Don’t Fall for the Marketing! By Kia Edwards
In the quest for healthy living, we all face a few challenges. Some people hate eating healthy, while others constantly try to eat healthy only to be foiled by some clever marketing tactics. There are many foods that claim to possess certain health benefits to get us to buy their products. The trick is that these tactics aren’t regulated by any governing body. Here are a few examples:
“Lightly Sweetened”
- There is no regulation used to determine which food is lightly sweetened and which isn’t since there is no regulation on adding sugar to food. This term is used in order to make foods more marketable…not many people are willing to buy foods that say “LOADED with sugar”.
“Made with Whole Grains”
- This term has become quite popular with cereals. They’re not lying- but this statement does lead the cautious shopper to believe that the product is a better choice than other cereals while causing the more carefree shopper to think that it’s the best invention ever. Period. The whole grain claim is usually backed by including a tiny amount of whole grains in the product. If you take a look at the ingredients list, you’ll likely find that there is more sugar than whole grains.
“High in Fiber”
- Adding fiber is another way to make foods seem healthier. Snack bars, cereals and even some desserts have added fiber so they can claim health benefits. The truth? The fiber added doesn’t usually come from natural sources such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans. They tend to come from isolated fibers- which don’t have the same health benefits as natural sources of fiber. Some of them can help with digestion, but none of them can help with lowering cholesterol. These foods are NOT a suitable replacement for natural sources of fiber.
Fortunately, the FDA recently announced that it is going to revamp nutrition labels and it might even create new regulations so foods that are “lightly sweetened” will have an actual standard to accurately judge its claim. Until these changes occur, here is some advice when choosing food: read the labels carefully! The ingredients should be things that you recognize (eggs, flour, quinoa, yeast, etc.). However, if you find yourself struggling to pronounce the name of an ingredient (i.e. Monosodium glutamate, which is better known as MSG), and you have no idea what it is, leave it alone. Foods in their most natural form are always a safer choice in these instances as highly processed foods tend to contain these mystery ingredients. Eating a chicken leg or breast is one thing, but chicken nuggets? I’m not sure what part of the bird they come from. Being more vigilant about marketing tactics will make your quest for healthy living far easier!
Kia Edwards is a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist who lives in New York City. She studied French and Economics at Colgate University, spent 15 years as a high-level competitive gymnast and 6 years as a gymnastics coach. Her business, La Fortesse At Home Fitness Training, helps clients get healthy with simple at home exercises and nutrition counseling. www.LaFortesse.com