Don't fall for these labels

by Martha Edwards (Subscribe to Martha Edwards's posts)
Nov 29th 2007 1:25PM

Categories: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

Health is hip these days, and almost every company out there is trying to capitalize on this by claiming their products are healthy. But unfortunately, many of these so-called 'healthy' items aren't necessarily good for you. Be wary of foods with these labels on them:

All Natural. Sure, it might not be heavily processed, but it still may be high in calories, fat or both.
Cholesterol-free. This doesn't mean fat free. In fact, many cholesterol-free foods are high in saturated fat
Low fat or fat-free. This doesn't mean calorie-free so watch out.
Trans fat-free. Just because there's no trans fat, doesn't mean there's no fat. There are probably some dangerous saturated fats in there.
Low sodium. It's a good idea to reduce your sodium but look into what they've replaced it with. It might be sugar.
Good source of ... Many unhealthy food items claim their healthy by emphasizing one nutrient. For example? Macaroni and cheese packages claim it to be a good source of calcium (it is) but they don't mention that it's very high in fat, sodium and calories.
Multi grain. Multi grains aren't necessarily whole grains, so check the label.
Baked. Backed chips are a better choice than fried ones, but they're often high in calories and sodium
Organic. There's no doubt that organic food is better than regular stuff, but just because it's organic, doesn't mean it's healthy. It can still be high in organic fat and organic calories.

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Comments (1)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

nikkicookers 11-29-2007 @ 2:40PM

Great article. I think there should be more restrictions placed on food manufacturers that stop them from "duping" health-oriented customers. Many people are oblivious to the fact the "all-natural," "reduced fat," and "no sugar added" are just BS words.

nikki
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