I used to be a great mom…that was until I had kids!  All those things I thought my kids wouldn’t do…well….they do it!  Sometimes my daughters watch Disney Channel for hours at a time, sometimes we run through the drive through on the way home from games because I didn’t meal plan that week, and sometimes my kids eat Fruit Loops for  breakfast.  Some of you are shocked that my kids don’t get home cooked meals every night and others of you are probably relieved to know you’re not the only one who still lets your kids eat food with high fructose corn syrup in it.  If you’re in the first category, feel free to whip up a double portion of dinner some night and drop it by my house…my family and I would love you forever.  If you’re in the second category, you’re not alone.  I think all moms occasionally suffer from mom guilt.  I’m no exception.  The biggest area of mom guilt for me is what I feed my kids.  I’m constantly bombarded with messages telling me that my kids should be eating non-processed organic foods and that at all costs I should avoid giving them HFCS (high fructose corn syrup).  For those of you who only feed your family organic, non-processed food, I commend you, but for me…it’s just not realistic.

I had the opportunity to participate in a live webinar with multiple doctors, nutritionists, and registered dietitians as well as other bloggers who wanted the scoop on HFCS.  They shared lots of great info with us and even fielded our questions.  Here are a few of the things I learned, some were surprising…some were expected.

• High fructose corn syrup and table sugar are almost identical and have the same effect on obesity.
• High fructose corn syrup is made up of 42% fructose and 58% glucose (or 55% fructose and 45% glucose).  Honey is made up of 48% fructose and 52% glucose.  Agave Nectar is made up of 74% fructose and 26% glucose.
• High fructose corn syrup does not cause people to gain weight! People gain weight when they take in more calories than they use!
• Fructose is not the same as High Fructose Corn Syrup.
• The Corn Refiners Association is lobbying to get the name HFCS changed to corn sugar.  They believe this name more accurately reflects what the product is.
• The obesity epidemic is caused by overindulgence in food in general.  People are consuming way more calories than they need to and are eating way more sweets than necessary.

Last week, I read an article entitled “6 Biggest Lies About Food Busted”.  This article also came to the conclusion that HFCS and table sugar are nearly identical in their makeup and that HFCS is getting a bum rap.

After having a chance to sift through all this info, I’ve come to this conclusion.  Yes, I will still allow HFCS (or maybe I should start calling it corn sugar) to remain a part of my household, but the corn sugar (along with any other sweeteners and sugars in our house) will be used in moderation.  I need to focus on making healthy lifestyle choices for our whole family.  We need to continue to exercise regularly and eat balanced diets that include plenty of fruits and veggies.  Lastly, I need to ditch the mommy guilt!

Disclosure:  The information shared was provided by the Corn Refiners Association. I have been compensated for writing this blog post. All opinions are my own.

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