Celery Jell-O, Baby Food for Adults & Glitter Maple Syrup

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Celery Jell-O, Baby Food for Adults & Glitter Maple Syrup

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"Low fat" might be the most fattening words on the bag. George Duran and recurring co-host Karla Walsh open with a brand-new study out of Turkey. People ate noticeably more of the exact same snack when it was labeled "low fat" or "high protein." Then they walk the fake-healthy aisle:veggie straws that are mostly potato starch"fruit" snacks that are basically jelly beansspinach wraps that are really just green tortillasrice cakes, which George insists double as home insulationThere's also a round of Trend or Trash on protein cookie dough. And a crash course in label words that mean far less than you think: natural, multigrain, farm fresh, plant-based. (Oreos are plant-based.)Then comes the food-flop hall of shame:Olestra-powered WOW chips and their infamous warning labelOre-Ida's bright-blue Funky Fries (George bought them, and he has a story about what happened next)Pepsi A.M., Crystal Pepsi and Life Savers sodaGerber Singles: pureed beef burgundy in a baby-food jar, marketed to adults who live aloneJell-O's 1960s savory line, including celeryKarla, from the Midwest, explains that anything made with Jell-O counts as a salad there, strawberry pretzel salad and cookie salad included. George is not convinced.In the back half, Laura Sorkin, co-founder of Runamok Maple in Fairfax, Vermont, takes George from tree to pancake:It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup.She explains what reverse osmosis actually does.She explains why dark syrup isn't just "cooked longer." George had that one wrong.She shares the story of the one IHOP that serves the real stuff.She explains why an opened bottle belongs in the fridge.She names the one flavor experiment that should never be repeated: wasabi.She introduces Sparkle Syrup, maple with edible glitter that turns a cocktail pearlescent.Key TakeawaysHealth labels make us eat more. In a 2026 study of 60 adults, participants ate about 67g of a snack labeled "low fat," 61g labeled "high protein," and 50g with no label. The snack was identical in every case.The health halo is real. One virtuous word on the front of the package makes the whole product feel healthier. Read the nutrition panel, not the marketing.Veggie straws are mostly potato starch, potato flour and cornstarch. The vegetable powder is there for color.Fruit snacks nutritionally resemble candy more than fruit. Corn syrup, sugar and modified starch follow close behind the fruit puree."Multigrain" does not mean whole grain. The FDA has no formal definition of "natural," and "plant-based" covers potato chips and Oreos.WOW chips were a hit before they were a punchline. They sold roughly $347 million in their first year, until the "abdominal cramping and loose stools" warning caught up with them.Gerber Singles (1974) put beef burgundy, sweet-and-sour pork and "blueberry delight" into baby-food-style jars for single adults. They vanished within months.Jell-O once sold celery, mixed vegetable, seasoned tomato and Italian salad flavors. Karla says savory aspics are quietly making a comeback.In the Midwest, if it has Jell-O in it, it's a salad. That includes strawberry pretzel salad, cookie salad and Snickers salad.Maple sap is only 1–3% sugar. Reverse osmosis concentrates it to about 16%, and boiling does the rest. Vermont producers need about 40 gallons of sap per gallon of syrup. Birch needs roughly 100.Tapping doesn't hurt the tree. Some sugarbushes have been producing for over 200 years.Darker syrup isn't cooked longer. It usually comes late in the season and carries more minerals and complexity, so the maple flavor is stronger.Real maple is thinner than pancake syrup. Corn syrup is what makes the fake stuff thick.IHOP serves real maple syrup in Vermont. The Vermont location got special permission, because nobody there would eat pancakes without it.Organic maple is mostly about the forest. Because there are almost no inputs, certification comes down to how the land is managed: erosion, runoff and biodiversity.Refrigerate maple once it's opened. Unopened bottles keep on the shelf for years.Use maple like soy sauce or Worcestershire. A touch rounds out savory dishes without making them sweet. Laura uses it constantly in Asian cooking.Sparkle Syrup is maple with edible pearlescent sparkles. In a cocktail, it turns the drink shimmery.People & Companies MentionedGeorge Duran: Host, Always HangryKarla Walsh: Food and wellness writer, Level One Sommelier, recurring guest co-hostLaura Sorkin: Co-founder, Runamok Maple (Fairfax, VT)Eric Sorkin: Laura's husband and co-founder, who came up with Sparkle SyrupRunamok Maple: runamokmaple.comDicle University (Turkey): Source of the 2026 health-claims snack studyFDA: No formal definition of "natural"Frito-Lay / Procter & Gamble (Olestra): WOW chips; Pringles also made Olestra versionsOre-Ida / Heinz: Funky Fries (2002)PepsiCo: Pepsi A.M. (1989), Crystal Pepsi (1992)Coca-Cola: New Coke (mentioned)Life Savers: Life Savers sodaGerber: Gerber Singles (1974)Jell-O: Savory ...

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