In a world filled with endless food choices, brightly colored packaging, and cleverly phrased labels can make our heads spin. Buzzwords promising ‘natural’, ‘multi-grain’, and ‘made with real fruit’ are EVERYWHERE on supermarket shelves.
The struggle is, "natural" sounds really good until you realize that mercury and arsenic are also "natural" substances. Not all of these catchy claims mean they are good for you, or healthier. Many are unregulated, potentially rendering them meaningless or misleading to consumers. Yet research indicates we tend to believe in the healthfulness hinted at by these front-of-package declarations.
So today we venture into busting some of this food packaging language's myths that can befuddle even the most savvy shoppers among us, giving you a head start on actually making smarter, healthier choices.
You might have noticed phrases such as 'all-natural' or 'multigrain' adorning your favorite food products. These tempting labels suggest an air of healthiness but often hide behind loose definitions or lack thereof entirely. Consider 'Natural,' for example; while it may hint at a lack of artificial ingredients, there really is no standard definition for it... As I said earlier, mercury and arsenic are natural substances. Plus, many of the added sugars, salt, and refined carbohydrates that exist in ultra-processed foods qualify as "natural," despite their potential ties to chronic health conditions.
Remember then when steering towards 'natural' foods – always aim for less processed ones. Aim for whole foods that are in the same form as found in "nature" with the best forms of nutrients your body needs. Foods that do not require ingredient lists such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and fresh seafood are invariably natural – no hidden clauses there!
Similarly deceptive is the claim “Multigrain”. The term merely means more than one-grain variety used in production; they could all be refined grains that have still been stripped of their fiber and proteins!
Tufts University conducted a study where participants were asked to pick a better whole grain option between two products - one labeled as “made with whole grains,” “multigrain,” or “wheat,” and the other sans any such claims. Despite the non-claiming product packing more whole-grain punch, a staggering 29 to 47 percent of participants chose to go with the wordier option. Aim for foods 'whole grain' or 'whole wheat' as the first in ingredient lists, without other refined flours behind it. Aim for foods with at least 3 grams of (fiber from those whole grains) per serving.
An important tip here for these regulated yet potentially misleading claims would be checking the ingredients list to make sure that conspicuous 'healthy component’ sits right up at the top.
Sorting through food labels doesn't have to feel like learning a foreign language if we make an effort to understand what these statements mean—regulated or not! A classic example is ‘Organic’. An organic label ensures that food is produced without pesticides and certain chemicals. This is a wonderful thing. However, 'organic' does not necessarily promise more nutrition if it's a processed food. Once again, it leads to aiming for those WHOLE foods, or even simple foods where you can pronounce and know what every ingredient in that list is.
Claims like 'excellent source of,' though they sound tempting and healthy, are not always definitive indicators of nutritional value. This phrase just means that food provides at least 20% of a particular nutrient's daily value per serving but might still come loaded with unwanted extras like sugars or other additives that dismantle its overall healthier profile. Certain fiber bars might be an excellent source of fiber, but how much-added sugar and chemicals were added to try to make it taste, well, not like cardboard?
Another buzzword you might frequently encounter while navigating front-of-package claims would be ‘Gluten-Free.’ Foods bearing this label adhere to stringent scientific detection standards ensuring less than 20 parts per million of gluten - essential for individuals diagnosed with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. However, the bare fact remains devoid of any scientific backing that gluten-free food is healthier for the general population. Many gluten-free items are MORE processed because they use refined grains and need chemical binders to hold them together, which is what gluten would do if it were present. That said, many foods are naturally gluten-free and not processed... whole fruits, whole vegetables, brown rice, etc...
Finally, a claim like 'reduced' can also hide behind its ambiguity suggesting at least 25% less of something as compared to the standard food variant without necessarily ensuring it's healthier. A case in point is reduced-fat peanut butter often coming with lower healthy unsaturated fat but more sugar. Reduced-fat yogurt... usually has more added sugar to help bring in a better texture and flavor from the removed fat. Reduced sugar foods might have more fat or chemical sweeteners that can be toxic to the body.
At the end of the day, food labels or front-of-package statements flicker in an enticing way to influence our purchases. While you might be tempted to take these at face value considering them reliable sources of information about a product’s nutritional content - remember that more often than not, they might not tell you the entire story.
Instead, rely on reading the ingredients list and Nutrition Facts panel to comprehend what exactly goes into your body – compare choices within similar food categories and try sticking to minimally processed food whenever possible. Because your health deserves transparency and that little bit of extra scrutiny while selecting what ultimately fuels your body!
Your body will thank you...
Cheers!
~Kristen