They may be low fat, but they're loaded with chemicals and sugar

It’s been an interesting journey and quite an eye-opener, not least the price of some of the organic goods.

I cleaned out the cupboards and fridge at home, then trotted off to Waitrose, armed with a list of staples that I needed.

I won’t tell you what I spent, but if there was ever a time I needed a sit-down with a cuppa and a chocolate biscuit to get over the shock, that was it.

But I resisted and steered my laden trolley past the in-store café, back to the car feeling glowingly virtuous, albeit broke.

Since then I’ve been reading labels of seemingly innocent things and discovering that they are actually full of unwanted sugar.

I’ve also had more than a few interesting discussions with family and friends about exactly why low-fat foods are actually bad for you.

It goes against the grain having to start rejecting low-fat versions of things I used to buy.

However, the fact they are low-fat means they actually include lashings of sugar instead and are loaded with chemicals to compensate for the lack of fat.

And, of course, all that excess sugar turns into fat anyway so you are back to square one!

Research says sugar is far more addictive than cocaine.

This is why we are all craving it whether we realise or not, making going cold turkey a difficult task but worth the effort.

Luckily, I love cooking so I’ve made a lot of things recently that I used to buy off the shelf.

The organic debate continued at the weekend when I visited the in-laws. We talked about genetically-modified grain, dairy products pumped full of hormones and antibiotics, and the benefits of using natural fertilisers rather than those with poisonous chemicals which find their way back into the fruit and vegetables.

I’ll leave the last word to my father-in-law, who dryly remarked: ‘A lot of people put manure on their rhubarb…we put custard on ours!’

WHY CAN’T PEOPLE JUST LEARN TO USE PROPER GRAMMAR?

Why can’t people just learn to use proper grammar?

I recently saw a sign asking people to ‘bare with us during our renovation’!

So did they want us to all get naked?

I also saw a wallpaper section in a DIY store a while back advertising a new range of ‘boarders’!

I’ve lost track of all the times I’ve seen errors such as ‘should of’ instead of ‘should have’, ‘pacifically’ instead of ‘specifically’, and people claiming to get ‘off of’ things.

Adverts are no better either.

Seen recently: ‘Ugh’ boots (yes, I hate them too…).

And finally, for anyone who thinks commas really don’t matter, a personal CV favourite: ‘I like cooking my family and animals’.

I wonder if he got the job?

PAYING TO PARK REMINDED ME OF AN EPISODE OF FONEJACKER

Have you ever tried to pay on the phone to park your car when you don’t have any coins handy?

I’ve done this a few times recently and found it quick and easy.

But you try attempting to park a completely different car in a new location. Frustration doesn’t begin to cover it!

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, attempting to get the automated service to understand me. Hysterical.

The howling wind and noisy traffic around me probably didn’t help. I could have also done without drawing a small crowd of intrigued passers-by too.

One of my most exasperating experiences ever, it reminded me of that episode of Fonejacker when someone tries to book cinema tickets over the phone!