David Zinczenko, in his Eat This, Not That newsletter for Men's Health magazine, has some fun digging around in the ingredients lists of some common foods in this article.
"Simpler is always better. Think about it. Would you rather have your job made simpler, or more complicated? How about your relationship? Your finances? Those instructions to assembling your new IKEA bookshelf?"
The same goes for food. Take Nacho Cheese Doritos, which contain 39 different ingredients, when it takes only about three ingredients to make a regular tortilla chip.
Or my favorite of his examples, Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza. He counts 64 ingredients in the pizza, "and an astounding 24 in the ground beef alone." One of those 24 is silicon dioxide, otherwise known as sand.
A good reminder to pay attention to what we're eating. He recommends we all eat at home tonight.
For another perspective on this topic, read my interview with Marion Nestle titled "Eat Real Food" in our World Ark Summer 2010 issue set to hit mailboxes any day now. You can also find the article online here.
Also, check out Nestle's blog for daily updates on food topics.
