GMO’s Are In What!? Edition 4
GMO’s are lurking everywhere. They are popping up in places they shouldn’t be and are in foods we wouldn’t dream they would be. They seem more prevalent in foods that are targeted specifically to our children.
What the F is up with that?!
One of the first sections in the grocery store I made a bee-line to, when looking for foods to include in this series, was the baby section. As terrible as it sounds, I was sure to find loads of GMO’s hiding in the cleverly designed boxes, drawing exhausted parents that are in need of break, in.
As I scanned the section, a Gerber’s Graduates Lil’ Entree’s meal caught my eye.
“Made With Farm Grown Vegetables!”
That’s comforting, right? Farms make us feel like we are going back to our roots. The picture that has been painted in our heads of “farm” anything is something of the red barn, animals roaming freely, Farmer Jane making homemade apple pie and Farmer Ted bringing in fresh vegetables from the fields. So naturally when we see “Made with Farm Grown Vegetables” it makes us feel warm inside.
But wait, where else would vegetables be grown from? This, my friends, is an example of marketing that distracts you! It distracts you from the fact that all vegetables are grown in a garden of some sort (whether large or small scale) and distracts you from the most important thing: What is actually in the product itself. They make it seem like their product is great because the veggies are grown somewhere they should already be growing in the first place. They make it seem like vegetables are grown in labs or genetically engineered or something……
Hmmm.
So… what is in the ingredients you say? Let’s take a look.
Talk about a whole lotta junk! It’s quite a doozy trying to read the mini-novel isn’t it? I find it very sad that there are so many ingredients that have a 99.9999% chance of being genetically engineered. If you’ve read any of the previous editions, you’ll notice the same ingredients popping up: GE soy, GE corn, GE sugar all in various derivatives — this is no different!
GMO’s Are Even More Dangerous For Babies and Growing Children
Genetically modified foods are bad news in general. They are far worse when it comes to the health of babies and growing children. At the second most crucial time of a child’s life (first is pre- and during pregnancy), they need the most valuable and quality of resources in order to grow into strong, healthy beings.
Food lays the very foundation of this.
To give a growing child food filled with GMO’s, artificial colors and flavors, and animal products from unhappy, sick livestock does nothing positive for their well-being and in no way nourishes them.
According to the Institute of Responsible Technology children are more susceptible to the ill effects of GMO’s because:
- Children are more susceptible to allergies
- Children are more susceptible to problems with milk
- Children are more susceptible to nutritional problems
- Children are in danger from antibiotic resistant diseases
What To Do Instead
I know the convenience factor of these products really sell them. I get that but it can be just as easy to make your own version in big batches and it’s totally worth it! The extra hour or two out of your day to make this meal at home beats the convenience of buying it pre-made, GMO’s and all — especially when you consider how much more it is going to nourish your growing child.
You can buy a big bag of brown or white rice, make a big batch and have it for the week. You can buy yourself a whole chicken (it costs less than buying in separate pieces) and roast it. You can buy big bags of frozen organic veggies to warm up on the stove and mix with the rice. If your budget is tight, go to the dollar tree, buy tupperware and make kid sized portions for your little ones.
You can basically make the same thing, close to the same price, and without any unnecessary GMO’s and the such.