Eating well used to be pretty easy; just eat lots of fruits and vegetables. But today’s on-the-go lifestyle has resulted in a plethora of processed and packaged food – with huge opportunities for on-package marketing.
Food producers know that consumers regularly scan packaging to find out what’s inside – so they litter it with phrases like “fat free” and “high source of fiber.” Yet fat free products may be packed with sugar, and fiber sources may be heavy on salt and other nutritional no-no’s.
To avoid being a victim of on-package marketing, skip the claims and go straight for the Nutrition Facts section, which includes not only the calories and vitamins contained in the product but also the sodium and sugar content and the percentage of daily value. Sodium should be less than 500 milligrams per 250 ml serving, and sugar (in any form) should never be listed as one of the first four ingredients.
While it’s best to stay away from processed foods altogether, if that doesn’t work for you, ensure that you know what you’re buying. Read the labels.
