The 600 calorie muffin

13

Replies

  • zeala
    zeala Posts: 119 Member
    I actually would like it if the government or FDA would keep the companies more responsible of what ingredients they use to make the food. If you're of the mind set that it's a free country ( which is all relative), then the food industry might just as well be able to add legal pharmaceutical drugs into the food and just blame the shopper that they should have been more aware and read the label better if they get side effects from it.

    Yes we need to be responsible enough ourselves not to over eat. At the same time when I go grocery shopping I have to spend so much time looking at labels for basic things like bread, or crushed tomatoes, to make sure it's made from simple ingredients.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I actually would like it if the government or FDA would keep the companies more responsible of what ingredients they use to make the food. If you're of the mind set that it's a free country ( which is all relative), then the food industry might just as well be able to add legal pharmaceutical drugs into the food and just blame the shopper that they should have been more aware and read the label better if they get side effects from it.

    Yes we need to be responsible enough ourselves not to over eat. At the same time when I go grocery shopping I have to spend so much time looking at labels for basic things like bread, or crushed tomatoes, to make sure it's made from simple ingredients.

    Oh? What ingredients do you think they shouldn't be allowed to use?
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member

    Oh? What ingredients do you think they shouldn't be allowed to use?

    I'm not the person whose post you answered, but I'd love to see high-fructose corn syrup banned. I almost never see it in Europe. Why is it so prevalent here?
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member

    Oh? What ingredients do you think they shouldn't be allowed to use?

    I'm not the person whose post you answered, but I'd love to see high-fructose corn syrup banned. I almost never see it in Europe. Why is it so prevalent here?

    It's not more prevalent here because of any government regulations in Europe.

    It's because the US produces so much corn, and corn growers get government subsidies, that HFCS is much cheaper than cane sugar.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    Honestly, I am not making this up: the nutrition label says each muffin is 600 calories!
    A Muffin = Cake. Just remember that and you won't ever be surprised!
    I'm not the person whose post you answered, but I'd love to see high-fructose corn syrup banned. I almost never see it in Europe. Why is it so prevalent here?
    As mentioned it's cheaper because of corn subsidies and sugar tariffs. The government is encouraging companies to use HFCS. They don't have to ban it, they just have to stop subsidizing it.
  • sarajeanelles
    sarajeanelles Posts: 55 Member
    The whole it's your choice to eat the muffin argument really ticks me off. I have been a teacher in the 5th poorest county in the USA for the past 6 years, where, of course, there's a Sams Club. If I had a dollar for every time parents buy these types of foods for their kids, thinking that they are healthy I would be rich. These 6-800 calorie muffins are bullcrap. They should throw some frosting on them and put the with their cupcakes, which have about half the calories and sugar! Most of my parents are illiterate and couldn't read a nutrition label if they wanted to, not to mention the fact that they are uneducated in the basics of nutrition as well, so it wouldn't matter if they read it anyway. I go to the farmers market and get muffins that are 151 calories apiece, so it's not about cooking them yourself or anything else, it's about places like Sams Club selling cheap garbage and calling it food and taking advantage of consumers. I'm sure if the OP was with her husband when he bought the muffins, they probably would have not made it into their cart in the first place, but he didn't care to look at the calories, and I'm sure thought "it's a muffin, I'm sure it's better than a cinnamon roll"....NOT. Same thing with the crap they feed the kids for lunch and breakfast in public schools in poor areas. My students get pre-packaged waffles that don't need syrup or butter for breakfast because it's already added in, at a whopping 210 calories, 8 grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar a piece, and my elementary school kids usually eat about three of these for breakfast, or the uncrustables they have twice a week for lunch, yummy!!!! So, explain how, if the school district is supposed to be providing 'healthy' meals for these kids when they're at school, are the parents supposed to know any better than to feed stuff like that to them when they're at home.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    The whole it's your choice to eat the muffin argument really ticks me off. I have been a teacher in the 5th poorest county in the USA for the past 6 years, where, of course, there's a Sams Club. If I had a dollar for every time parents buy these types of foods for their kids, thinking that they are healthy I would be rich. These 6-800 calorie muffins are bullcrap. They should throw some frosting on them and put the with their cupcakes, which have about half the calories and sugar! Most of my parents are illiterate and couldn't read a nutrition label if they wanted to, not to mention the fact that they are uneducated in the basics of nutrition as well, so it wouldn't matter if they read it anyway. I go to the farmers market and get muffins that are 151 calories apiece, so it's not about cooking them yourself or anything else, it's about places like Sams Club selling cheap garbage and calling it food and taking advantage of consumers. I'm sure if the OP was with her husband when he bought the muffins, they probably would have not made it into their cart in the first place, but he didn't care to look at the calories, and I'm sure thought "it's a muffin, I'm sure it's better than a cinnamon roll"....NOT. Same thing with the crap they feed the kids for lunch and breakfast in public schools in poor areas. My students get pre-packaged waffles that don't need syrup or butter for breakfast because it's already added in, at a whopping 210 calories, 8 grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar a piece, and my elementary school kids usually eat about three of these for breakfast, or the uncrustables they have twice a week for lunch, yummy!!!! So, explain how, if the school district is supposed to be providing 'healthy' meals for these kids when they're at school, are the parents supposed to know any better than to feed stuff like that to them when they're at home.

    You're blaming the people selling these items and not the people buying them.

    People don't buy donuts and waffles with syrup already added because anyone forces them to. They buy those things because that's what they want to eat. People buy food they think tastes good.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    My students get pre-packaged waffles that don't need syrup or butter for breakfast because it's already added in
    I am totally confused by this concept!

    When I was in college I used to get those big muffins at the hot dog stand (the chocolate chip ones were amazing!) and then someone told me that a muffin is just cake and it clicked. A muffin is not health food.
  • sarajeanelles
    sarajeanelles Posts: 55 Member
    I didn't say anyone was buying the pre packaged waffles, I said they are getting that for breakfast at school. SCHOOL!!! Public School, where our tax dollars go, and I can assure you that in the school district in the next county over, which is one of the highest performing districts in the state, they are not feeding those kids anything like that. They just give it to the poor kids, whose parents won't complain about it because most of them don't know any better.
  • sarajeanelles
    sarajeanelles Posts: 55 Member
    Exactly, I know that most pre made muffins are not healthy either, and just like you, I went to college. What I am saying is the people I am referring do not have an education and they are perpetually poor; their parents are poor, their grand parents are poor, and they don't know that Sams Club muffins are unhealthy. And when the schools are providing the kids with these kinds of pre made foods, why would they think they are unhealthy. They assume that if the schools are providing them for lunch and breakfast, they must be good for their kids.
  • emibrus1
    emibrus1 Posts: 59
    Oooooooor maybe it's because bad food is cheap and let's them feed their kids with the biggest bang for their buck? If you want to play Big Brother why don't you walk up and smack that muffin off the poor kid's lunch tray? But maybe, just MAYBE you can take your disgruntled attitude and have a chat with your fellow administrators about applying more attention and funding toward better meal planning. You're a teacher. Educate. If you've already decided that there's nothing you can do then just keep giving those "fancy schools" more dirty looks. Or I don't know...simply learn to be happy those kids HAVE food? I came from a pretty backwoods town and I grew up with kids that didn't. Just sayin' that it sucks to share a Lunchable between 3 kids.
  • SurfyFriend
    SurfyFriend Posts: 362 Member
    An unhealthy muffin? I don't believe you.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    My students get pre-packaged waffles that don't need syrup or butter for breakfast because it's already added in, at a whopping 210 calories, 8 grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar a piece, and my elementary school kids usually eat about three of these for breakfast, or the uncrustables they have twice a week for lunch, yummy!!!! So, explain how, if the school district is supposed to be providing 'healthy' meals for these kids when they're at school, are the parents supposed to know any better than to feed stuff like that to them when they're at home.

    That's really sad. I've read things on school lunches and they're pretty disgusting. One teacher kept a blog (anonymously) with pictures of her school cafeteria lunch each day. I couldn't eat them. And it's all loaded with preservatives and packed in plastic, which many experts believe has dangerous chemicals that leach into the foods. I'm willing to bet the manufacturers provide this crap at a discount to the schools because the kids will get used to eating it and want their parents to buy it.

    DH, who's 74, remembers when the cafeteria ladies made up their own recipes and cooked things like pasta and stews for the school lunches. We can't have that anymore. A piece of someone's hair could fall into the soup and that would be unhealthy.
  • Freefatty
    Freefatty Posts: 9
    Did you read the rest of the nutrition label, or just the calories?
    This is a good point. I was wondering if the nutrition label even states the serving size is 1/2 a muffin. I've seen that on other packaging.
  • Freefatty
    Freefatty Posts: 9
    When I was in college I used to get those big muffins at the hot dog stand (the chocolate chip ones were amazing!) and then someone told me that a muffin is just cake and it clicked. A muffin is not health food.
    This reminds me of something I saw recently...
    "Lick the frosting off your cupcakes. Without frosting, a cupcake is just a muffin, and muffins are healthy, right?" Ha!
  • lose20lbs___
    lose20lbs___ Posts: 4
    The packaged muffins/banana bread/cookies are the worst. They are anywhere from 500-600 calories. A regular baked muffin is 230 calories at most. I don't know what they put in those.

    Also those hamburgers that come in a package are about 800 calories (more than a big mac). They were selling these types of food at a GYM.

    Do not eat these.

    http://i40.tinypic.com/5n25nl.jpg
    http://i42.tinypic.com/2rdxhn9.jpg
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    so? that is not alot of calls
  • quiltlady77
    quiltlady77 Posts: 93 Member
    I make my own and don't add nuts which are high in calories but put in real blueberries or apples or such. You can better control the sugar and salt content of your home made muffins, cookies etc. I never put all the salt in that is in a recipe and have the last few years, started to decrease the sugar or use agave nectar.
  • 5n0wbal1
    5n0wbal1 Posts: 429 Member
    Ooohhh I love those muffins!!! I also love the cinnamon rolls that Pillsbury makes in the can that they try to make like Cinnabon rolls. I made a batch of those, and just ate half of a cinnamon roll. Much less calories, and when I ate its slowly, it helped me satisfy my craving for something not so good for me.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Muffins are notoriously high in calories. Fortunately, in the USA, we have the option to see the nutritional information on every packaged product. How about that!
  • BikerChickAlice
    BikerChickAlice Posts: 36 Member
    They are fine every once in a while, just not on a regular basis. For this to be a lifestyle change you'll have treats. Friday night I had carrot cake! So freaking good... And I'm 95lbs down... Didn't put me back to square one!
  • yanniejannie
    yanniejannie Posts: 1,090 Member
    We are ALL (except for some who already think they know it all) learning...........as the OP did.........and she was shocked (and rightly so)..and she shared this (as is her right)........enough said.........
  • operation_cute
    operation_cute Posts: 588 Member
    someone on my friends list gets muffins that are 600 cals too, she eats half for breakfast and saves the other half for like snack or even the next day... they must be some really good muffins though lol to try and fit them in like that :)

    My personal prefference is to make my own though lol it seems that no matter how I choose to cook something (low cal version or not) they always have soooo many less cals than the premade food, or food you get when going out.... what the heck do they do... inject the food with calories?
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
    There's nothing wrong with the food industry. The goal of the food industry is to sell more of their product and make more money. They deliberately take advantage of consumers' ignorance of nutrition and the general public's laziness and refusal to read those every-present food labels in order to do this. The food industry understands that consumers have very little will power and will forego their long-term health in order to fulfill their short-term taste impulses.

    The food industry is working fine and meeting it's goals.

    What's wrong with consumers today? Why are they refusing to read food labels and bringing home packs of 600 calorie muffins to their loved ones who are trying to be healthy and lose weight? Why are they eating food that doesn't contribute to their health and well-being? Why are they relying on the food industry to tell them what to eat and when to eat it?

    Why can't consumers make informed choices for their individual health and nutrition goals, especially with the wide variety of products provided by the food industry and the relative wealth and ability of First World consumers to buy healthy, nutritious food?
  • stephaniemejia1671
    stephaniemejia1671 Posts: 482 Member
    I haven't had a muffin in maybe.. a year.. I remember they tasted good lol, But now I have learned how to eat better things. It's not the calories I pay attention to really, it's whether it fits into my calorie budget for the day.. I would instead buy the bananas, buy the nuts and eat them separately OR buy ingredients, make them at home and go wild.
  • onedayatatime12
    onedayatatime12 Posts: 577 Member
    It does indeed suck. I remember my mom bringing them when I was a kid- sure I was active, but I ate those muffins with a nice glass of milk some mornings- no wonder I was overweight (and my doctor never told me this!! EVER -_-)

    But now I've gotten a bit better with age-I was a chubby child. Seeing as child obesity is a huge problem in the U.S. and the 'free market economy' reigns , companies should put more thought into what they put in their food.
  • judtod
    judtod Posts: 85
    I agree with shannashannab, the government should stop subsidizing corn production. This is a big reason that Americans are eating way too much corn and corn products.
  • mahanaibu
    mahanaibu Posts: 505 Member
    I feel both sides are right. Food companies take advantage of the fact that people aren't very educated about nutrition to sell cheap food that isn't good for them and in fact tends tomake them want more food and to gain weight and build bad health habits that then continue to feed the companies' coffers.

    That said, the important thing is that laws require labeling--I certainly remember the days when those nutrition labels were not there!--which is really the best we can ask. Then it's up to us to actually read them.

    I would love to see much better nutrition education in the schools, though. Everyone being very aware of what food processors are really trying to do.

    And a small scold to Trader Joe's, which is a fantastic store in so many regards, but has a nasty habit of selling foods that clearly look like single-serving packages, and the calories look good, but then you realize when you get home that they're calling it something like 2.5 servings. My husband, a generally aware guy on labels, has been caught on that a few times.
  • lenac03
    lenac03 Posts: 46 Member
    A muffin is just a bald cupcake.
  • MaryJane_8810002
    MaryJane_8810002 Posts: 2,082 Member
    My breakfast was 600 calories and it was grits and homemade wheat biscuits!

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