Health food has become the norm for many. People tend to look for healthy choices everywhere, starting from supermarkets to restaurants. Adding one healthy ingredient to the regular food label would uplift its value instantly and that is what the food product manufacturers are doing to grab more customers worldwide. More and more people are lured by the catchy taglines and attractive food labels, however there is much more that needs to be checked in the food label apart from just few highlighted healthy ingredients!
The nutrition labels are mostly misleading and about 59% of the consumers find it difficult to interpret them correctly. Some food labels also come with a false health claim to sell the unhealthy stuff with a healthy makeover. One needs to refrain from buying any such product that comes with false health claim and to make it possible, here are the common health claims one may follow cautiously.
1. No Added Sugar
If healthy to you means the one having no sugar then this label would definitely attract you. Sugar is considered to be the worst thing to have when you are on weight loss regime or suffering from high blood sugar. There are many other healthy reasons for avoiding sugar and food product manufacturers know this well. Now, if you come across any such claim then don’t just blindly buy the product. Check out for nutrition label. Even when there is no added sugar, some natural ingredients like fruits, concentrates, milk, and certain vegetables have sufficient sugar to raise the sugar levels. Also if nutrition label specifies the amount of sugar, check the serving size mentioned as that may be quite smaller compared to what you actually consume!
2. Free of Fat
This is always misleading. There are different types of fat like saturated fat, unsaturated fat, Trans fat, MUFA, and PUFA. The health counsellors have educated people about these different fat types. People have consciously started checking these labels, however when the product says ZERO FAT or FAT FREE then they won’t be free of fat always. They might be loaded with carbohydrates and sugar that would be more dangerous sometimes. The low fat versions are loaded with taste enhancers to compensate for the fat.
3. Organic
Organic is not always healthy. Anything can be labeled organic only if it is made from 70% organically grown ingredients. The ingredients that are grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are called organic, but it is not necessarily true that all organic products are healthy! Even sugar, calories, and fat rich products are organic by label. If you are looking for healthy choices, then don’t just find organic as it would sometimes lead you to wrong food choices in terms of calories and fat. Go organic but healthy way!
4. Multigrain
Multigrain is the new trend in food industry. The products are labeled multigrain by adding different grains like wheat, oatmeal, maize, and many other healthy varieties to its making. You may also get tempted to such labels as there is much hype created about it. However, it is important to find out whether these multigrain variety has whole grain or not! Whole grain are rich in nutrients and fibers which may be lost when refined. Even if the label suggests multigrain, look out for the nutrition label to see the fiber and nutrient content. Buy only the multigrain products with whole grain in it.
5. Gluten Free
Supermarkets are flooded with gluten free varieties these days. Gluten found in some grains may be not suitable for those suffering from gluten intolerance. Even the patients of celiac disease require gluten free diet. Wheat is rich in gluten. The innovation in food industry has brought in many healthy alternatives for gluten free diet. It is really good but at the same time these gluten free food products are costly compared to their standard counterparts. If you don’t have any gluten restrictions then no need to buy gluten free product as they lack the essential fibers too.
Some food labels are meant for the customer’s knowledge whereas many are meant for marketing. Stay away from misleading taglines and labels, buy only the best for your body.
Author Bio
When hobby meets with profession, it gets converted to passion. This holds true for Karishma, an article writer. She explores various topics through her pen and that makes her so particular about the subject selection. Her articles on Turmeric Curcumin Shop talks about natural health and weight management remedies.