Flavorful Maltodextrin-Free Food and Drinks at Heinen’s
If you’re looking at a food label and wondering if it’s a healthy choice, remember this timeless advice: you should be able to pronounce all of the ingredients inside the foods you eat!
The more processed a food is, the more challenging this becomes.
Maltodextrin is one such ingredient hiding in many processed foods. Why? Because it’s an inexpensive ingredient that increases the volume and extends the shelf life of products. Read on to learn why you won’t find maltodextrin in Fx™-approved foods.
Our Favorite Maltodextrin-Free Products
Maltodextrin is a heavily processed additive made from corn, rice, wheat or potato starch. It appears as a white powder, but when added to packaged foods it is virtually undetectable in both taste and appearance.
While maltodextrin is common in packaged foods, there are plenty of Fx™-approved products at Heinen’s that offer delicious flavors and textures without it. Here are just a few of our favorites.
Sauces
- Heinen’s refrigerated pizza sauce
- Heinen’s organic marinara sauce
- Rao’s pizza and pasta sauces
- Siete enchilada or botana sauces
Salad Dressings
- Bella Sun Lucci Balsamic
- Bragg
Soups
- Karine & Jeff
- 18 Chestnuts
Seasoning Blends
- Bragg organic sprinkle 24 herbs & spices
- Siete taco seasoning
- Two Brothers Seafood, Prime Rib, Steak & Burger, and Everything Bagel Seasonings
Snacks
- LesserEvil popcorn
- Jackson’s sweet potato chips
- Quinn Snacks pretzels
- Brad’s crunchy kale chips
Candy
- Hu chocolate bars
- Peaceful Fruits stickers and fruit tape
Energy & Sports Drinks
- GORGIE energy drinks
- Heinen’s Coconut Water
- NOOMA organic sports drinks
Powdered Drinks
- MacroLife macro greens
- Epic Protein Powder
This list is a great starting point, but there’s plenty more to discover on Heinen’s shelves! A simple scan of the ingredients in packaged foods will alert you to the presence of maltodextrin. This small investment in time will pay big dividends down the road when it comes to your health.
How Maltodextrin Affects the Body
Blood sugar
Although classified as a carbohydrate, in the body maltodextrin behaves more like refined sugar—carbohydrate in its simplest form.
As revealed by its glycemic index, maltodextrin actually triggers sharper spikes in blood sugar than table sugar. The glycemic index (GI) is a rating system of carbohydrates based on how much they increase blood sugar. Maltodextrin carries a GI of 110-136, while table sugar’s GI is around 65.
The spike in blood sugar caused by maltodextrin is followed by a spike in insulin levels, which can trigger energy crashes and sugar cravings later in the day. This isn’t a desirable state for anyone, especially those with diabetes, prediabetes, or other health conditions.
Gut health
Maltodextrin can negatively alter your microbiome by growing more bad bacteria and suppressing healthy, gut-friendly bacteria. This combination can lead to digestive upset, including inflammation, gas, and bloating.
Key Takeaway
There are plenty of additive-free foods at Heinen’s! All you have to do is look for them. To avoid maltodextrin, try making a habit of reading food labels or look for the green Fx™-approved buttons on products across Heinen’s stores.
