Seven phrases on food packaging that totally deceive you
the aisle of the grocery store has become a brand battle! Food companies are always catching on to new trends, trying to outdo each other and lure you to buy their products. Recently, it means a whole new world of healthy choices with its own language. While it's good for companies to offer healthier options, it can also be confusing to travel to the supermarket. So, in order to find the right food for you, here's a breakdown of seven tricky marketing claims that really mean something - from Bonnie tobdix, RDN, founder betterhandieting.com and the author with the help of "read it before eating."
it may be super food! Or maybe not. The food and drug administration has no official definition of the term "superfood," which means that almost any company can put the label on its products. And, with so much room for interpretation (and misunderstanding), you'll have to read the ingredients list on the package that promotes "super food." From Webster's dictionary, we can get some advice. It defines a superfood: "a food (such as salmon, broccoli or blueberry) that is rich in compounds (such as antioxidants, fiber or fatty acids) and good for human health." And make sure that other ingredients are not a group of unhealthy fillers, such as processed carbohydrates or sugars. Remember: just because they're called superfoods doesn't mean they're miraculous treatments. There is at least one new eating craze every year. The ancient diet was very hot last year. This year is the ketogenic diet. Both are still there. And both of these fashionable diets have disadvantages, including that whole grains and plant protein foods are not allowed in the ancient plan, which may lead to iodine deficiency. For keto fans, a concern is that carbohydrate intake may become too low, leading to ketosis, as well as halitosis and constipation. Although ancient and ketone friendly foods can be included in any nutritious diet, these food marketing terms are not indicators of food health. They simply mean that a food meets the standards of the ancient diet and the ketogenic diet. Now listen to me: why the obsession of Americans with "happiness" makes us feel completely stressed. Credit: alexpro9500 / iStock / gettyimages is quite complicated! USDA has a definition of "natural" for meat and poultry. The point is: "a product that does not contain artificial ingredients or added pigments, with minimal processing." But for most foods, "natural" under FDA supervision is not defined. To be more precise, their general policy is that it is a "natural" food without the addition of artificial food, which is usually unexpected. In these cases, Bonnie Taub Dix, a registered dietitian, said, "the definition depends on the manufacturer's whim." Now, use your judgment to determine if these "natural" foods are right for your diet. Taub Dix's advice: "flip through the package before you eat, look at the ingredients list and see it." The ingredients list should be more like a recipe than a scientific experiment! In essence, "farm fresh" can mean anything you want. This does not mean that food is fresher than any other food. In fact, it may have nothing to do with freshness! To determine this, it is best to refer to the "freshness" date label phrase: "best used / before" refers to the best flavor or quality; "seller" refers to the date when the store stops selling food to you; "user" refers to the last date when the product is recommended for the highest quality. However, keep in mind that these dates are not directly related to food safety. To determine if you think a food has passed your own "farm fresh" test, you can use any date you find on the food package, all the feelings (yes, sniffing and visual inspection), and of course, your common sense! Credit: RG VC / iStock / gettyimages Credit: a-less / iStock / gettyimages as long as you can replace refined grains with whole grains, do it. According to Bonnie Taub Dix, a registered dietitian, whole grain foods naturally contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals than refined grains. But that's why the label is not a healthy beacon: "made with whole wheat" may mean that only a little bit of whole wheat exists (the same applies to "made with organic wheat"). Instead, look for 100% whole wheat stamps. It's that every food I eat contains at least one whole grain. All grains are whole grains. Look at the nutrition facts. If a food contains 5 grams of fiber, no matter what is written on the front of the package, its fiber content is very high! Credit: wdnet / iStock / gettyimages whenever you see the word "artificial", you will try to avoid it. Basically, if your body doesn't need it, why eat it? Your body absolutely doesn't need artificial flavors! So if you see "no artificial flavors," that's a good sign. If you want to be true, don't be swayed by this sentence. You also need to find out if the food contains other artificial ingredients, such as artificial colors, sweeteners and preservatives. Be sure to read the complete list of ingredients so you can fully understand what your food contains. Credit: igordina / iStock / gettyimaWhat do you think of it? Do you find marketing terms on food packaging more or less confusing than in the past? Why or why not? What do you look for on the front of the food package? What health-related terms or phrases would you like to see on packages that you don't (or don't) see now? Share your thoughts and suggestions with us in the comments below. Credit: monkeybusinessimages / iStock / gettyimages Credit: Adobe stock / maria_savenko 1. Including super food
3. Using this label naturally
5. There is absolutely no one size fits all definition of natural sweetness. As the FDA has not yet given the standard definition of "natural", it also makes "natural sweetness" in the gray area. You may see this sentence on the packaging when the minimum amount of processed sugar is used for sweet foods such as maple syrup, evaporated cane juice, coconut honey or honey. But you can also find it in food, using fruit concentrates and even natural sugar substitutes such as Stevia. The term "natural sweetness" does not mean that the calories of food will be reduced; however, in some cases, it may provide additional nutritional benefits. Taub Dix recommends that you read the complete list of ingredients to determine if the "natural sweet" food is right for you.
6. Use whole grains to make
7. No artificial fragrance
