Decoding Food Buzzwords
Healthy lifestyle coach Jeanette Jenkins explains the meaning behind some common food buzzwords in her NeverSayDiet blog:
Light: It has less fat per serving than the standard version, but a “light” food can still be very high in calories and can still contain chemicals and preservatives.
Fat-free: It contains no fat, but be on the lookout for chemical fat substitutes and high sugar content.
Sugar-free: It doesn’t have sugar, but may contain man-made chemical sugar substitutes.
Heart healthy: The product is low in cholesterol and saturated fat, but a heart healthy food can be refined or processed, which is still bad for your heart
All natural: the product is not man-made, but it can still have added chemicals to preserve it
Cholesterol-free: It doesn’t have cholesterol, but a cholesterol-free food can still contain high amounts of sugar, sodium, additives and preservatives.
Certified Organic: This is the only label that guarantees there are no chemical additives or preservatives, although it is still important to read the ingredients so that you find the best brands and products.
Read the rest of the article for more healthy tips.
Do you usually reach for foods with buzzwords? Tell us in the comments.
Photo by: iLoveButter
By February 1
You see them plastered on foods up and down the grocery store aisles: light, fat-free, all natural, organic, heart-healthy, magical weight-loss powers… (Okay, we made that last one up). Point is, lots of foods claim to be healthy–but what they’re claiming isn’t always crystal clear.
