What common food additives do you avoid and why?

submitted by [deleted] from self.AskSaidIt

I mainly try to avoid aspartame. This stuff gives me headaches, increases my appetite and makes me feel like absolute garbage.

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[–]jet199 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (7 children)

All sweeteners. All soya. All vegetable oil except olive or coconut oils. I just try to cook from scratch as much as possible (and that's not American cook from scratch where you add a packet of ranch seasoning and onion powder rather than the onion).

[–]Musky 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (6 children)

No soy sauce 😮

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

As much as I try to avoid say, I do enjoy a bit of soy sauce with Asian dishes. I don't understand why soy and palm oil has to be in everything these day though, like in chocolate.

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Coconut aminos are a good alternative to soy sauce, though a little pricy. Less sodium and a little more sweet.

[–]Musky 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Gross, it's too sweet. I'd use Worcestershire, anchovy paste, or just MSG instead, but those don't replace soy sauce as a dipping sauce. You know I don't like fish sauce, but that'd be an option otherwise too for cooking.

This actually looks like it may be a perfect replacement: TAKAHASHI fava beans SHOYU, perfect soy sauce taste, Soy Sauce Alternative – https://a.co/d/gqjtH5q pricey mf tho

[–][deleted] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I don't think it's too sweet, a lot of dipping sauce recipes using soy sauce call for added sugar.

[–]jet199 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Soya isn't an additive in soy sauce. It's it main ingredient.

[–]Musky 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I'm aware, but it's the most useful form of soy. Not eating tofu is easy, but soy sauce is so common in savory dishes. Mexican dishes don't taste right without the soy sauce / Knorr bouillon that is so commonly used in their country imo, to say nothing of asian cooking.

[–]Musky 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

I just learned about this one, and I don't know how common it is, but interesterified fats. They're trans fat substitutes but health wise they seem just as awful as trans fats.

[–]Bigs 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

interesterified fats

Cheers, will look into it...

[–]DiveBarDiva 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I just found out that seed oil is bad for you. Like grape seed oil and canola oil. I don’t know for sure but probably even sesame oil. There’s a lot of different ones but anything that isn’t olive oil is bad for you. It disrupts your endocrine system and makes your memory worse. They cause inflammation and are linked to cancer, diabetes, heart disease

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Avocado oil is okay I think. Not sure about the health ramifications of sesame, but at least it only takes a little bit to flavor a dish. You can pry it out of my cold dead hands.

[–]Bigs 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Coconut and palm oil are OK

[–]SoCo 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Plastic. It leaches chemicals from everywhere and disrupts your hormones among other things. "BPA free," just has slightly lessor problems. Don't heat/microwave in plastic containers, discard of old plastic pitchers, avoid reusable plastic cups, plates, bowls, silverware.

Most of the time your risk is low (from things you can make a difference in), but re-use/worn plastic, and using plastics with extreme, especially hot, temperatures can be avoided with a small bit of consciousness.

[–]catfishrising 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Instant cappuccino mixes that have a thickener. It's supposed to have no flavor, but I swear it tastes off.