Friday FYI

     I'm thinking about making Fridays the day I post random facts about random things. Hence the title, Friday FYI. We'll see how this goes. One of my best friends said I should post about this because she thought it was interesting and gross at the same time. They FYI of the week is about CELLULOSE.
      Cellulose is used in just about everything, ice cream, flavored milk, baked goods etc. but most people don't know what it is let alone the fact that we eat it every day. Cellulose is an indigestible fiber which is not necessarily bad for you in itself. It does occur naturally in many vegetables but added cellulose is a little less pleasant sounding. Added cellulose is wood pulp and the FDA has set no maximum amount that can be added to food. So what does this mean, exactly? It goes like this: a food processing company takes whole grain from farmers then adds or "cuts" the good grain with cellulose which increases their product volume. Either way we end up eating more tree than grain which isn't exactly what I was wanting from my hamburger.

     If you have ever taken fiber supplements the chances are it was cellulose and like I said before it's perfectly safe and natural so why did I bother writing this? Because the regulations on cellulose are so paper thin it's scary; meaning we can't tell as consumers how much we are getting in our food or where it comes from (maybe the reason your fiber bar tastes like cardboard is because it was cardboard). If you get too much cellulose in your system you run the risk of developing serious stomach issues. So here is a list of the worst offenders for you if you want to feel a little better about your fiber intake. Happy eating!

“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”
― Orson Welles