Human beings are becoming more health conscious as their countries approach a health crisis. The vulnerability of healthcare systems, even in countries with a high standard of living, was largely exposed during the COVID-19 outbreak, prompting many people to take better care of their health. physical and mental.
People are making better choices and food companies are alarmed as they realize their products are unhealthy. What should they do if they want to continue selling? Lying or highlighting virtues that do not have to be better, such as the natural or organic classic.
Companies change the information on the boxes of the products that makes them appear healthy. By changing their advertising and adding a few phrases to their packaging, companies food mislead consumers into believing that they are capable of eating healthy.
Here are some strategies companies use to trick you into thinking you’re eating sano. You will be surprised how easy it is.
Food of 100% natural or organic origin
We know, it sounds good. These foods are totally natural and have been created by Mother Nature. But that’s not true. The FDA, a US federal agency linked to the Ministry of Health, for example, has not established no standard specifying what constitutes a 100% natural or all-natural food.
Any company can use this word on the packaging to attract customers. All-natural foods may contain artificial sweeteners, refined carbohydrates, hydrogenated oils, and high fructose corn syrup.
Reading nutrition facts and ingredients is the most effective method of avoiding this marketing gimmick. The product is not entirely natural if there are too many substances that sound processed or that you cannot pronounce.
You can determine if a food is healthy or not by looking at the nutrition facts. Examine the serving size, the number of calories in each serving, as well as grams of fat, carbohydrates and proteins. But, most importantly, check the ingredients.
No sugar added or no sugar
Reducing sugar consumption is a great strategy to take care of health. However, products advertised as sugar-free or with no added sugar often contain artificial sweeteners or laboratory-made sugar alcohols.
The biggest problem with these is that they can cause discomfort and stomach problems. It is preferable to use real sugar or foods that contain real sugar (in low amounts, of course).. Use fruit, honey, maple syrup, or agave sparingly to sweeten dishes without adding processed sugar.
What is clear is that between a normal Coca-Cola and a Diet Coke, the healthiest option is the Light because it is not good to drink a 33 cl drink that has a whopping 20 grams of sugar just to sweeten it.
How to read food labels
One of the best advice we can give you is to completely ignore the claims on the front of the package. Front labels try to entice you into buying products with health claims.
In fact, research shows that adding health claims to front labels makes people believe a product is healthier than the same product that does not include health claims, which affects consumer decisions.
Manufacturers are often dishonest in their use of these labels. They often use misleading and, in some cases, downright false health claims. Some examples are many breakfast cereals with a high sugar content, these products are not healthy no matter how much they say otherwise.
This makes it difficult for consumers to choose healthy options without careful inspection of the ingredient list. Very important: Product ingredients are listed by quantity, from largest to smallest.
This means that the first ingredient is the one that the manufacturer has used the most. A good rule of thumb is to examine the first three ingredients, since they make up the majority of what you’re eating.
If the first few ingredients include refined grains, a type of sugar, or hydrogenated oils, you can assume that the product is unhealthy. Instead, try to choose products whose first three ingredients are whole foods.
Also, an ingredient list of more than two or three lines suggests that the product is highly processed. Be careful with the size of the portions.
Nutrition labels indicate how many calories and nutrients are in a standard amount of the product, often a single suggested serving. However, serving sizes are often much less than what is consumed in one sitting.
For example, a serving might be half a can of soda, a quarter cookie, half a bar of chocolate, or a single cookie. With that, manufacturers try to deceive consumers into thinking that the food has fewer calories and less sugar.
Many people are unaware of this serving size scheme, and assume that the entire package is a single serving, when in reality it can consist of two, three or more servings. If you are interested in knowing the nutritional value of what you eat, you have to multiply the ration that appears on the back for the number of servings you have consumed. Summary: Do not trust the natural / organic.
