HFCS? That is High Fructose Corn Syrup. I would have put it in the title of this post, but I didn’t want to make the ingredient list too-oo long.
So, for Lent us occasional Roman Catholics occasionally give up something that is valuable to us. The idea of fasting, on a different type of scale. You have to lose the meat on Fridays (whoops) and my brother gives up soda, or is it caffeine, for the past several Lents (he really needs to try something different one of these times).
I thought I would try and give up High Fructose Corn Syrup this year for Lent. I am doing it for several reasons. One is to follow my occasional Catholic thoughts. Another reason is for the health benefits (natural versus un-natural consumption of food). The final reason is for the challenge of it, and as you can guess, it is a bit of a challenge.
So, no soda? I thought yes, except for Sierra Mist, which I think is always ‘natural’ now. But my wonderful Melody bought me Mountain Dew Throwback and Pepsi Throwback, which are both made with sugar instead of HFCS. A little different taste (I prefer the HFCS version) but mostly the same.
But no normal ketchup. That means no fast food sandwiches. Except for the Fish sandwich. I thought I was safe here, after checking the ingredient list of tartar sauce. However, Melody told me to check the bun, and sure enough, there is HFCS in the bun! Why? They already put sugar in, couldn’t just a little more sugar be added? I guess not. So, my normal fast food intake has been greatly reduced the past few weeks (darn those online menus and ingredient lists).
Some foods are just impossible to know, like if I go to a Supper Club type of place and order some food. I stay away from the burgers (ketchup, barbecue sauce), but I can get a hot dog with mustard, and I can get my steak with A1 (the A1 is key, ’cause that is how I eat my burgers at home, with mustard and A1, since I was old enough to make my own burgers).
The challenge continues. Luckily, I haven’t found any alcohol with HFCS yet!