Read Food labels carefully
Not every food package you buy is healthy as it seems on the label. Yes, this is true; food items with labels such as “heart-healthy” and “all-natural,” are available in almost every supermarket, and it seems healthy on the first go. But in many cases, those front labels are to make their products sound better, which is not the case.
Most of these dried, packaged foods are filled with salt, sugar, factory fats, artificial flavors, food coloring, and preservatives. When these are applied, and the essential nutrients required to protect your wellbeing are taken off. The food is nothing but the mess with all of the chemicals in it. Also, many companies do not directly label sugar as sugar or fat as fat. Instead, they surrender to cheap marketing gimmick of altering their names to sell more products.
Examples of misleading food labels
1. A food containing whole grains that trumpets itself will have more sugar than grains.
2. In reality, a food that promises to be trans-fat-free may include a source of trans fat such as 0.5gms of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil.
3. Natural labels:
This label can be deceptive because the term “natural” is not well-defined and can be used to describe a wide variety of ingredients, including those that are heavily processed.
4. Gluten-free labels:
While these labels are helpful for those with gluten intolerance or celiac disease, some gluten-free products may contain high amounts of sugar, salt, and fat.
5. Organic labels:
While organic foods may be grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, they can still be high in calories, sugar, or fat.
6. Whole-grain labels:
These labels can be misleading because some products that claim to be whole-grain may actually contain very little whole grain and may be high in refined flour and sugar.
Thus, learning precisely about ingredient lists will make you understand what packaged food contains. However, the ingredients are described in a primarily descending order. The components that matter the most are the first two or three ingredients; after that, elements will appear in very tiny quantities at the bottom of the list.
Now, when you go sprawling the supermarket the next time, check labels. Here are 5 top ways to spot harmful food packaging labels in the supermarket.
5 Ways to spot harmful ingredients on food labels
1. Whole grain/whole wheat on food label:
Nowadays, people are looking for whole grain or whole wheat. But are they really whole grains? Or just a percentage of it? Whole grains foods usually have a refined grain, which is very harmful to our body as refined grains cause high sugar, blood pressure, belly fat, etc. Eating whole wheat bread can create havoc in the body if it has refined flour. But then, the question arises – how whole wheat can contain refined flour? It is illegal. Unfortunately, according to the Whole Grains Council, food can be labeled whole grain if it has at least 8 grams of whole grain, but it doesn’t mean 100% whole grain. That food may still be mostly refined fine flour.
So, now onwards, when you pick bread, cereals, pasta, or cookies, check the first or second ingredient. It should be whole wheat, oats, rye, or another grain. If you see bran high up on the list of ingredients, this is a great option. But if it has “refined grain” or “enriched flour” or “bleached meal” as a first or second ingredient, then do not buy it. It is not healthy.
2. Sodium Nitrite on food label
Sodium nitrite acts as a preservative in many package foods. To prevent bacterial growth, food manufacturers add sodium nitrate to deliver meats, Salami, Ham, Hot dogs, Bacon, Sausage, Corned beef, any salted, cured or smoked meats, and so on.
This drug has been linked with heart disease, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, and cancer. It influences energy metabolism in the long run and reduces the body’s ability to digest carbohydrates, contributing to diabetes. So, avoid foods that have this ingredient.
3. Spot the Hidden Sugar on food label
To avoid sugar, we usually buy food packages which labeled as no added sugar or zero sugar. But they are more harmful than routine food with sugar. This is because we eat more as we think it’s okay, and certain types of sugars are detrimental to the body than the usual ones. Usually, sugar masquerades under different names when it comes to labeling the packages. So, instead of the word ‘sugar’ one should watch for ingredients like dextrose, fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, levulose, maltose, sucrose, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, beet sugar, maize sugar, corn sweetener, high fructose maize syrup, invert sugar, isomaltose, maltodextrins, maple sugar, sorghum or turbinate sugar.
You might even find more than one mentioned here. These are all just variations on low-nutrient, high-calorie added sugars. Eating foods with these ingredients can spike blood sugar too much and can be detrimental to health.
Also, a food sweetened with “sugar alcohols” on the nutritional label can say 0 grams of sugar, ‘sugar-free’ or ‘no added sugar.’ However, sugar alcohols deserve special mention as they are acting like sugar only. There are several different varieties, including some of the most common: sorbitol, mannitol, and maltitol. In general, the body is not entirely consuming sugar alcohol, which means it will have less of an effect on blood sugar. That’s usually positive, but the side effects are intestinal pain, bloating, and gas. Also, to soft drinks, soda, frozen sweets, baked goods, chewing gum, and so on, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin are added. Those are used to mimic sugar’s sweetness, but it does more harm than good. Artificial sweetener intake can interrupt your metabolic system and trick your brain to have more sweetness, which increases sugar cravings.
4. Watch out for the kind of fat on food label
Most foods contain fat, but we need to spot what kind of fat food packages have? Foods with trans fats or saturated fats are harmful. So, go for unsaturated such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that support health. Products with a high amount of bad fat or trans fats are crackers, popcorn, fries, bakery products such as muffins, cakes, pastries, doughnuts, etc. Hunt for the foods containing zero trans fats, but be careful, since zero trans-fat means a product containing less than 1 gram of trans fat per serving. When you eat several portions a day, these small quantities will add up.
Nowadays, many companies do not show word trans-fat; instead, they use words like partially hydrogenated oil or vegetable oil or palm oil. Be aware of that as all these are primary sources of trans fat though it is derived naturally. Food that has used sunflower, grapeseed, olive oil, or nut oil or nut butter is always healthier. Thus, opt for less trans-fat and more unsaturated fats.
5. Artificial colors on food label
Artificial colors are used to improve the color of the food and make it look a lot more attractive. These colors contain various risks: some of them have been related to multiple health conditions, such as allergic reactions, nausea, asthma, skin rashes, hyperactivity, headaches, and are also associated with different types of cancers.
Many packaged foods, such as candies, sweets, pet food, baked goods, cereals, and even medications, contain artificial colors. Natural food colors are always better than artificial ones. Even products labeled as all-natural include artificial colors. Before purchasing, read the label of the product to see if it contains artificial or natural colors.
Conclusion
Now, you have enough information to know what to check before purchasing any food package. Instead of trusting front labels, check the ingredients list. After all, health matters the most. So, a little bit of hard work during shopping can go a long way.
