Msg

[honeydip]

I have started tracking dowm how much MSG we eat in the familly and I have got to tell you it is a lot! But I have 1 question is 'glutomate'the same thing as MSG?
Aslo I am trying to think of things to eat withought it in and I am really stuck!
Any ideas?

[Old_Geezer]

MSG is monosodium glutamate, and is the sodium salt of glutamate.

Where are you seeing the reference to glutamate ?

[pastafreak]

Do you eat a lot of processed foods? That's where it's used. Stop eating them,and eat fresh food. How can you be 'stuck' trying to think of things to eat without it?

[honeydip]

If I look on the side of vegetable stock it simply says 'glutamate' is that MSG?
We eat lots of stock cubes with our meals. That's the only processed stuff really. Oh and Maggie sauce and soy sauce. Apart from that we just eat vegetables really. But the stock cubes are worrying me

[pastafreak]

I use a brand called Kallo-organic and no nasties. I don't know if you can get them where you are. Try Amazon.
The amount in your stock cubes may not be much if you consider how much is used in each meal-divided by the number of portions made.Use more fresh/dried herbs and sea salt instead.

[Ratty2E]

This might tell you what you need to know http://www.foodinsight.org/Resources/Detail.aspx?topic=Everything_You_Need_To_Know_About_Glutamate_And_Monosodium_Glutamate
It seems like you eat rather a lot of salt with stock cubes and soy sauce etc. although you can get low salt stock. I would use herbs and spices to add flavour then you would'nt need as much stock or other sauces.

[Old_Geezer]

Glutamate is an amino acid. I'm unsure about labelling but it isn't the same a MSG, which is a constituent, as I understand it. It occurs naturally in many foods. I'm unsure how useful it is to try to avoid it. But if you wish to avoid deliberately added MSG then the label ought to show that.

[honeydip]

Old geezer if it is an amino acid and they have it on the ingredients then that means they have specifically added it. Why would they add an amino acid though?

[Old_Geezer]

Why do food manufacturers do lots of things. No idea. If concerned use basic (local ?) ingredients to create your own meals. Only way is to trust yourself.

[pastafreak]

MSG is typically used to boost the flavour of food-it's often described as a 'flavour enhancer'.
I'd stay away from it. It is said to cause various reactions in some people-me included. If I ate Chinese food,I'd react with a strange,tight headache and feelings of pressure in my muscles. I learned to ask them to leave it out.

[honeydip]

I have read it could possibly contribute to neurological diseases. The thing is no one knows which is frustrating.

[Mamyalynne]

If you use a lot of stock and are worried then take a step back a generation and have a stock pot on the go - then the only ingredients are what you put in.

[gingejbee]

For quick stock, we use Marigold Swiss Vegetable Bouillon powder- no preservative, colouring, artificial flavouring, msg or gm material..
from most supermarkets- we get it at Waitrose.

[pastafreak]

I use the Marigold also-and it comes in low salt versions too.