All Natural Fast Food

 

 

Fast, easy and fresh!

         If you’re anything like me, you’re increasingly seeking fresh, natural and minimally processed foods. People want to be able to read, pronounce and understand the ingredient lists on the side of packaged and fast food products.  Younger consumers are demanding farm to table meals, but they certainly don’t want to be the farmer… can you imagine me hoeing a field? Or for that matter doing anything outside in the Georgia heat and humidity beyond laying by the pool? Yeah, thought not. ;) Companies are responding to these desires by reinventing their products and marketing them as chemical free and all natural.  In the last few months there has been a surge of revisions and in less than a year, consumers will be purchasing these old favorites with a healthy twist:

 

In the next year, Kraft Dinners will no longer be made with artificial preservatives or synthetic colors.

 

Hershey recently released a statement claiming they are eliminating high fructose corn syrup from candy products.

 

Pepsi announced it is replacing the artificial sweetener aspartame with sucralose in its Diet Pepsi drink. My own version of sweet tea features a large helping of Splenda. My assistant Devin tells me it’s unhealthy, but my reply is that it killed people I’d already be dead. ;)

 

McDonald’s will no longer sell products with chicken that has been treated with human antibiotics.  McDonald’s meat supplier, Tyson Foods, will no longer use antibiotics in poultry.

 

Panera Bread plans to remove 150 artificial ingredients by 2017 including artificial sweeteners, preservatives and artificial flavors.

 

Noodles and Company announced it is eliminating all unnatural and unhealthy foods from its products.  This includes removing all artificial colors, flavors and preservatives from soups, sauces and dressings.

 

Chipotle was the one of the first major restaurants to make a commitment towards natural foods.  They have eliminated GMOs (genetically modified organisms) from all their products.

 

After a worldwide petition was signed by thousands of people, Subway agreed to remove azodicarbonamide from all its bread products.  Azodicarbonamide is a chemical also used in yoga mats and shoe rubber.

           

            Companies are clearly responding to a market that demands fresh and chemical free foods.  This change is a step in the right direction, however the products will speak for themselves.  If there is a drastic change in taste, appearance or price, consumers are likely to abandon the product and move onto unhealthier options.  My wish is that all companies will ensure that the quality and price of their product remains the same in order to keep all of us, their customers, happy and ultimately, healthy.

 

As always, love much, laugh often, eat delicious, nutritious and filling food and look fabulous while doing it all! ;) Love, Blair