that are compliant with the Arthur Agatston's South Beach Diet.

This includes: Planters nuts, Breakstone's low-fat cottage cheese, Crystal Light drinks, Jell-O sugar-free gelatin snacks, Nabisco Wheat Thins and the new South Beach Diet lunch wraps.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Maybe some would argue that this is a healthier option over traditional vending machine fare - but the principles behind such initiatives have very little to do with healthy weight management.

How about I finish with a list of ingredients for the South Beach Dietâ„¢ Refrigerated Wrap Kit Turkey & Bacon Club (Phase 2 and 3)? ( source ).

OVEN ROASTED TURKEY BREAST - CURED - TURKEY BREAST, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF MODIFIED CORN STARCH, SALT, SUGAR, SODIUM LACTATE, POTASSIUM LACTATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE (MADE FROM SUGAR), SODIUM NITRITE. SUGAR FREE STRAWBERRY GELATIN - ARTIFICIALLY FLAVORED - WATER, GELATIN, ADIPIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), SODIUM CITRATE (CONTROLS ACIDITY), CITRIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), ASPARTAME** AND ACESULFAME POTASSIUM (SWEETENERS), SALT, RED 40, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR. **PHENYLKETONURICS: CONTAINS PHENYLALANINE. WHEAT TORTILLAS - WATER, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, VITAL WHEAT GLUTEN, PALM OIL, CELLULOSE POWDER, WHEAT PROTEIN ISOLATE, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE), CELLULOSE GUM, DISTILLED MONOGLYCERIDES, WHEAT STARCH, ALPHA AMYLASE, PRESERVATIVES (CALCIUM PROPIONATE, SORBIC ACID, FUMARIC ACID, SODIUM METABISULFITE), CANOLA OIL, TRIGLYCERIDES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CARAMEL COLOR, SUCRALOSE. CHEESE BLEND - 2% MILK NATURAL REDUCED FAT MOZZARELLA CHEESE (PASTEURIZED PART-SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES, VITAMIN A PALMITATE), NATURAL NONFAT CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED SKIM MILK AND MILK, SALT, YEAST*, CHEESE CULTURE, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, NATURAL FLAVOR*, ENZYMES, VITAMIN A PALMITATE), POTATO STARCH, WATER, CELLULOSE POWDER (ANTICAKING AGENT), CALCIUM SULFATE, SALT, NATAMYCIN (A NATURAL MOLD INHIBITOR). *INGREDIENT NOT IN REGULAR CHEDDAR CHEESE. LIGHT MAYONNAISE - WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH*, EGG YOLKS, VINEGAR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, EGGS, MUSTARD FLOUR, WITH POTASSIUM SORBATE* AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA AS PRESERVATIVES, PHOSPHORIC ACID*, DL-ALPHA TOCOPHERYL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), OLEORESIN PAPRIKA, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, PHYLLOQUINONE (VITAMIN K1) *INGREDIENT NOT NORMALLY FOUND IN MAYONNAISE. BACON BITS - HICKORY SMOKE FLAVOR ADDED - BACON (CURED WITH WATER, SALT, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE [MADE FROM SUGAR], SODIUM NITRITE), HICKORY SMOKE FLAVOR.

Remember the days when we would pick an apple from a tree in the back yard? What happened?

Continue reading »