It sometimes is difficult to figure out which nutrient claims matter and which do not when you are at the grocery store. “Reduced sugar”, “low sodium”, “cholesterol free”, “trans-fat free”, “all natural”, and dozens of other claims catch our eyes as we wander down the grocery store aisles. Here are some common marketing schemes that are sometimes misleading.

Misleading numbers - Numbers sometimes are very misleading. Compare a brand’s regular cookie with 4 grams (g) of fat to its reduced-fat version with the label stating that it contains “⅓ less fat.” You still are talking about 2.7 g of fat/cookie, rounded up to 3 g on the Nutrition Facts label. Look closer and you are even more likely to see that the manufacturer has added more sugar to the reduced-fat cookie to make up for the loss of flavor from removing some of the fat. The reduced-fat cookies contain, at best, an equal amount of calories, although often the reduced-fat product actually will contain more calories.

“Light” - Likewise, to label a product as “light,” the item only needs to contain one third fewer calories than the regular version. When a food is generally calorically dense, such as cake, this often does not add up to much. It is true that 200 calories is better than 300 calories for a food that does not contain many nutrients, but you still need to watch your portion size!

“Good source” – “Good source” claims do not mean much today. To qualify as a “good source,” a product must contain only 10% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for the specified vitamin or mineral, which amounts to not much at all.

“Cholesterol free” on non-animal foods – “Cholesterol free” labels appear on grains, fruits, meat, dairy and egg-free items. Cholesterol is only found in animal sources. Often bananas have “cholesterol free” labels. Many vegetable oils also contain this “cholesterol free” claim, which is useless in this scenario, because all vegetable oils are naturally cholesterol free.

“High in antioxidants” – “High in antioxidants” also does not hold much sway in reality. To carry this label, a food only has to contain 10% of the DV for vitamins A, C and E, or selenium.

“Trans-fat free” - A food that is labeled as ‘trans-fat free’ can still contain up to ½ g of trans fat/serving. If you want to guarantee that a product is really free of these potentially dangerous fats, look at the ingredient list to make sure that ‘partially hydrogenated oil’ is not present.

“Contains real fruit or real vegetables” - Even though the label says that the product contains real fruits or real vegetables, powdered vegetables and fruits often are used, which contain none of the healthful properties of fresh vegetables and fruits, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, or fiber. Also keep in mind that many of the dried fruits used in these products also are coated in oil and sugar for extra flavor.

Have you seen a dietitian lately?  If not, your insurance may cover a consult with Brooke.  Call Brooke at 253-227-8284 or go to www.NutritionAuthority.com.