Everything about the Kellogg's Kashi brand screams "natural," from its name, to its packaging and marketing. Oh, not to mention that it says right on the front of many Kashi products "all-natural." One would assume that the ingredients going into Kashi products would be just that—natural. Apparently not. Recently, a photo was taken of a sign that was put up in a grocery store in Portsmouth, Rhode Island stating:
"You might be wondering where your favorite Kashi cereals have gone. It has recently come to our attention that 100% of the soy used in Kashi products is genetically modified, and that when the USDA tested the grains used there were found to be pesticides that are known carcinogens and hormone disruptors."
This is what prompted the Kashi Controversy.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) foods, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) are "foods derived from organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally." What's blatantly obvious here is that GMO foods are NOT all-natural. Sorry Kashi.
The purpose of growing genetically modified crops was initially to improve crop protection against common plant diseases caused by insects or viruses and for increased tolerance of herbicides. Because genetic modification of crops is a fairly new science, the long-term, potential harmful, health effects are unknown. Slightly scary.
Out of the 97 products that Kashi has listed on its website, only 7 of those products (cereals) contain the non-GMO verified seal and only 4 products are certified organic. Yet most of the products contain the "all-natural" claim. Deceiving? To most people, yes.
The sad truth is, that the claim "all-natural" means nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip. It's an unregulated claim Kashi (and many other companies) use to justify jacking up their prices and to tug on the heartstrings of health-conscious consumers. Here is an interesting video that explains the difference between "natural" and "organic."
Kashi argues that more than 80% of crops grown in North America are grown using GMOs. They explain that because GMOs are not controlled well, and due to "pollen drift" from neighboring crops or contamination during shipping and storage of crops, it is likely that some Kashi products DO contain GMOs. Fair enough. But it seems like Kashi is making up excuses—they're not being 100% transparent about the ingredients that go into their products. Here's a video of Kashi's General Manager trying to cover his ass.
How do we know that Kashi products DO contain GMOs?
The Cornucopia Institute took a box of Kashi's Go Lean cereal off the shelf of a grocery store, sent it to an nationally accredited lab and had it tested. The result? The soy in this Kashi cereal DID contain 100% GMOs AND pesticide residues. Not cool Kashi.
Ok, to be fair to Kashi, its Non-GMO Project sounds promising. By 2014, Kashi promises that all of their "Go-Lean" cereals and Chewy granola bars will be free of GMOs (note: non-GMO foods don't necessarily mean organic). Also, I have yet to find another granola bar that contains as much protein and fibre and as little sugar as Kashi's Chewy granola bars. They actually make for an easy semi-healthy snack...if you don't mind the genetically modified and non-organic ingredients that is.
Part of Kashi's allure is that most of the products are fairly high in protein. This protein is mostly coming from soy. Soybeans are often highly contaminated with potentially harmful pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals. That is why it's important to buy certified organic soy products whenever possible. To that end, I fault myself for not scouring the label well enough when buying Kashi products.
The bottom line—decide what is important for you and your family and read the label!
Don't be fooled by products that claim to be "all natural" or to have "all-natural ingredients." This does not mean that they are organic, free of genetic modification, or chemical-free. In fact, it doesn't mean anything. If eating organic, chemical- free foods is important to you (and within your budget), look for the USDA Organic symbol or the Canada Organic symbol on your foods or purchase foods that you know are produced organically at your local farmers market or straight from an organic farm. If all you want is to buy nutritious foods for your family, regardless if they are organic or not, avoid paying a premium price for "natural" products that may be identical to the generic and less expensive product right beside it.
I hate to admit it, but when I first started hearing about hemp seeds, I silently judged them. Or maybe I just ignored them. I assumed that they were only consumed by hippies and that they were a passing trend. Sort of like those hemp bracelets and necklaces that we used to make in high school. Well, I've now given them a chance and I'm glad that I did. They're tasty, healthy and easy. Oh, and they were also on sale at Costco and who can pass up a good Costco sale?
Health Benefits:
Even though I couldn't find any studies defending the long-term health benefits of hemp seeds, what's known is that they possess many healthy characteristics. I also discovered that these seeds have been consumed by many great civilizations, such as Egypt, Persia, China and India, since the beginning of recorded history!
Healthy fat: The oil from hemp seeds provides both essential fatty acids needed for health, Linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids (Omega 6 and Omega 3) and in a healthy ratio. The ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids is about 3:1 which is recognized as the ideal healthy ratio of these fats by the World Health Organization (WHO). In North America, we rely too much on processed oils and foods which render our average "healthy fat ratio" 10:1 or higher (not so good).
Complete source of protein: There are only a few select plant sources of protein that provide the full myriad of amino acids needed to render them a complete and high quality source of protein, and hemp is one of them. Hemp seeds contain about 3.5 grams of protein per tablespoon, which is comparable to that in soy beans. Protein is an essential part of a healthy meal or snack and helps to keep you fuller longer.
Possible substitute for more allergenic foods: For someone who is allergic or intolerant to foods like milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, gluten or wheat, hemp seeds and other hemp foods may serve as a healthy alternative. Hemp Hearts can replace peanuts or tree nuts, hemp milk can replace milk or soy milk (although not as high in protein), hemp seed butter can replace peanut butter or other tree nut butters, and hemp protein powder could replace dairy or soy protein powders. Also, because hemp seeds are gluten-free, hemp flour could be used as a substitute in baking!
Easy, tasty and versatile: I've been sprinkling hemp hearts on my yogurt and oatmeal which is a nice change from the ground flax that I usually use. They add a pleasant nutty, sunflower seed-like flavor. I find them super easy to use. They don't need any cooking or preparation- just simply add to cereals, smoothies, yogurt, soups, salads, casseroles or to baking! Store them in your fridge in a sealed bag or container to prevent rancidity. Hemp can also be found in different forms such as cold-pressed hemp seed oil, hemp flour, hemp seeds butter (like peanut butter) and hemp protein powder.
Fibre and other nutrients: Hemp seeds contain about 1 gram of fibre per tablespoon, which isn't extremely high, but better than nothing. If you're consuming 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts per day, this would contribute to about 5-8% of your daily fibre needs (based on Dietary Intake Recommendations of 25-38 grams of fibre per day for adults). Hemps seed hearts are also a source of phytonutrients (including phytosterols), Vitamin E, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
Environmentally Friendly: The hemp crop requires few pesticides and no herbicides. This is good news for the environment and for us!
They do NOT make you high: Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on who you're talking to), hemp seeds don't possess any of the psychoactive compounds that are present in marijuana. You know, the ones that make you high. Sigh... (of relief or sadness, depending on who you're talking to).
What hemp products have you tried?
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