MSG free foods list I created to help shop for foods

[CarolynN]

Hello again!

 

Mom2three's posting about what foods have hidden MSG in them gave me the thought to compile the list of foods I have found, over the past 1 1/2 plus that my son Daniel can tolerate. These foods do not have any MSG, HIGH fructose corn syrup (they may have regular corn syrup but very few of them), and no artificial dyes (obviously this information is all based on the best of my knowledge. So make sure you read the labels for yourself!).

 

These foods do not take in any consideration of any other allergies. They also do not take into consideration salicylates that some may be sensitive. As always keep an eye on the labels over the years because ingredients do change in foods we buy at the grocery stores. I compiled the list in five sections (Breakfast) (Lunch and Dinner) (Snacks/Desserts) (Beverages) and (Eating Out). I also included on the list the places I purchase my food at so hopefully these stores are near you!

 

At the bottom of the post is information about MSG in general and what to avoid. Also some helpful websites I have found.

 

There are several stores I do the vast majority of my shopping Costco, Sprouts, Trader Joes, and Wal-mart.

 

Lunch/Dinner

 

*Spaghetti Noodles (any regular brand)

*Egg Noodles (any regular brand)

*Pasta Noodles of any sort (any regular brand)

*Chicken (I prefer Sprouts all natural chicken but regular chicken is ok too)

*Organic Free Range Chicken Broth (Costco) (DO NOT buy any regular chicken broth. It will have MSG (autolyzed yeast extract. You need to buy organic and still make sure to check the ingredients)

*Peanut Butter any brand regular kind

*Jelly (I have been using Flavor Swiss Preserves but just look for one without colors or high fructose corn syrup)

*Homemade Salsa

*Sprouts Lil' Smokies (do not buy any Little smokies or any other sausage that does not say MSG free I guarantee it has MSG in it)

*Frigo String Cheese (Costco large pack) (probably any brand string cheese is ok)

*Cheddar Cheese (All natural no yellow dyes. Does not say artificial coloring. The kind I buy almost always say annatto used for coloring. Just as a side note Costco has a large block of cheddar cheese that says "All Natural" but when you read the ingredients it says artificial coloring)

*Tortilla's

*Homemade Pizza (I use Hunts's 100% Natural Tomato Sauce with just a teaspoon or so of white sugar mixed to make sauce)

*Hormel 100% Natural Deli Meats

*Parker House Style Frozen Rolls (Wal-Mart freezer section) (I love these rolls. They do have other additives but they do not seem to bother Daniel. I use them to make homemade donuts (After raised poke hole in the middle and fry them in canola oil. Cover in white sugar or make a cinnamon/sugar mix yummy!), little individual pizza's, hot pocket type sandwiches with the Hormel Deli Meats and cheese inside, and obviously dinner rolls)

*Hamburgers (I like Sprouts Ground Beef. I wait until the beef goes on a great sale like $1.89 or so and we BBQ (be careful not to use BBQ sauce unless you read the labels real well for unfavorable additives). We individually wrap them and freeze them. Then we just bring them out and heat up for a quick hamburger. Also I cook up a bunch of the ground beef and store it individual ziplocks. We freeze it and then we can quickly defrost it for making taco's, spaghetti, or lasagna)

*Lasagna Homemade (do not use Parmesan Cheese it is naturally high in MSG)

*Roast Beef

*Homemade mashed potatoes

*Ore-Ida Fast Food French Fries (Walmart) (I am avoiding tator tots because they are "seasoned")

*Trader Joes All Beef Hot Dogs

*Homemade fried chicken

*Homemade biscuits

*Trader Joes Pancake Mix to make biscuits

*Fresh Fruit

*Fresh Vegetables

*All Natural Butter (Wal-mart or Costco)

*Bread (I buy mine at Sprouts cracked wheat) (Look for one without caramel coloring or high fructose corn syrup)

*Olive Oil (Trader Joes has great prices)

*Canola Oil (Wal-Mart has cheap off-brand)

*White Flour

*Wheat Flour

*White Sugar

*Brown Sugar

*Jasmine Rice (Trader Joes and Wal-Mart)

 

Breakfast

*Great Value Homestyle Waffles (Wal-Mart freezer section)

*Trader Joes Uncured Bacon

*Applewood Bacon (Trader Joes)

*Trader Joes 100% Pure Maple Syrup (I think Costco also carries a 100% product)

*Jelly (I use Flavor Swiss Perserves but just look for one with out high fructose corn syrup and no artficle colors)

*Trader Joes Honey O's cereal

*Eggs

*Kix Cereal

*Cascadian Farms Vanilla Almond (Wal-Mart)

*Envirokidz Koala Crisp (Whole Foods)

*Cream of Wheat Regular (Wal-mart)

*New Morning Fruit O's (Sprouts)

*Cascadian Farms Oat's and Honey Granola (Walmart)

*Homemade French Toast

*Cheerios

*Honeynut Cheerios

*Cream Cheese Regular not flavored

*Bagels (make sure they do not have high fructose corn syrup. Trader Joes does not I am pretty sure)

*Fresh Fruit

*Fresh Vegetables

*Brown Sugar (for toppings)

*Trader Joes Pancake Mix

*Any fresh plain meat. (Make sure it is not "seasoned" from the store and be careful of breading unless you are doing this all yourself)

 

Snacks/Desserts

 

*Homemade Popcorn (we have a "Whirley-Pop" pan and we add our popcorn/canola oil/olive oil and salt after. Makes great popcorn. Our family has become quite famous for this when our friends come over)

*Pretzels (Wal-Mart Great Value Brand. They are $1 a bag)

*Unflavored potato chips like Lays Original or Ruffles Regular (ALWAYS unflavored chips anything else I can bet $$$ on will have a form of MSG. Also avoid any Doritos lots of MSG)

*Oyster Crackers (I buy Trader Joes)

*Saltine Crackers

*Organic Quack N' Bites (Whole Foods). (Can you believe that good old regular fish crackers have MSG (autolyzed yeast))

*Cashews with salt (Costco)

*Peanuts with Salt (Costco)

*Almonds

*Corn Chips with Flax (Trader Joes) (Do not buy regular corn chips because they are made with corn oil which has an MSG type of molecular structure)

*Joe-Joes cookies chocolate or vanilla (Trader Joes)

*Cheese Puffs Reduced Fat (Trader Joes) (DO NOT buy regular cheese puffs they have yellow dyes and I think they might have MSG I would have to read a bag to see. It has been a long time since I bought regular)

*Cheetos All-Natural cheese puffs (Wal-Mart)(again DO NOT but the regular)

*Mi Ranchito Blue Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips (Costco)

*Raisins

*Trader Joe's Vanilla Chocolate Chips (my son loves to eat these just like candy)

*Trader Joes Peanut Butter Cups

*Great-Value Brand Peanut Butter Cups (Wal-Mart)

*Rice Cakes Lightly Salted (Wal-mart or Trader Joes) (DO NOT buy seasoned rice cakes MSG)

*Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips for baking or for just eating (just don't over eat chocolate because it does have tyramine's)

*Cat's Cookies (they are like animal crackers) Trader Joes

*Cape Cod Potato Chips Regular (Costco)

*Waffle Cones Keebler (Wal-Mart)

*Breyers All Natural Ice Creams

*Homemade crepes with white sugar and lemon juice

*Blue Berries Frozen (Costco) (My children love eating frozen blue berries - they are just very messy and if you are sensitive to salicylates these could be a problem)

*Claussen Deli Style Kosher Dills (Wal-Mart)

*Cottage Cheese Regular

*Kozy Shack Puddings

*Squirrels Nest Candies (I have not ordered but other's on the forum have) http://home.squirrels-nest.com/

*Use real vanilla when making cookies

*Use all natural butter

 

Beverages

*Hansen's Regular Soda's drinking 1/2 can. Whole can has a lot of sugar and I noticed increase in tics after drinking whole can.(Costco, Trader Joes, or Sprouts) (NEVER DIET because of the aspartame)

*Simply Lemonade (Wal-Mart near the orange juices)

*Capri-Sun All Natural 100% Juice (Costco. Make sure you do not buy the regular Capri-Suns because they have high fructose corn syrup)

*Milk (I am learning you want to use 2% or higher because the lower the fat the more the milk is processed which can create a molecular change. My son seems to tolerate the 1% but I am switching just to get it out of his diet anyway)

*Donald Ducks Orange Juice (Wal-mart)

*Crystal Geser Juice Squeezes (Trader Joes)

 

Eating Out

 

*I have attached a link that I found helpful to avoid MSG (I don't know if the author took in consideration with the dyes or high fructose corn syrups) http://www.migraineweb.com/page6.html.

 

*What I have started doing is going to the restaurants web sites and reading the ingredients lists prior to going.

 

*One thing Daniel seems to tolerate is the Burger King Kids Hamburger Meal with French Fries. Get the regular milk instead of a soda. The bun does have high fructose corn syrup though!

 

*The other thing we are doing, lets say we go to the mall, is taking a Hansen's Soda with us. This way he feels like he is getting a "soda".

 

*Harkins Theater Popcorn (Do not use butter topping or any special salts just regular)

 

*Cold Stone Creamry Ice Cream (Regular Sweet Cream only (no low sugar)). You will need to check the ingredients on the mix ins you would want to add.

 

*******************************************************************************************************

Here is the information about MSG that I said I would include.

 

Here are the common names for MSG. I would keep a card or piece of paper with them on so you can carry them around to check labels *** MSG, Monosodium glutamate, monopotassium glutamate, glutamate, glutamic acid, gelatin, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), autolyzed plant protein, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, textured protein, yeast extract, yeast food or nutrient, and autolyzed yeast.

 

I have to say I have yet to figure out exactly what yeast food or nutrient would be. Gluten products do not seem to bother Daniel so I am a bit confused by this name. It must be something that has been used on a label at some point to disguise MSG.

 

Here is a link I created on Latitudes about MSG http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...p;mode=threaded .

 

You really want to avoid anything seasoned, canned soups, ANY soy sauce product (this includes any products with Soy Sauce at Trader Joes/Sprouts/Whole Foods. It is naturally high in MSG even if MSG is not added. It is the way it is manufactured), parmasean cheese (naturally high), and pretty much any thing processed.

 

You really need to also avoid school lunches. School lunches prepared at the school are more then likely going to be high in MSG. You need to go in and look at the labels. Don't trust that the "lunch staff" know that they do or do not have MSG. I tested this out at my son's school because they thought there was no MSG. Probably 70% of the lunches had hidden MSG names (no fault of the lunch staff they were purchasing what the State of Arizona government told them to buy!!!!)

 

Here is a link to companies claiming there food is MSG free but are not http://www.truthinlabeling.org/nomsg.html .

 

This explains what MSG does in the body http://books.google.com/books?id=UxDNkhvIc...qDkVbrdH-X-fsTc .

 

Here are some other websites that might be helpful http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm , http://www.msgtruth.org/sulfite.htm , http://www.msgtruth.org/whatisit.htm , http://www.msgmyth.com/discus/messages/247/247.html , http://www.msgtruth.org/why.htm

 

I hope this list helps some. I know it is VERY overwhelming trying to figure out what to feed children who do not want to feel like they are being left out. But the effort of making the changes is SO WELL WORTH IT!!!

 

Carolyn N.

[tlkinser]

Carolyn N,

I just want to thank you so so much for sharing all of the valuable information you've collected regarding MSG and how it affects our bodies. I have been reading and rereading all of your posts and links (still trying to get through that one very detailed and informative link you posted a while ago), and it all makes sense. I really think you have put together several pieces of the puzzle for me. I just wanted to thank you! I am sitting here with all of my Feingold info spread out (joined last spring after my son exploded with tics nearly overnight), all of the notes I've collected from your posts, my coupons and store sales inserts trying to make a menu and grocery list for this week. It is ALL so overwhelming, but I have to take it day by day for now. I know that I will get a system down and it will get easier. The hardest part is changing the eating habits of my family (7yrs, 5.5yrs and 4yrs old) as well as keeping other people from feeding them things at school and playdates. I hate that part of it! Although we have moved to a more organic diet this past year, I still have some work to do to, and the kids are not going to like it.

 

I am having a hard time because my son tested off the charts on dairy and casein last fall in his IGg test. Trying to find foods that are dairy and casein free as well as MSG free is challenging to say the least. It will be worth it if it helps my son! I am going to get my hands on a copy of the Enzymes For Autism book and do my best to read it and UNDERSTAND it, lol. Anyway, I again wanted to thank you for taking so much time to share your info with the rest of us. Even if it doesn't help my son, it will help someone! I am praying that it is one of the pieces to our puzzle. I'll let you know how we do! :-)

 

Thank you,

tlk

[CarolynN]

tlk,

 

Thank you so much for your encouraging message to me. It means a lot to me!

 

I truly do share in your frustration of this whole food issue living in America. Like my Naturopathic Doctor told me Daniel would do real well just living on a farm. In other words, he needs to eat as to how God created us to eat and not what we have changed food to be for our own conveniences in America.

 

In regard to your son's dairy allergy I have to tell you I think the "Enzymes for Autism and Other Neurological Conditions " book is going to give you a lot of hope for the dairy allergy. From what I have read in that book and also on the Internet it opens up a whole new world for people who have a dairy and gluten allergy. You obviously have to be on the right kind of enzymes and the book covers exactly what kinds of enzymes exist for what kinds of problems.

 

As you may have read from my previous posts, I am learning to take the enzyme thing slow and easy. Because of the function of the enzyme in getting the "gut" healthy again in the midst toxins can be released which can cause a surge of tics or other problems. So taking it slower would be better. According to the above referenced book most people, especially the younger you are, will see results starting in about two weeks. Some people take longer, even months, because the "gut" needs a lot of healing. Especially for a "leaky gut". The key is finding the right enzymes. The author of the book uses Dr. Houstons enzymes just as I have ordered. Dr. Houston's company was real good at answering the questions I had. But there are a lot of enzyme companies it is just finding the right enzyme for your child. Perhaps a good Naturopathic Doctor would be a good source too.

 

My friend, who I referenced in one of my previous posts whose son is autistic, told me enzymes have made a HUGE difference for her son. It has opened up so many more possibilities for him to eat and he is doing really well (she is still at this point keeping gluten out of his diet). She and I have also had our children go through the program similar to NAET called NEAT. I have posted about that several times on the forum. I REALLY think this helped Daniel and her son too. The key is is finding a good doctor who knows how to perform the NAET correctly. There is a website for NAET at http://www.naet.com/ and it list the practitioners who perform it and how much training they have had. For any one in the Phoenix, Arizona area I would highly recommend my doctor at Naturopathic Family Care. Her name is Dr. Orona. She had done great things for my son. The only problem with these treatments is $$$$. My son's treatments, for just the allergies, ran about $500. She does it in a series of four visits where I know the NAET program takes a lot longer and I think even more $$$$.

 

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do. It is so nice to know that there are answers and this is not all just a dead end road!

 

As I learn more about the sulfation pathway, that I have been posting about, I will keep updating. I am planning on getting an appointment with a doctor who I think can help me understand how to build up that part of Daniels body with supplements.

 

God Bless,

 

 

Carolyn N.

[Calicat]

Carolyn,

 

Thanks for posting this! Just reading through the list gave me some good ideas I hadn't thought of for meals. I am in Canada, and unfortunately we don't have many of the stores and brands that you do (no Trader Joe's... wahhhh!). But the list is still helpful as a guideline and place to get ideas. I will print it out!

 

tlk,

 

I totally feel your frustration about feeding kids, especially what they get when they are out or with other people. Oh well, I do the best I can, and I have to say my little sweetie hardly seems interested in other people's junk anymore! It just usually doesn't appeal to her. I know the feeling; it doesn't appeal to me either, but I think it's pretty good that a six year old feels that way! Anyway, good luck with the food thing. Lately I've been making "freezer meals" once every week or two. I bought the guidelines at "Saving Dinner" (can't remember the exact website at the moment) and it was inexpensive. I LOVE having homemade healthy main courses sitting there ready to thaw when needed... then I just add rice and a vegetable and a salad, or whatever, and we're off! The meals are YUMMY, too! And I'm sure you can adapt for special restrictions, but the recipes are all based on pretty basic stuff... meat and vegetables and herbs, etc. Some I've recently made and tasted are Ginger Beef Stirfry, Two Bean Chili, and Sour Cream Chicken... all very good, and easy to throw together in the evening because all the hard work of chopping and assembling is already done! I just wanted to share this because I went through a lot of frustration with meal planning, and now I just love that the shopping list and prep list is all printed out for me, and it's not hard to make substitutions if needed.

 

Take care,

Calicat

[Guest Ada Lovelace]

I know this thread is two years old, however I have found it to be helpful in learning more about MSG. I am very new to learning about the dangers of MSG, and I have been searching for some kind of food/product database or a search engine that could help me find out what products contain MSG. This thread actually contains the biggest list I have been able to find.

 

In my frustration, I created a simple search engine that identifies some common MSG aliases in products, given that product's ingredient list.

 

It's available here: MSG Finder

 

I actually JUST created this today... so I am really open to any kind of input anyone might have (e.g. more keywords to search for, any other improvements, etc.).

 

Thanks!

Ada Lovelace

[mike_wil]

Thanks for sharing such useful and worthy information.By food industry definition, all MSG is "naturally occurring." "Natural" doesn't mean "safe." "Natural" only means that the ingredient started out in nature, like arsenic and hydrochloric acid.

[candikane]

Wow, this is so absolutely refreshing to find. THANK YOU!!!! I've decided to just start an artificial perservative/color/flavor & msg free diet for my daughter, and I felt completely overwhelmed, confused, and worried about starting it. It seemed like such an insane task to look at every single thing she eats now and (probably) changing it all. And then to find what she can, and WILL eat. WOW. This list has helped SOO much for a base, thank you so very much for posting it!!

[Sheila]

Bumping this up for its great list of MSG free foods. Some items maybe have been adjusted in the meantime, but it gives a good start. And in general, companies are moving toward less use of MSG, not more.

[guy123]

It's also a good idea to make a list of all the names that MSG goes by so you can help identify it on labels.

[mbeeharlow]

Msg has been causing lots of issues for my family. Thank you so much for making this list. It's gonna make the shopping change so much easier!  THANK YOU!!!