Watching Your Weight? Don't Be Confused (or Fooled!) by These Labels....

I recently read an article that talked about a University of South Carolina study, which showed those who are trying to lose weight ( a whole lot of people at this time of year!) are more likely to be deceived by food labels.   Apparently the most commonly misunderstood labels include "gluten-free", "trans fat free", "no high fructose corn syrup", "whole grain", "low-fat", and "organic".  But I work in a supermarket and I can tell you right now there are a few other labels that can be just as confusing.  Please continue reading to see what these labels really mean.  And if you want more help, order your "Personal Food Label Guide" at the end of my blog post (the guide was written by yours truly!).

Source: iStock Photos

Trying to lose weight? Trying to be healthier this year? Keep in mind the true meaning of the following food labels (nutrition and nutrient claims); 

Whole Grain:  Sure, the food may have whole grains, but it may not be a significant amount.  In other words, there is probably a bread or pasta on the shelf with more whole grains, and that is the one that has the "100% Whole Grain" claim.  You want more whole grains for more fiber, B-vitamins, and other nutrients.

Source: iStock Photo

Multigrain: This is my favorite.  The "multigrain" claim sounds so healthy, doesn't it?? Every once in a while you will find a bread, cereal, pasta, etc. that claims to be "multigrain" that is actually made with multiple whole grains, but most often it's just made with several grains that are refined.  Or, sometimes you will see; refined wheat...a few other ingredients.... and oats.  Great.  One whole grain (the oats) and it's the least prevalent grain.  Not as healthy as you thought, right?! Does this mean don't buy it?  Not at all, just be aware you may not be getting what you think.

Gluten Free:  Do you believe there are still people out there who think that "gluten free" means healthy, or low-fat?  Believe it.  And, it's not true.  In fact, many gluten-free foods have more fat and more sugar than their gluten-filled originals.   Read the nutrition facts carefully.  Period.

This is a gluten free cookie cake (DELICIOUS!).  It had 10 grams more sugar than the non-gluten free version on the shelf.

No High Fructose Corn Syrup:  Mmmm k.  So what?!  If you are trying to avoid HFCS because you think it's highly processed and detrimental to your health for some reason, that's fine (although I don't really think it's as bad as some people think, but that's for another blog post) but don't be fooled into thinking it will cause weight gain any more than the other "added sugars".  Most foods with the claim "no HFCS" still have other sugars like sucrose, molasses, honey, evaporated cane juice, etc, which are almost exactly the same as HFCS.  In other words, the company is just swapping one added sugar for another.  You want to limit all types of sugars if you are trying to lose, or maintain a healthy weight.

This is a label for bread.  

This is the ingredient list for the bread pictured above.  Let's count the sources of sugar;
Sugar, Honey, Molasses
So, it may not have HFCS, but it still has 3 sources of added sugar!  Granted, they constitute 2% or less of the total ingredients, but so would the HFCS if it were in this bread.....

Trans Fat Free:   Trans-fat free just means the product contains half a gram, or less trans fat per serving.  Eat more than one serving and you could possibly have close to a full gram of trans fat!  That's a full gram too much.  Instead of looking for "trans fat free" look at the ingredient list and make sure there are no "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils.

Low Fat:   Doesn't mean low calorie. Doesn't mean low-sugar. And doesn't mean low sodium.  Remember, food companies have to make up for that fat taste somewhere, and it's typically with more salt, sugar, or something else.  It's fine to eat low-fat foods, but be aware it doesn't mean you can eat the whole bag!

Organic:  Doesn't always mean healthy. Period.  Have you seen the "organic candy bars"? They were made with organic ingredients, not less sugar, or less fat, or whole grains, or whatever else you associate with "healthy" (learn more about what "organic" means by purchasing my book, or viewing the USDA website).

Source: iStock Photo
Looking for "organic" and "natural" foods?  Look in your produce aisle for the best options.  Then you will know you are making a delicious and healthy choice!

Natural:  No one is actually monitoring the use of this term.  Did you know that?  And, there is no actual definition for this term either, which is why so many companies use it on their labels.  The FDA has said that the term "natural" can be used on foods that are "minimally processed, with no artificial colors or additives"....but, no one is actually making sure companies are using this term in the correct way.  Not only that, but even if a food really is labeled "natural" correctly, it doesn't mean it's healthy!  I mean....see the "Organic" segment above.  

Click on the PayPal link below to purchase your "Personal Food Label Guide"!  You can get it sent to you as a PDF file, and save it on your SmartPhone desktop as an "app".  This guide can be especially helpful for dietitians, as I refer to it quite often.

 

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

The Omnivore's Dilemma

On Friday I posted a review of the book The United States of Arugula. Today I will be discussing this book:

** If I wanted to give a full review of this book I would probably take up ten posts worth of space. This post is not a review, but a summary of my thoughts about some of the topics brought up and candidly discussed in the book. Even this post is overly-simplified, but hopefully you'll read enough to entice you to read the book yourself. Specifically, Pollan's discussion on the ethical issues involved with eating animals was very interesting, yet not discussed in this review.**

On Wednesday of last week I presented some information from this book, along with information on navigating the grocery store, to a group of eighth graders at a local middle school. They were in the middle of reading the children's version of the book for class, which I thought was pretty fantastic.


This book really got me thinking. Since when do we need a label that told us that what we were buying is "REAL"? When did "real cheese" escape from our food supply? Apparently it's been happening very slowly, right in front of us, but we just don't seem to care.




At the beginning of my presentation to the eighth graders I talked about how years ago (early 1900s through the mid 1950s, I would guess) dietitians worked in hospital kitchens, mainly feeding sick patients (including many men of war), and serving food to customers of the hospital. Flash forward 50 years and now one of the primary roles of dietitians is to help people develop healthier diets, learn how to navigate grocery stores, understand food labels, and understand the basic concepts of healthy eating. Omnivores eat both meat and plants, and therefore have millions of different foods from which to choose for the thousands of meals they will eat in their lifetime. And in fact, this is "the omnivore's dilemma" in a nutshell. Back in the early 1900s, people didn't need RDs to tell them how to eat, because food was so much less complicated! Now it takes an hour to decide which type of yogurt, bread, or multivitamin to buy.

Source: iStock Photo

Speaking of multivitamins, we didn't even have these 70 years ago...so why the heck do we need them now?! If today we have access to the most healthy and nourishing foods, why are we fortifying our bodies with all of these extra vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, etc? Have you ever thought that maybe that is the reason for the rise in cancer deaths? Just a thought.....

Source: iStock Photo

I presented to 8 different groups of eighth graders and I asked each group; "how many of you drink vitamin water?". More than half of the students in each group raised their hands. The same was true, by the way, when I asked them if they drank Gatorade or Powerade. They were floored when I told them both drinks were really not as good for them as they had once thought. Check out this article to read more about teens and sports drink.


Further into my presentation I discussed some of the common myths about food and nutrition. First and foremost, high fructose corn syrup isn't necessarily BAD for you, but like the book implied, it's bad because it's so cheap and easily accessible. American's will eat more if given the opportunity (especially when the food is high fat and high sugar), and the corn industry has provided that opportunity to "get more for your money" and we're taking advantage. I discussed how HFCS is the scapegoat, because in reality any form of "added sugar" can cause health disparities when consumed in excess amounts, but it just so happens that HFCS is so freaking cheap, therefore it's found in just about every food (or at least some form of corn is found in every food....) therefore HFCS and corn are all of a sudden "the bad guys". By the way, here are some of the things that corn is turned into:

Corn syrup

Maltodextrin

Ethanol

Lecethin

di- tri- and mono-glycerides

Dextrose

Vegetable shortening

Citric acid

.....

I think I shocked the kids when I told them CORN is actually one of my favorite foods. Not necessarily the corn that is depicted so gruesomely in the book, but popcorn. Popcorn in it's simplest form, not microwaveable popcorn, which has been chemically altered and loaded with butter and salt. Do I frown upon the microwaveable popcorn? Not at all. Do I eat it, and other processed foods, in moderation? Absolutely. If all Americans did this, maybe we wouldn't have such an issue with obesity. But at the same time, as depicted in this book, if processed foods weren't so cheap, and if corn wasn't subsidized by our government, giving farmers more reason to produce more and more of it, maybe more American's would start eating more natural foods.


Speaking of the word "Natural", this word has been completely distorted in the past several years. You can buy a "natural" snack bar that contains some of the most unnatural ingredients; such as maltodextrin and lecithin (both are modified forms of corn, most often). As stated in the book, "Natural raspberry flavor doesn't mean the flavor came from a raspberry; it may have been derived from corn, just not something synthetic" (Pollan). Check out Melinda's post to read more about the term "Natural", and how it's a complete misnomer, or read my post, here. I told the kids to look for foods with the least amount of ingredients possible, rather than seeking out "healthy" words on labels. These days, that's the only way you know you are getting something that is at least close to natural.

I actually brought a container of Ben and Jerry's ice cream to show the kids that just because something has a label that says, "All Natural", it doesn't mean it's healthy. Ironically that same night when I was on my computer I found this article about how Ben and Jerry's must now remove their "All Natural" label, due to the presence some unnatural ingredients. Wow, I'm impressed! Let's not stop there, ok? There are about ten thousand more products that seem to be misleading consumers by using this term.


Want all natural ice cream? Come to my kitchen!




What about organic? Surely our precious organic foods must be what they say. Right? Well yes. The term "organic" has a lot more meaning than the term "natural" and in fact the term "organic" is regulated. The sad thing is, however, "Even organic food has succumbed to the economic logic of processing" (Pollan), as you can now buy foods made with organic maltodextrin, corn starch, xantham gum; all of which are modified forms of corn, or other subsidized food crops.



"Organic agriculture has grown more successful, finding its way into the supermarket and the embrace of agribusiness, organic farming has increasingly come to resemble the industrial system it originally set out to replace...(Pollan)"


In regards to laws about organic foods: "The USDA listened to arguments on both sides and finally ruled that (organic) dairy cows must have "access to pasture".... (Pollan) (as in, at some point during the day they are allowed to roam through the pasture, but most of the time it's a very short period of time....oh boy! How kind.)


"Along with the national list of permissible synthetics [such as ascorbic acid and xantham gum], "access to pasture", and for other organic animals, "access to the outdoors" indicate how the word "organic" has been stretched and twisted to admit the very sort of industrial practices for which it once offered a critique and alternative" (Pollan).

So here are some closing thoughts I pass on to YOU:

"These days, we need food scientists to feed us." (Pollan)

Let's at least try to be our own food scientists more often....




Don't want to grow a garden? Let a local farmer do that for you, whenever possible.

"These days, 19% of American meals are eaten in the car." (Pollan)

Let's at least try to make those "in car meals/snacks" a bit more healthy, by planning ahead before going on trips, or even keeping healthy snacks in the car at all times, just in case. Fruits and veggies are always fabulous options.

Question: What's one thing you will do today to bring yourself closer to the land, and further from the food scientists?

Demystifying Label Claims

Do you ever read label claims and wonder, "what the heck does this even mean?!". I know I do! This post is meant to clear up some of the confusion when it comes to some very common label claims. SOURCE: ADA TIMES

Natural: While there is no specific definition, the FDA has not objected to the use of this term, as long as it is used in a truthful and non-misleading manor. The product should not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances. The use of the term "natural" cannot be added to ingredients on the ingredient list (for example, a company cannot write, "natural salt"), with the exception of the phrase "natural flavorings". The FDA does not regulate the use of this term, so you've got to trust the company from whom you are buying.


Processed vs. Unprocessed: According to the Farm Bill of 2008, a processed food is one that has "been processed to the point it undergoes a change of character". What does this mean? While many people consider frozen and canned fruits and vegetables, "processed", this apparently is not accurate. Examples include; raw nuts (unprocessed) vs. roasted nuts (processed); edamame (unprocessed) vs. tofu (processed); a head of spinach vs. cut, pre-washed spinach (processed). Does this make you change your view of processed foods? I bet you had no idea tofu was considered processed!



Whole Food: Refers to foods that are not processed, refined, or have added ingredients. There are several different definitions of whole foods, but by most definitions, whole foods would include whole grains, dairy, fresh produce, meat, and fish. Basically, any food that appears in it's most pure form, and which has undergone minimal processing.

Organic (meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy): These animals were not given antibiotics or growth hormones (Defined by the USDA)

Organic (plant foods): Produced without using most conventional pesticides; synthetic fertilizers bioengineering, or ionizing radiation. It is imperative that all farms be inspected to ensure that these standards have been followed, before allowing the "organic claim". There are also USDA standards for organic handling and processing.

Three levels of Organic
100 Percent Organic: Products that are completely organic or made of only organic ingredients qualify for this claim and a USDA Organic seal.


Organic: Products in which at least 95 percent of its ingredients are organic quality for this claim and a USDA Organic seal.


Made with Organic Ingredients: These foods are food products in which at least 70 percent of ingredients are certified organic. The USDA seal may not be used on these packages, but there can be a claim that the product is "made with organic ingredients".

To read more about the USDA Organic Seal, click here

Live and Active Culture: When purchasing yogurt, always look for a claim that the yogurt contains "Live and Active Cultures", not that is was made with them (because all yogurt is made with live and active cultures). This doesn't necessarily mean it has a beneficial amount, but at least you know that there are some live and active cultures. Also look for the Live and Active Cultures seal (below), which represents the fact that the product has at least 100 million viable bacteria at the time of manufacturing. The addition of alternative probiotics (not just the ones used to make the yogurt) makes the yogurt even more unique. Look for probiotics such as L. bulgaricus, B. bifidus, L. casei, and L. reuteri on the ingredient list.



Free Range: Do you by free range chicken or eggs? Keep in mind this does not necessarily mean that the chickens were allowed to roam free all the time. This count possibly mean that the chickens were given access to the outside, but not at all times. "The USDA regulations do not specify the quality or size of the outside range nor the duration of time an animal must have access to the outside" (Wikepedia). So while it's nice to think that these chickens are 100% free to roam wherever they wish, this is likely not the case.


Antibiotic Free: This doesn't really mean anything other than the fact that at the time of packaging, testing showed zero antibiotics in the animal. The animal could have been given antibiotics throughout its life, but they just so happen to be out of the system by the time of packaging. If you want 100% antibiotic free animal products, look for "Raised without antibiotics", or buy Organic.

Giveaway Update

Chia Seed giveaway!

Coming Up

Tonight Nick and I are going to do a "semi-final" walk through of our two favorite houses. I want one, he wants the other. We will be keeping track of the positives and negatives of each, then reviewing them at the end and hopefully making a decision. I hope this ends well, we've actually been fighting over this house issue a lot lately. This has been much more difficult than I ever imagined. I think we'll need to discuss our choice over a nice beer at our favorite local pub. Yeah, that sounds nice ;) That's what Fridays are for!

This weekend I will be posting about the DHA/EPA and mercury levels in different fish. Until next time, have a great evening!