Archive for the ‘Consumer Skills’ Category:
Finding the facts in new salad dressing ads
WISH-BONE®, manufacturer of an assortment of salad dressings, is making a new claim in ads and on their website. The text in blue below is from the Wish-Bone company, website http://www.wish-bone.com/Contact-Us-FAQs.aspx?cat=3
The following explanation is provided by KSU Human Nutrition Specialist, Dr. Mary Meck Higgins. She also wishes to draw attention to (underlined) comments in the Wishbone promotional materials below to help clarify important points.
First are comments from Dr. Higgins:
• Wish-Bone® has found a factual message, but it is misleading. The new claim is designed to get consumers to eat more of their product than they need to, and to get consumers to believe that it is in his or her best nutritional interest to do so.
• Their new ad reminds me of the old ads for peanut butter where the announcer intoned, “And nooo cholesterol!” That old ad was true, too, but since plant foods (such as peanut butter) do not contain cholesterol, the FDA eventually made them stop advertising that way. The same may happen with this new campaign.
• The fat-soluble vitamins mentioned in the ad are vitamins A, E, D and K. These vitamins have always needed the presence of small amounts of any kind of fat or oil in order to be absorbed.
• The fat does not have to be present on each forkful of the food in order to aid the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
• Most meals and snacks eaten in the U.S. contain at least 2 grams of fat, which is enough to aid the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. (For decades now, the concern with fat in the U.S. diet is too much of it, not too little!)
• Since most meals, including meals in which salads are eaten, contain fat in the other foods, salad dressings are typically not needed to help with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
• Most salad dressings are very high in fat at the serving size typically eaten, and provide much more fat than is needed for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
And now the information from the company’s ad:
THE OILS IN DELICIOUS WISH-BONE® DRESSINGS NATURALLY HELP THE BODY BETTER ABSORB VITAMINS A AND E FROM SALAD *Vs. salad without dressing.
Wish-Bone® Dressings contain up to 180 Calories, 18g Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, and 340mg Sodium per serving.
The actual increase in absorption will vary depending on the amount and type of dressing used and the type of salad.
Absorption benefits apply to salad dressings containing 2 g fat or greater and to those Wish-Bone® dressings that have the claim on the package.
How does using Wish-Bone® dressing help Vitamins A & E to be better absorbed?
Fat-soluble vitamins, such as Vitamins A & E, are absorbed in the intestine with the help of fat in your diet.
Wish-Bone® dressings contain oils such as soybean, canola and olive oil, and these oils help better absorb Vitamins A & E from salad (as compared to salad without dressing).*
Did Wish-Bone® add anything new to the dressing for this absorption benefit?
No, Wish-Bone® did not have anything new added to the dressings. Oils like those in Wish-Bone® help the body better absorb Vitamins A & E from salad, versus salad without dressing.
The use of brand names is not intended to imply endorsement of products named nor criticism of those not named. Information is for educational purposes only.
Subscribe to the comments for this postThe business behind the magic
Last week I spent five days in Florida as one of two Kansas county Extension agents selected to participate in the National Extension Leadership Development program. As a part of our training, we spent 3 hours on a behind-the-scenes Disney tour with two members of the Disney Leadership Institute. It was a fascinating look at the business behind the Disney magic.
Lessons Learned in the Laundry
Our program began with a tour of Disney’s “textile management” process at the Disney Laundry. This huge facility washes all of the textiles for Disney’s Florida properties, including all the bedding and towels from the Disney hotels, the kitchen and table linens from all Disney food service areas and all the uniforms and costumes worn by the employees (or rather the CAST MEMBERS, as all employees of the Disney entertainment company are known.) The facility processes more than a billion pounds of dirty laundry every year! It’s hard work, and the laundry had a dismal 70% turnover rate just a few years ago. But the Disney company has reduced turnover to 7% today by empowering employees to become a team in managing the laundry facility and helping them focus on the guest services provided by their work.
Everyone Drifts to the Right
A backstage trip to the Magic Kingdom gave us a glimpse of Disney’s mastery in knowing and serving their customers. This customer service orientation is what allows the Disney experience to wring every dollar out of visitors and still have them smiling at the end of the day! Their market research shows that Americans tend to drift to the right as they walk, so Disney has strategically located their merchandise accordingly. On the right side of the park entrance, Disney will be happy to sell visitors whatever they forgot to bring along. Need sunscreen, batteries, rain poncho, or a stroller? Yep, all conveniently sold on the right. Inside the park, the bridges and sidewalks which head off to the right are larger than those to the left to accomodate more foot traffic. You’ll find the park souvenirs conveniently located near the exit– on the right as you leave– for the last-minute purchases you didn’t want to carry around all day.
Mood Music
Even the music piped into the Magic Kingdom is strategically selected. Early in the day, the music is peppy, upbeat melodies such as Sousa marches to stimulate the senses and heighten the sense of fun. The Disney characters and cast members are lively, with big waves, smiles and greetings. Late in the day, when visitors are tired and kids are cranky, the music is calm and soothing and the cast just smiles and waves sedately as you leave.
I’ve been to Walt Disney World several times before. But from now on I’ll see it differently, thanks to my look at the business behind the magic.
Savings on lunch add up!
Packing– rather than purchasing– lunch can be well worth the effort. Computing the weekly, monthly – or annual – savings may be all that it takes to decide to dine in.
Calculating the savings also can be fun, using the online Lunch Savings Calculator I learned about from America Saves, a financial education campaign from the Consumer Federation of America.
To compute the lunch savings, type in the average price currently paid for a purchased lunch, estimated cost of packing a lunch, number of lunches per month, number of years (for savings estimate), and expected rate of return.
Lunch savings example
If, for example, the average cost of eating out is $6 a day five days a week (20 meals a month), while the average cost of packing a lunch costs $3 per day for the same period, the monthly savings could be $60, and yearly savings (with 3 percent interest) could be $732. Savings over a three-year period (also at 3 percent interest) could add up to $2,261, and over a five-year period, $3,884.
During a 40-year career, depositing the lunch savings of $3 a day in an interest bearing account (at 3 percent interest) could yield $55,167!! (Wow, that makes those homemade lunches taste even better!)
More cost-saving suggestions
To increase savings, cook at home, rather than purchasing convenience items for lunches. Examples include cooking a chicken, ham or beef roast for sandwich meats, rather than buying more expensive prepared luncheon meats, or portioning homemade pudding, gelatin or mixed fruit rather than buying pre-packaged single-serve cups. Incorporating leftovers into lunches also can save time and money.
Dine in for better nutrition
When you prepare your own lunch, you may eat better, too! You can control portion sizes, limit fat and sodium, and add more fruits and vegetables. When you eat out, these options are usually more limited.
Buy eggs today for easier peeling!
According to the American Egg Board, eggs that are 7-10 days old will peel more easily than very fresh eggs. If you plan to hard-cook eggs for Easter and eat those eggs after the holiday, buy them soon for easiest peeling.
Remember– hard-cooked, not hard-boiled
Because of their delicate protein content, eggs should be cooked carefully. When eggs are cooked at too high a temperature or for too long a time, the whites shrink and become tough and rubbery and the yolks become tough and their surface may turn gray-green. Here’s the best method for hard-cooking the perfect egg:
- Put the eggs in a saucepan. Cover with water (water level should be at least 1 inch over the eggs.)
- Cover the pan and heat quickly until the water just begins to boil.
- Turn off the heat and slide the pan to a cool burner if necessary to stop further boiling.
- Let stand 20 to 25 minutes, covered.
- Immediately drain the hot water and run cold water over the eggs or place them in ice water until they’re completely cooled.
Eggs for inexpensive protein
The protein in eggs is both high in quality and low in cost. It’s easy to compare the price of eggs to the price of other protein foods. A dozen Large eggs weigh 1 1/2 pounds, so the price per pound of Large eggs is two-thirds of the price per dozen. For example, if Large eggs cost 90¢ per dozen, they cost 60¢ per pound. At $1.20 per dozen, Large eggs are only 80¢ per pound. You can compare the cost of different sizes of eggs with this helpful chart.
Another helpful formula is that one egg equals one ounce of lean meat, poultry or fish. This means that you can use two eggs as your main dish at a meal or you can use eggs to “stretch” more expensive protein foods. For instance, you might use one cooked egg per serving along with half the usual amount per serving of expensive meat or seafood in a casserole or salad.
Eggs are nutritious and economical, so when they go on sale for the Easter holiday, stock up! They’ll keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 weeks to enhance many family meals.
Make your own cream soup mix
Canned condensed cream soups are used in many recipes such as casseroles, meat dishes, homemade soups and more. While manufacturers make low-fat and low-sodium varieties, it typically costs more to choose the healthier options. Now during National Nutrition Month in March, you can make your own cream soup mix to save money and hold the line on fat and sodium. Here is a recipe for soup and casserole sauce mix which costs just pennies and substitutes for a can of commercial cream soup.
Healthy cream soup mix
2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup instant reduced-sodium chicken (or other flavor) bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed basil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed thyme (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container. Makes 3 cups mix, equivalent to 9 cans of cream soup.
To use soup mix: Combine 1/3 cup mix with 1 1/4 cups water in a saucepan or microwave cooking dish. Cook and stir until thickened. (Or, to save dirty dishes, add mix and water to browned and drained casserole meat and cook in skillet with other casserole ingredients until thickened.) Makes the equivalent of one can of condensed cream soup.
To make other flavors of cream soup, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cooked mushrooms, celery, broccoli, potatoes, lowfat cheese or others to prepared soup mix.
Compare the numbers!
- Regular canned cream of chicken soup (1 can)- 250 calories, 15 g fat, 2200 mg sodium, cost-$1.15 for name brand.
- Low-fat/low-sodium canned cream of chicken soup (1 can)- 175 calories, 6.25 g fat, 1475 mg sodium, cost- $1.50 for name brand.
- Healthy soup mix (1/3 cup mix prepared as directed)- 110 calories, 0.5 g fat, 830 mg sodium, cost- about 23 cents!