Just because you see labels that say Healthy or low fat on the label does not always mean that it’s good for you. Eating healthy can be harder than you think, in part to a food industry that wants us to eat more than we should or need.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, our country’s agricultural system produces twice as much as we require.
Because of this excess, companies and marketing gurus are coming up with creative ways to sell or persuade consumers to buy the excess. With buzzwords like as “low fat,” “high fiber,” “multigrain” and “natural” even the smarted of shoppers can be fooled and persuaded into thinking that what they’re getting is “healthy”.
So what can we do? How can we be educated?
Read the Ingredients, Not Just the Nutrition Label
"Nothing is more important than the ingredients that you put into your body.” —Brooke Alpert, M.S., R.D., founder of B Nutritious
Buy Foods That Don’t Have a Nutrition Facts Label
“They’re usually whole foods that are what they are, like an orange, an egg, an apple, etc.” —Katie Cavuto, M.S., R.D., the dietician for the Phillies and the Flyers
Check the Fiber Content
“I always look for five grams of fiber or higher on foods.”
Be Wary of Fortified Foods
“Fortified foods aren’t necessarily healthy—some are highly refined and lacking in nutrients. If they have to convince you they’re healthy, they’re probably not.” —Katie Cavuto, M.S., R.D., the dietician for the Phillies and the Flyers
The Cheapest Aisle Has Some of the Healthiest Foods
“Think about it: Dried beans and nuts often aren’t expensive—but have loads of health benefits.” —Kristin Kirkpatrick, M.S., R.D., a wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute
Buy a Few Health Foods in Bulk
“Whether this means a huge tub of Greek yogurt for the week or a big bag of quinoa, lentils, and almonds to last you a few months, your wallet will thank you. Plus, now you’ll never be scrounging for dinner food because plan B will be always be hidden in your pantry.” —Keri Glassman, R.D., Women's Health contributor
Go With a List
“Not only will this keep you from throwing unnecessary items—hello, cookies!—into your cart, but it’ll also help you plan meals for the week and stay organized, especially if you divide the grocery list up by where you’ll find each item.” —Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., the nutrition and health expert for NBC's TODAY Show and Founder of NourishSnacks
Buy Cut-Up Fruit
“I find that it makes me more likely to eat produce throughout the day.” —Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet
The Fewer Ingredients, The Better
“If you apply that general concept to grocery shopping, you’re automatically starting at a healthier place due to overall elimination of the added sugars, fats, and preservatives—and focusing on the most wholesome version of the food.” —Jaclyn London, M.S., R.D., senior clinical dietician at Mount Sinai Hospital
Foods to avoid!
Reduced-fat peanut butter
“Reduced-fat peanut butter has as many calories and more sugar than the regular,” says Bonnie Liebman, nutrition director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Instead: Buy regular peanut butter. Eating one or two ounces of nuts daily is associated with reductions in heart disease and cancer risk. A recent Harvard study showed that eating nuts is associated with lower body weight
Enhanced water
Drinks such as Vitaminwater are essentially sugary drinks with a vitamin pill. They are “unequivocally harmful to health,” says Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health
Instead: Drink water from the tap. It’s the best drink for hydrating your body, is naturally calorie-free and contains fluoride to prevent tooth decay.
