<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">I am finding that as I grow older, my palate is eschewing sweet food items for savory. Spicy and a bit salty usually resonates better, so I find myself cranking up the heat as I cook. <div><br></div><div>As I am more aware of my palate rejecting sweets, I have become more aware and am taking the time to read food labeling more carefully. </div><div><br></div><div>Being of Italian heritage, we use lots of cheese in our cooking, namely ricotta and mozzarella. I noticed with increasing regularity that one brand of ricotta tasted sweeter than another. I took time to investigate with both brands side by side. The national brand had 2 more grams of sugar per serving than our local, regional brand. Why put sugar in a savory item in the first place?</div><div><br></div><div>Same thing goes for bread. Our family rarely eats sliced American bread, but with something as classic as grilled cheese, you gotta use it. I noticed my grilled cheese tasted sweet. I look on the label ... sure enough, there are 4 grams of sugar in a serving. </div><div><br></div><div>It\u2019s in ketchup, too, and a host of other items. Do Americans have such a sweet tooth that food conglomerates have to dumb down their offerings to appeal to the masses? I guess that\u2019s the case. </div><div><br></div><div>So now I make my own ricotta, whip up my own spicy ketchup and don\u2019t buy sliced American bread anymore. We savor a rustic peasant Italian bread made by a friend who added it to the menu at his pizza shop and its incredible!</div><div><br></div><div>I\u2019ve never liked milk chocolate, even as a child, and regularly reject the classic all-American Hershey\u2019s bar. Why? It\u2019s full of lecithin, vanillin and emulsifiers and barely tastes like chocolate. Only deep, dark Perugina, Godiva, Vahlrona or Ghiradelli for me! It\u2019s full of heart-healthy anti-oxidants and flavonoids. Better for your heart and your valentine\u2019s!</div><div><br></div><div>Do you taste sugar sneakily creeping into your diet?</div><div><br></div><div><br><br><div id="AppleMailSignature"><div id="AppleMailSignature"><i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Anna Maria Vona</i></div><div id="AppleMailSignature"><div><b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Carmana Designs, Ltd.</b></div><div><b>1715 McKean Street</b></div><div><b>Philadelphia, PA 19145</b></div><div><b>215.570.3696 Cell</b></div><div><b>215.952.0133 Office</b></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></body></html>