I have had this flyer from Pepsico sitting on my desk for
the last 3 weeks. I was waiting until I
calmed down before I wrote about it. I
didn’t want my post to be a rant. I am
angry when I get this stuff in the mail.
First of all, the Quebec
Order of Dietitians (a.k.a. OPDQ) releases my info to Pepsico so they can mail
me their propaganda. This is an order
that is supposed to protect the public from dangerous nutrition
information. It just seems wrong to
me. On the other hand, these types of
mailings do give me a heads up on what’s happening in the food industry. I am privy to new food products, be them good
or bad and therefore I am ready for the onslaught of questions clients and the
general public will ask me. Le Nutritionniste wrote about the Becel package Quebec
dietitians received last week. Soon we
will start seeing their new margarines in the supermarkets.
This particular Pepsico handout bothers me because it states
that our bodies need snacks based on how much activity we do. This statement is true. The problem is they couple healthy snacks
along with their products on an “activity” wheel. Anyone looking at this sheet will think it’s
okay to grab 26 Sun Chips instead of a cup of yogurt.
There is most definitely a place for these “other” foods in
our diet but they should not be a replacement for a healthy snack, especially
if you are snacking to sustain activity.
The other thing I noticed on this handout is that is only
directed at women. As a woman, I feel
this handout is condescending because since when is snacking a sensitive topic
for women? I would think whether or not
to get Botox is more of a touchy thing.
I don’t think this handout I received is meant for the
public. It came in a sheet protector meant
for a binder. I could be wrong. This handout might show up in a grocery store
next to some chips. If you see it, make
a paper airplane with it.
Montreal Nutrition 