Dude. Can we talk about how GD good these Trader Joe’s dark chocolate covered sunflower seeds are? BUT, read on.

I originally started buying these as a pinch of sweetness for Hanley’s little Bentgo box and then I tried them myself.  I started stashing containers of them everywhere so I wouldn’t be without them. I couldn’t get enough! Just recently when I was hiding from the kids taking a break in the comfort of my humming laundry room, (mommies, I know you feel me), and I was shoveling them into my mouth like an animal I decided to actually read the label. So, I ALWAYS read nutrition labels – it’s what I do. But for some reason, I must have just grabbed these in a frenzy one day while shopping with the kids and didn’t actually examine them! Shame on me.

While these tasty morsels from the heavens don’t contain artificial sweeteners or harmful dyes that most other sweets would…they DO contain TITANIUM DIOXIDE. This is NOT cool.

Titanium dioxide is a white pigment used in medicines, cosmetics and toothpaste and as a food additive (commonly in icing, gum, marshmallows, vitamins/supplements and more). Until now, there have been no restrictions on its use in the food industry, because the food industry does NOT have our health in their best interest. As far as cosmetics go, you can find titanium dioxide most often in sunscreens. This nanoparticle is harmful in many ways – most importantly for being an endocrine disruptor (will throw off our delicate hormone balance), and for it’s inflammatory effects (particularly on the intestines).

So as tasty as they may be, this will NO longer be something that I purchase or consume. It’s SO important that we understand what’s in our food. Even a place like Trader Joes, a place I love and shop at regularly still has very unhealthy ingredients and products lingering on their shelves. #themoreyouknow