Aaaaaaaaaaaargh, do they have to put sugar in everything??? page 2

[feedxyzok]

yeah,i think so,It has sadly become the norm for chicken, but this was the first time I've seen it in beef.thank you

[Wildrose]

*shrugs* Sugar is a preservative and tastes good. So yeah, it gets into everything. Sorry.

[sarahelyse]

Sugar is a preservative and tastes good.

I didn't realize sugar was a preservative. I thought it would encourage the growth of bacteria instead of inhibit it, since its easy to break down for energy.

[Zanna]

Well no, sugar is a preservative. I found that out when I started to make jam for canning, and found that the Blue Ball book recommends a crap ton of sugar in everything, because it makes the jam safe to can. I found recipes that don't use pectin and use much less sugar, but that definitely makes the process more complex. My recipes basically use far less sugar, natural pectin from apples and lemon juice to mimic the preservatives you get from a crapton of sugar and powdered pectin.

[magnolia1973]

I like Trader Joe's because my alternatives are too expensive. If I shop Earth Fare and Whole Foods for my whole list, the bill is $150 and up. Harris Teeter is about $125 (and not as good quality produce as TJ's which is sad), TJ's is about $100. I'm looking forward to Publix.

TJ's produce is OK- they have shredded brussel sprouts, bagged spinach and chard for cheap, small sweet potatoes, cheap avocados. They also have Applegate Farms about priced about 25% less than other places. Cheap nuts. And then a lot of stuff I just walk on by.

[pguidry]

I have TJ's, Fresh Market, and Publix. TJ's is the only one that carries grass fed beef steaks. I think Publix has bison. I think all the bacon I saw at TJ's was cured with sugar.

[butterphly01]

I get so frustrated about sugar in everything too. I got a jar of roasted red peppers from Trader Joe's only to find it had sugar as an ingredient. I did find dried blueberries at my local health food store with no added sugar, but they are expensive. I usually do the primal energy bars with fruit juice-sweetened cranberries. Cheaper than blueberries, and easier to find.

[Rich Capalbo]

I am not impressed at all with Trader Joe's ... am I the only one? I hadnt been to one in probably a decade but went to a new one today. They are great with their prepackaged snacky foods...and those seem to take center stage...even the GF selections were sorely lacking.

All we go for is deals on wine.

[JoanieL]

My biggest bzitch with TJ's was that too often, I'd find something that was a good deal and healthy, only to have it discontinued. I think the straw for me was when they discontinued frozen squid rings (just frozen squid cut into rings), but still had the packaged breaded ones. Bleh.

I agree that it's a good place for wine.

Yes, sugar is in everyfreakinthing. Sugar + fat + salt = supertasting addictive food-type product.

[ChocoTaco369]

I've been eating some smoked salmon (wild) and checked the Nova salmon... sugar

Yes. You have to put sugar when curing. In order to cure things properly, you need a salt/sugar balance. It is absolutely integral unless you want to get sick from improperly cured fish.

How do salt and sugar prevent microbial spoilage?: Scientific American

Besides, the amount of sugar is so low, it's completely inconsequential.

Then I looked at 3 different brands of dried blueberries to make the Primal Energy Bars - all had sugar or sucrose added.

Purchase a small food dehydrator. They're pretty cheap.

Ultimately, you're complaining about the use of small amounts of sugar in processed foods. Trader Joe's isn't out to make paleo/primal food. They are a grocery alternative for the average consumer that still wants premade food but with better ingredients. They don't use HFCS, they are non-GMO and don't have any added colors or chemicals in any of their foods. It is in their business model to supply processed food, but at least it is all recognizable. Use Trader Joe's for where it shines - their astounding and reasonably priced nut aisle, their dirt cheap Kerrygold butter, their very inexpensive bagged greens, their reasonably priced oraganic fruits, their inexpensive wild caught frozen fish and their dirt cheap and phenomenal cheese selection. I also love their heavy cream because, damn it, it's pure heavy cream with no additives and is pasteurized, not ultra-pasteurized so you can churn your own butter - for $2.49!