8/12/25: Protein-Washing; Tools to Evaluate Food Intake; Should You Avoid Carrageenan?; Questions from our Pediatric & Eating Disorders Group
Because EVERYBODY Eats
MAGA/MAHA Update
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On ‘Protein-Washing’
Protein added to water, sodas, cereals, breads, cookies, crackers, donuts…. It’s getting out of control, right?
Do we really need to strive to get protein in EVERYTHING we eat? While these products may be useful for some and in certain cases, it’s obvious food brands and marketing have jumped the shark with added protein. Adding a little protein to a product that’s high in sugar, fat, and or sodium, and charging more for it, doesn’t guarantee you’ll end up with a ‘better for you’ food item.
We’ve written about it in another newsletter:
What’s the most surprising product you’ve seen that’s been “protein-washed”?
Question: Pediatrics Group
Build Up Dietitians PEDIATRICS | Facebook
Hunter O. “Chicken nuggets are fine to feed your kid.”
Anonymous. “Sugar is not evil.”
Casey S. “It doesn’t have to be organic!”
Karen A. “Genetics plays a role in your child’s body type. I’m tired of seeing kids referred for weight management that are following their own growth curve and then have the exact same body type as the parent. It’s not just nutrition and exercise.”
Jennifer W. “Sometimes the best approach to “picky eating” is to do nothing…”
Ruby Jean A. “Too much milk is not a good thing.”
Tools to Evaluate Intake
DYK about images that can help evaluate dietary intake for residents in facilities and can be used as a teaching tool for CNA’s? Here’s one from Abbott (below) and here’s one that is unbranded - click HERE.
Substack: Should You Avoid Carrageenan?
The Grocery Edit by Canadian Dietitian Brittany Raftis
Should You Avoid Carrageenan? A Dietitian’s Look at the Evidence
“Carrageenan is a polysaccharide - a type of carbohydrate made up of multiple sugar molecules. It’s extracted from red seaweed and approved for use as a food additive, primarily for its gelling, emulsifying, and thickening properties. There are several types of carrageenan, sourced from different species of red seaweed, either harvested from the wild or cultivated through seaweed farming. Although carrageenan has been used for centuries in traditional food preparation, its widespread use in the modern food supply began within the last 50 years….
Carrageenan has been the subject of growing controversy, particularly regarding its possible effects on gut health and chronic disease risk. Most in vitro studies on intestinal health have used degraded forms of carrageenan (poligeenan), which are not used in food. However, some studies using food-grade carrageenan have still observed changes in the gut microbiota and other digestive or inflammatory markers….
Human trials so far have been small, with inconsistent results. Observational studies suggest a possible link between high carrageenan intake and chronic disease risk, but it’s difficult to separate these effects from the overall dietary patterns in which carrageenan typically appears, often high in ultra-processed, refined foods that are themselves linked to the same diseases. We need more research to really understand this ingredient, its stability in foods and potential long-term impact on health….”.
Question: Eating Disorder Group
Build Up Dietitians - Eating Disorders and Counseling | Facebook
Erin S. “You can't just "look at someone" and know if they have an eating disorder or not.”
Anonymous. “The importance of a dietitian for eating disorder treatment.”
Cheri R. “That it takes a team to help the patient.”
Danielle K. “It can happen at any size…”
Aimee M. “It’s not actually about weight. Their behaviors are a symptom of something deeper.”
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