Ryan has this friend Anthony who likes to talk about being a super-taster. His criteria for being a super-taster is this chemical science teachers sometimes put on kids’ tongues in middle school science class. Some 90% of people can’t taste it, but the few who can think it’s super bitter. I did the test in 7th grade and thought it was very bitter, so now I am a self-proclaimed super-taster along with anthony.

There are downsides to being a super-taster, which brings me to the point of this entry. For some reason or another, I am especially sensitive to the taste of sugar substitutes. I can’t stand diet sodas. My dad bought this OJ once that claimed to be 1/3 the carbs of other OJs. I didn’t really pay attention to the carton when I poured it, but as soon as I drank it, I realized that it wasn’t right. It just tasted funny. Looking at the carton again, sure enough, 50% of the “OJ” was fake stuff with fake sugar added, and with less sugar comes less carbs. Gag me now.

This morning I go to the fridge, get out a yogurt, take a spoonful, and it tasted nasty, almost diety. I was really confused because it’s yogurt, and how can yogurt be diet?? I thought I must just be imagining things. But no, I checked the ingredients, and sure enough, there was aspartame, the stuff in nutrisweet. Diet yogurt, great. The little container even boasted “70% less sugar!” I should check labels more carefully.

Now my question is, why is there sugar substitutes in EVERYTHING now? Sodas I can understand, or rather I can accept because it’s been around for so long. But diet orange juice?? Diet yogurt?? WTF??? The food manufacturers have made it necessary for me to start scrounging through every ingredient list now and stay away from anything that says reduced sugar. Ugh. The worst part is, I like buying “low fat” stuff, but now I have to really be careful to differentiate “low fat” with “low sugar” or worse, “low carbs.”