Most chicken contains additional liquid added during processing. Carefully read the packaging. If you find that the chicken contains broth, it is illegal as commercial broths contain starches. Other chicken labeling will say something to the effect that it contains up to 5% water by weight from the chilling process. This is probably okay. If you’re in doubt, ask your butcher.
When I began the diet, it took me about six months to realize this. I assumed that when I was buying chicken, that was all I was getting. One day I read the packaging and found I had been eating illegal chicken without knowing it.
I became much more diligent at reading labels. I’ve leaned that you can never assume.
UPDATE 2.9.10: It’s been pointed out to me that turkey has the same problems as chicken. Read the label on virtually any frozen turkey and you’ll find broth in the ingredients. Try looking for a fresh turkey and talking to the butcher. (Thanks Penny!)
I’ve discovered that the ground turkey I was eating contained “natural flavors”. My local Trader Joe’s sells two varieties of ground turkey with natural flavors. One on variety, they tell you that the natural flavors are rosemary in canola oil.
Even some butter contains these “natural flavors”, which are often monosodium glutamate in disguise. Cheese is another one which contains “natural flavors” too. Thanks for alerting us about the chicken being injected with broth.
Nancy,
Thanks for the info. When I started the diet, my first impulse was to think that “natural” was a good thing. Of course, I eventually learned this wasn’t always the case.
-Paul
In addition to the chicken, I have had difficulty finding frozen turkeys that are SCD legal. Almost all are injected with a “broth” which always contains some type of sugar. You have to read labels on EVERYTHING! I even found a box of white tea in bags that has corn starch added! Why on earth would you need to add corn starch to tea?
Anyway, word of caution when you are trying to find a turkey.
Penny,
Thanks for pointing this out. I’ve added the turkey info to this post.
Yeah, cornstarch in tea is crazy. I’m guessing that it either hides some deficiency in the tea, aids in the processing/packaging chain or perhaps adds a “desirable mouth feel”.
-Paul