Tell me you are as confused as I am when reading the nutritional claims plastered on everything from cereal to crackers. What do all the buzz words mean, anyway? Like "enriched." And "fortified."

This one, I think I've got all figured out. Here's the scoop: Enriched means adding back nutrients that were lost during food processing. When wheat is refined, for example, B vitamins disappear. Then they are added back to white flour. Fortified means adding nutrients that were never before present. Take milk. It's fortified with vitamin D to help your body absorb milk's calcium and phosphorus -- but vitamin D doesn't naturally occur in milk.

Next time you're combing the aisles of your local food shop, try to spot some of these words and see just how they pertain to your favorite healthy products. Understanding what they mean just might help you make some nutritious choices.

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Research shows that women who drink even small amounts of alcohol can spike their breast cancer risk. But getting enough folic acid can help.

A long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that the proper intake of the B vitamin may reduce breast cancer risk for those who consume more than the equivalent of one glass of wine per day.

Want to get enough folic acid in your diet? Ask your doctor about a multivitamin containing the recommended amount or make a commitment to consuming lots of fortified cereals, leafy greens, citrus fruits, and juice.

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Because they're filled with vitamins and minerals -- in addition to having very figure-friendly names that include words like "Fit," "Natural," and "Body" -- cereals seem like a healthy way to start your day. I'm not saying they're not, I'm just saying that it's easy to get tricked into thinking a particular cereal is good for you when, in reality, it's not much better than a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

Ideally, you should try to find a cereal that has fewer than 170 calories and less than 10g of sugar per serving. It should also contain at least 4g of fiber per cup. While the aforesaid Fruity Pebbles definitely do not meet this criteria, some that do are Kellog's Unfrosted Mini-Wheats (4.8g fiber, 0.8g sugar); Kashi Vive (9.6g fiber, 136 cal, plus probiotics); Quaker Simple Harvest Vanilla Almond and Honey (160 cal, 4g fiber, 9g sugar).

A totally different option is to start your day with steel cut oatmeal, an ultra healthy (but admittedly unpalatable) bowl of oats that will digest very slowly, leaving you feeling nice and full well into mid-morning. I'm sure there are ways to improve the taste of steel cut oats, but I unfortunately am not a person who knows any. So, please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments section below if you happen to have any recipes or tips.

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Iron is an important nutrient to get in your diet -- not getting enough can lead to exhaustion and anemia. But while people tend to think that red meat is the best source of iron, that's just not true -- there are plenty of lean and even vegetarian sources of iron. Such as? Beans, green veggies, nuts, eggs, molasses, enriched pasta, potato skins and much more. Fitsugar has a great post on Iron and where you can find it.

Adult women should be getting 18 mg of iron a day, which shouldn't be too difficult if you eat a well-balanced, healthy diet. Just don't overdo it -- you can get too much iron too.

Are you getting enough?

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Water is the healthiest drink out there. But is there a way to make water even healthier? How about natural mineral water that is fortified with calcium and magnesium? It's called Contrex and the French, who are renowned for being healthier than us North Americans, have been drinking it for years, according to Fitsugar. Like regular water, it has zero calories but unlike water, it apparently has a taste that's all its own.

I'm not against making water healthier, but I can't say I'm sold. People with a healthy diet should be getting enough calcium and magnesium anyway, so this seems like a pretty blatant marketing ploy. What do you think? Have you tried Contrex?

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When it comes to healthy food choices there are getting to be lots of options out there, which is awesome! But it also leads some people to feel overwhelmed, especially those of us who are busy and don't always have the time for sifting through all the hype when shopping and looking for good products to try. As health-conscious and well-intentioned as we may be, there just aren't enough hours in the day.

So if that sounds like you, then this list compiled by Prevention.com of foods specifically full of Omega-3 's, either naturally or fortified, might be worth looking at. There's 5 suggestions ranging from breakfast fare to workout snacks to craving fixers.

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