Natural microwave popcorn

Natural microwave popcorn In addition to the many, many kinds of regular Orville Redenbacher microwave popcorn, that brand has introduced six flavors of "natural" microwave popcorn. "Natural," unlike "organic," is not a regulated term: It means whatever any manufacturer wants it to mean. ConAgra describes the Orville Redenbacher natural products this way on the packages: "No artificial flavors. No artificial colors. No artificial preservatives."

If you think that means there won't be any ingredients you wouldn't find in your cupboard, you wouldn't be right unless you have a very odd (but perfectly natural) cupboard. The ingredients include maltodextrin, mono- & di-glycerides and "mixed tocopherols (for freshness)."

Gluten-free Rice Chex Some time ago, when Mr. Tidbit's alter ego, Al Sicherman, wrote about celiac disease, he was surprised to find that many rice cereals that he would expect to be gluten-free were not, simply because of added malt flavor (barley malt extract). It seemed that only (high-priced) specialty cereals avoided this additive. General Mills Rice Chex was one such barley-added product.

And now it isn't: General Mills has replaced the barley malt extract with molasses, and new packages of Rice Chex are labeled "gluten-free."

Whole-grainy Helpers General Mills has introduced a pair of slight variants on two popular Hamburger Helper varieties. In addition to regular Cheeseburger Macaroni, which has a "Cheesy Favorites" logo, there's new Cheeseburger Mac, with a "Wholesome Classics" logo. And besides Stroganoff, one of the "Homestyle Favorites," there's Stroganoff (yes, it has the same name as the regular one) with a "Wholesome Classics" logo.

What's the difference? Part of the flour in the pasta in both of the new products is whole-wheat flour, resulting in 1 gram more fiber per serving, and there's also more calcium and Vitamin D. These aren't substitutes: If you just hate the thought of an extra gram of fiber in your Hamburger Helper, you can continue to buy the regular Cheeseburger Macaroni and Stroganoff varieties.