Ore-nos

Have you entered my giveaway from Friday yet?!  If not, get crackin'!  In the meantime, here's a blog to keep you entertained...

 

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I've been seeing all sorts of Facebook and Weblog posts about the new Watermelon Oreos. 

First off, no - I have not tried them.  And I don't intend to.

In fact, I can't even remember the last time I had an Oreo period... or even a cookie for that matter.  Although I do think I had a homemade dessert bar a few weeks back at a pot luck (hey, it's ok to enjoy on occasion, no hate from me towards responsible indulgence!)

So, why this post?

I recently read this interesting article about the new Oreo flavor, and a few things caught my eye that I wanted to share:



(Quote #1)

"So what makes these new Oreos, watermelon Oreos?  There are no actual watermelons listed under the ingredients. Instead, you'll find a couple food dyes, sugar, high fructose corn syrup and artificial and natural flavors.  Without any actual watermelon in the cookies, Oreo decided to color its cream red and green for the "watermelon" effect. The cookie portion of the cookie is the signature "golden" color."

Mmmmm.... watermelon effect.  Sounds delicious.



(Quote #2)

Article feedback posted on the webpage, from the public, #1: "Someone brought a pack to work.   Nobody in the entire office thought they were the least bit edible.  Until now, I didn't know you could ruin a cookie like that, but I learned something new at the very first bite.  People who are addicted to HFCS and sucrose will probably still eat them if they can't find anything else, but nearly everybody else will put them where they belong...in the trash."

Yep, I can vouch for this.  Not for the watermelon flavor specifically, but my cube neighbor brought in a pack of sherbet flavored Oreos a few weeks back, and anyone who said they tried it said it was nasty... and that's saying something, being that I work with a bunch of aging men who like their cookies and cakes.



(Quote #3)

Article feedback posted on the webpage, from the public, #2&3: "the next flavor will be ribs!" and "Nice! Now when are they coming out with bacon flavored?"

Ugh.  I don't even want to acknowledge these flavors.  Unfortunately, I actually believe they will exist some day, based on what our diet is evolving into.




So, what's my point about all this?

Well, I want to open your eyes a bit... and then, I want to challenge you as well. 



First, the eye opener.  Do you know what a serving size is for your average Oreo snack?  And do you know how many calories, fat and sugar are in that serving size?  Well, if not, here you are:

I'll start with serving size, which is pretty much a joke.  The 34 gram serving size works out to be about 3 cookies, or slightly less - lol, better only eat 2.8 cookes just incase.  (Insert eye roll here).

Honestly, I don't know anyone who would eat just 3 Oreos and be satisfied.  Especially if the bag is still open and sitting within reach.  So, that being said, I'm going to do an analysis of the nutrition based on a serving of 6 cookies. 

For an average diet of 2000 calories a day (which, by the way, is actually too high for most sedentary, overweight adults), a snack of 6 oreos means you have just taken in:

     16% of your daily calories
     22% of your daily fat
     20% of your daily saturated fat
     78% of your suggested allowance of refined sugars

     *The above numbers are even higher if you are a woman and should be
     consuming the recommended 1500 calories a day.

     **A note on refined sugar allowances: the recommended allowance for refined
     sugars by the American Heart Association is 36 grams per day for an adult male
     (who is also the person eating the supposed recommended 2000 calories a day). 
     Women are recommended to eat 20 grams of sugar.  Additionally, this is still a new
     recommendation and I bet in the next 10 years we'll see lots of research saying even
     that is too high... your the goal should be to eliminate refined sugars whenever possible
     which isn't so hard to do if you cook your meals from scratch and emphasize fruits &
     veggies.


It's also important to factor in nutritional VALUE.  For the above caloric, fat and sugar intake... there is basically no nutritional value whatsoever.  There is very little fiber and almost no vitamins in the cookies.  This means that aside from adding another layer of fat to your belly, your body is receiving no benefit from this food.



And now time for my challenge. 

The next time you see a "new" product with some enticing "flavor", I want you to think about the above. 

Then I want you to picture this:

Versus this:

My hope is that the "real" food item will appeal to you much more than the "flavor", and that you'll make the healthier food choice.

Happy snacking!