When doing your grocery shopping, how many of you are aware in checking the food labels and nutrition facts on the food products you buy? Since most of you have resolved to eat a healthier diet and want to choose the right foods, misleading food labels can be a pain.
Misleading food labels will force you to buy items that you think are good for you, but really aren’t. Here are 8 common labeling tricks to be aware of and should avoid.
1. No Trans Fat
On food labels, anything less than 0.5 grams of trans fat, which is a bad fat that has been linked to heart disease, can be legally rounded down to zero. You can consume a measurable amount of trans fat in a day, if you eat several servings of that trans-fat free foods.
Check the ingredient labels and avoid anything that contains partially hydrogenated oils.
2. All Natural
Having a “natural” label implies that a food contain no artificial ingredients. But that’s not often the case, so be aware and check the ingredients. Avoid food products that are manufactured in a processing plant, that are packed with junk and labeled “all-natural”. In reality, these foods are with foods that was made in a lab, not from nature.
Some packaged foods claming to be natural contain added substances and chemicals, as the FDA has no strict definition of the term. The USDA on the other hand, regulates poultry and meat, and has a more precise definition regarding natural, which is “minimally processed and no artificial ingredients”, but it still allows for some additives. Added to that are the animals raised with hormones and antibiotics.
3. Sugar-Free
Snacks and beverages that are labeled as “sugar-free”, most often used artificial sweeteners instead, which may be sugar-free and low calories, but are loaded with chemicals.
This is a fact, as with the many popular diet beverages nowadays. Studies have proven that people who consumed more than 21 diet beverages per week, are more likely to obese or overweight.
4. High In Fiber
Many packaged foods contain added fiber, including polydextrose, inulin and maltodextrin, to boost their fiber content. These have not been proven to offer the same health benefits, as the naturally-occurring fiber in vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
Inulin may also cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Check the ingredients label to know if a product contains these inferior fibers.
5. Serving Size
This is the biggest trick of all, listing “unrealistic serving sizes” in the Nutrition Facts panel. Often the print reveals that they contain 2-3 three servings, which makes them less healthful than they are. So read the labels before you eat.
6. Organic
There is no conclusive evidence, whether organic produce are more healthful than the conventional kind. What more organic products are more expensive but can be just as high in calories, sugar and salt, as their counterparts. They may also legally contain non-organic ingredients.
7. Contain Vitamins
Most often, beverages and snacks will claim to have vitamins A-X, which tempts consumers to buy because it is good for the health. Yes it might have some vitamins, but in very little amount and those vitamins are not worth the chemicals, sugar, and calories. That is why these foods are called, “fortified junk food.”
8. Multi-grain
Some potato chips and bread products contain the “multi grain” labels. This may appear to be similar to whole wheat or whole grain, which is proven to be healthy for heart and digestive health.
But this is not the case. This means that, the food is made from several grains, which can be either refined or whole. Labels such as “made with” whole wheat and “12 grain” can be equally deceptive. To make sure the food contains whole grains, it should be listed with the word “whole.”
Check out other articles you might find interesting!
– 6 Causes of High Cholesterol You Should Know
– How to Serve a High-Fiber Diet
– How to Reduce Your Sodium Intake in 3 Simple Steps