Food Labels

Don’t be fooled by food labels. According to Marion Nestle, PhD, author of Food Politics, we interpret all health claims to mean low-cal.

You can’t judge a food by its packaging. Just because it’s organic, high-protein or low-fat doesn’t mean it’s a diet-friendly option. When foods carry claims like “made with whole grains” or “low in sugar,” we think we’re buying health food — even though that isn’t necessarily the case. And when we think we’re being healthy, we reward ourselves by eating up to 44 percent more. Part of that reason is because we underestimate the amount of calories in so-called health food.

Disregard the alluring food labels on the front of packaging and check the nutrition information for yourself. Take a close look at the serving size and calculate how much you would realistically consume in one sitting before digging in.