Monosodium glutamate is an additive used to enhance the flavor of your food. This white substance is the sodium salt of L-glutamic acid, an amino acid that occurs naturally in food. Monosodium glutamate resembles salt or sugar and is tasteless when eaten solo.

General Mills produces Fruit Roll-Ups, a fruit-flavored snack that resembles fruit leather in appearance and texture but not in nutritional value. Roll-Ups are gluten-free and fat-free. They are a novel snack for children and contain added vitamin C.

Sorbitol, also called glucitol, is a sugar-alcohol that is present in a wide variety of foods. Sorbitol is about 60 percent as sweet as sucrose and has a characteristic texture. Its flavor is similar to that of sucrose but it lacks the aftertaste of most other sugars. Sorbitol is found in a variety of natural fruits.

Both gelatin and pectin are thickeners used to make pies, jams, jellies and glazes. Gelatin derives from meat or fish as a by-product of juices released in cooking. Pectin derives from plants and is the substance that gives fruit and vegetable cell walls structure.

Parents are often frightened when they notice their child's hands shaking. However, this symptom rarely indicates a serious underlying condition. Shaking hands are normally caused by tremors, involuntary muscle movements that are similar to twitches.

Heating up cooked egg rolls without altering the texture and flavor can be difficult, since the outside can become too crisp while the inside remains cold. On the other hand, the wrapper can become soggy while the inside dries out.

Serving beef kabobs is a smart way to control portion size when you don't want to give up red meat. Choose a lean cut, such as top round steak, which contains 170 calories and 8 g of fat in each 3 oz. serving, and cube the meat yourself.

Toning your back not only helps your posture -- as stronger back and posterior shoulder muscles pull your shoulders back and avoid that dreaded forward slump -- a toned back also eliminates a bulge that can appear above the top of a strapless dress.

Green chili stew is a thick and filling Mexican dish that is often served for lunch or dinner. The ingredients for green chili stew typically include simply onions, tomatoes, potatoes, stew meat and chilies. If the result is too thin, it will resemble a spicy soup rather than thick, green chili stew.

Not everyone has citric acid powder in the kitchen, but many people keep lemon juice on hand. If you're about to make a recipe calling for citric acid and don't have it on hand, you can easily substitute lemon juice instead. The exact amount will depend on what type of recipe you're making.

Jello-O jigglers, the name for Jell-O made into shapes, are a hand-held snacks that can be made in any flavor or shape. Selecting different flavors of Jello-O to make jigglers provides the option to customize the color to the shape desired.

Cole slaw is a popular side dish for cookouts and other social gatherings, and you can find it at many restaurants as well. While many cole slaw recipes contain mayonnaise, a high-fat and high-calorie ingredient, you can use vinegar as a base to provide moisture and reduce the calorie and fat content.