Strawberry-Rhubarb is a popular flavor combination. Although I like to let rhubarb stand on its own, as in Rhubarb Crisp, many people prefer it combined with strawberries. Rhubarb can be rather tart and combining it with other fruit masks that. In fact, to me a Strawberry Rhubarb pie tastes similar to Cherry pie, another favorite pie flavor.
If you’re a fan of all things Strawberry Rhubarb, here are some safe foods to eat, along with some to avoid.
Eat This
Noosa Strawberry Rhubarb Yoghurt:
Why I like it: The flavoring for this yogurt is made with fruit puree from strawberries and rhubarb. It’s sweetened with real cane sugar (not sugar beets) and wildflower honey. They do not feed their cows antibiotics and they strive to use non-GMO feed. Moreover, the company itself has goals to be sustainable and help the climate with their reduced water usage and packaging.
Wood Stove Kitchen Strawberry & Rhubarb Mixer:
Why I like it: A simple and clean ingredient list. It uses strawberry and rhubarb juices, along with honey as a sweetener. You can purchase it online and use it as a mixer in your cocktails or mocktails.
Oregon Rhubarb in Strawberry Sauce Pie Filling:
Why I like it: I was surprised to find a pie filling that is made with good ingredients. The Oregon brand grows its non-GMO fruit in the Pacific Northwest. This pie filling is made with real rhubarb slices, strawberry puree and cane sugar. Moreover, it contains no artificial dyes, sweeteners or additives.
World Market Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread:
Why I like it: There are a number of fruit preserves on the market that I like, including this one. They contain only natural ingredients, rhubarb and strawberries, plus cane sugar, citric acid and pectin. While citric acid is a controversial preservative, it is a compound found naturally in citrus foods and generally safe as a preservative.
Another safe brand is Dillman Farm, which is also non-GMO. Whatever brand you encounter, whether at the farmer’s market or big box, make sure it contains a similar ingredient list.
Don’t Eat This
Marie Callender Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Pie:
Why I don’t like it: There are so many reasons this pie is not good. Marie claims her pie is made from “real strawberries and tangy rhubarb”. However, she doesn’t reveal she uses apples as well. The problem with with this is that apples are cheaper than strawberries and rhubarb, so they use them as a filler fruit in place of the flavor you are purchasing. Moreover, Marie’s crusts are made with soybean oil. While I cannot get behind a pie crust that isn’t made with real butter, soybean oil is controversial. There are many doctors who advocate that soybean oil is heart healthy. But soybean oil is a seed oil that is highly processed. Moreover, soybean is a GMO crop that is heavily sprayed with Glyphosate (an herbicide). For more information on Glyphosate and its relation to cancer, ready my article on Organic produce: The Case for Organic Produce.
But one of the main reasons I don’t support this highly processed “pie” is that in both the crust and the streusel topping it uses dextrose as a sweetener. Dextrose is an artificial sweetener that comes from corn (one of the biggest GMO crops, heavily sprayed with pesticides). The problem is that dextrose is chemically identical to glucose, human blood sugar. It is a simple sugar and the body breaks it down rather quickly to use it for energy. But if you eat too many simple sugars, the body stores them as fat. Thus, in large quantities it can cause dangerous spikes in your blood sugar levels, along with the following medical problems: diabetes, obesity, depression, acne, energy loss and fluid back-up in your organs.
Dextrose is used medically as a treatment for low blood sugar and dehydration. In fact, people with low blood sugar problems are instructed to carry dextrose tablets, which often immediately return their sugar level to normal. You can see how too much dextrose in your normal diet can be a dangerous thing. Dextrose is a common cheap sweetener and used often in highly processed foods. If your diet consists of highly processed foods, pay attention to how much you consume.
Finally, Marie, or I should say, Conagra, like all highly processed food makers, adds Thiamine Mononitrate to her pies. “Oh, it’s just Vitamin B1” I am sure they will exclaim. Actually, it’s a synthetic version of Vitamin B1 that accumulates in fat cells in your kidneys and liver. It’s nearly impossible to flush out of your body. Food companies add this to their food because nutrients are lost during processing (so they attempt to add them back in unnaturally). Vitamin B1 is essential in our diets for many reasons, but primarily it helps to stabilize glucose. So maybe Conagra is adding it in because they use a dangerous sweetener in their pies? Food for thought.
Lucky Leaf Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Filling:
This is a popular brand of pie filling available from the big box stores. Although it claims it’s not made with high fructose corn syrup, sugar is the first ingredient. You never want sugar to be the first ingredient. It has a simple ingredient list but the most dangerous additive is Red 40. I cannot say enough about the dangers of Red 40. It is an artifical dye made from petroleum and contains benzene. It is known to cause hyperactivity and ADHD, but also linked to cancer. The FDA currently allows it, but definitely shouldn’t. Also, this pie filling adds “natural flavoring”. That could be anything and therefore, it’s best to steer clear of this one.
