Reading
labels can be tricky; as we are
becoming more health-conscious than ever, some food manufacturer’s use misleading
tricks convincing us to buy highly processed and unhealthy products. Also, food
labelling regulations are complex, making it harder for us to understand them. This
article explains how to read food labels so that you can differentiate between mislabelled
junk and truly healthy foods.
Don’t Let the Claims on the Front Fool You
One
of the best tips may be to completely ignore claims on the front of the
packaging. Front labels try to lure you into purchasing products by making
health claims. In fact, research shows that adding health claims to front
labels makes people believe a product is healthier than the same product that
doesn't list health claims — thus affecting consumer choices. Manufacturers are
often dishonest in the way they use these labels. They tend to use health
claims that are misleading and in some cases downright false. Examples include
many high-sugar breakfast kinds of cereal like whole-grain cereals, zero fat and zero
sugar. Despite what the label may imply, these products are not healthy. This
makes it hard for consumers to choose healthy options without a thorough
inspection of the ingredients list.
Study the Ingredients List
Product
ingredients are listed by quantity — from highest to lowest amount. This means
that the first ingredient is what the manufacturer used the most of. A good rule of thumb is to scan the
first three ingredients, as they make up the largest part of what you're
eating. If the first ingredients
include refined grains, a type of sugar, or hydrogenated oils, you can assume
that the product is unhealthy.
Instead,
try choosing items that have whole foods listed as the first three ingredients. In addition, an ingredients list that
is longer than two to three lines suggests that the product is highly
processed.
Watch out for Serving Sizes
Nutrition
labels state how many calories and nutrients are in a standard amount of the
product — often a suggested single serving. However, these serving sizes are
frequently much smaller than what people consume in one sitting. For example,
one serving may be half a can of soda, a quarter of a cookie, half a chocolate
bar, or a single biscuit. In doing so, manufacturers try to deceive consumers
into thinking that the food has fewer calories and less sugar. Many people are
unaware of this serving size scheme, assuming that the entire container is a
single serving, when in truth it may consist of two, three, or more servings.
If
you're interested in knowing the nutritional value of what you're eating, you
need to multiply the serving given on the back by the number of servings you
consumed.
The Most Misleading Claims
Health
claims on packaged food are designed to catch your attention and convince you
that the product is healthy. Here are some of the most common claims — and what
they mean:
Light-
Light products are processed to reduce either calories or fat. Some products
are simply watered down. Check carefully to see if anything has been added
instead — like sugar.
Multigrain-
This sounds very healthy but only means that a product contains more than one
type of grain. These are most likely refined grains — unless the product is
marked as whole grain.
Natural-
This does not necessarily mean that the product resembles anything natural. It
simply indicates that at one point the manufacturer worked with a natural
source like apples or rice.
Organic-
This label says very little about whether a product is healthy. For example,
organic sugar is still sugar.
No
added sugar- Some products are naturally high in sugar. The fact that they
don't have added sugar doesn't mean they're healthy. Unhealthy sugar
substitutes may also have been added.
Low
calorie- Low-calorie products have to have one-third fewer calories than the
brand's original product. Yet, one brand's low-calorie version may have similar
calories as another brand’s original.
Low
fat- This label usually means that the fat has been reduced at the cost of
adding more sugar. Be very careful and read the ingredients list.
Low
carb- Recently, low-carb diets have been linked to improved health. Still,
processed foods that are labelled low-carb are usually still processed junk
foods, similar to processed low-fat foods.
Made
with whole grains- The product may contain very little whole grains. Check the
ingredients list — if whole grains aren't in the first three ingredients, the
amount is negligible.
Fortified
or enriched- This means that some nutrients have been added to the product. For
example, vitamin D is often added to milk. Yet, just because something is
fortified doesn’t make it healthy.
Gluten
free- Gluten free doesn’t mean healthy. The product simply doesn't contain
wheat, spelt, rye, or barley. Many gluten-free foods are highly processed and
loaded with unhealthy fats and sugar.
Fruit
flavoured- Many processed foods have a name that refers to a natural flavour,
such as strawberry yogurt. However, the product may not contain any fruit —
only chemicals designed to taste like fruit.
Zero
Trans-fat- This phrase means "less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per
serving." Thus, if serving sizes are misleadingly small, the product may
still contain trans-fat.
Despite
these cautionary words, many truly healthy foods are organic, whole grain, or
natural. Still, just because a label makes certain claims, doesn’t guarantee
that it’s healthy.
Different Names for Sugar
Sugar
goes by countless names — many of which you may not recognize.
Food
manufacturers use this to their advantage by purposely adding many different
types of sugar to their products to hide the actual amount.
In
doing so, they can list a healthier ingredient at the top, mentioning sugar
further down. So even though a product may be loaded with sugar, it doesn't
necessarily appear as one of the first three ingredients. To
avoid accidentally consuming a lot of sugar, watch out for the following names
of sugar in ingredient lists:
Types
of sugar: beet sugar, brown sugar, buttered sugar, cane sugar, caster sugar,
coconut sugar, date sugar, golden sugar, invert sugar, muscovado sugar, organic
raw sugar, raspadura sugar, evaporated cane juice, and confectioner's sugar.
Types
of syrup: carob syrup, golden syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, agave
nectar, malt syrup, maple syrup, oat syrup, rice bran syrup, and rice syrup.
Other
added sugars: barley malt, molasses, cane juice crystals, lactose, corn
sweetener, crystalline fructose, dextran, malt powder, ethyl maltol, fructose,
fruit juice concentrate, galactose, glucose, disaccharides, maltodextrin, and
maltose.
Many
more names for sugar exist, but these are the most common.
If
you see any of these in the top spots on the ingredients lists — or several
kinds throughout the list — then the product is high in added sugar.
The Bottom Line
The
best way to avoid being misled by product labels is to avoid processed foods
altogether. After all, whole food doesn’t need an ingredients list.
Still,
if you decide to buy packaged foods, be sure to sort out the junk from the
higher-quality products with helpful tips in this article.
Comments
Post a Comment