Chances are, each year, from when the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, you vow to make more health conscious dietary choices. So, how is it going so far? After a few dietary alterations, you may feel that you’re on the right track regarding what you do and don’t eat. But the question is… are you?
Cat Ryan investigates.
The Health Food Mirage
Given the sudden rise in consumers’ dietary consciousness, food companies have quickly moved to woo more people into buying their brands. While there are legitimate health foods on supermarket shelves, there’s also an army of food items masquerading as healthy options. Unknowingly, customers rack up their home shelves with what they believe are healthy, wholesome food options.
Here are a few food items to keep an eye on, with tips on how to.
1. Whole Wheat Bread
Bread is a must-have in most homes, as well as for a healthy diet. While many brands carry the tag ‘whole wheat‘ or ‘wholemeal‘, many aren’t actually baked using whole wheat. If it’s genuine whole wheat bread, you’ll see terms in the ingredients such as whole wheat, 100% rolled oats, or whole grain corn as the first ingredient on the front packaging. Terms such as Wheat Bread or Country Wheat can give an impression of being healthier, but may not be any healthier than conventional white bread, so do read what you are buying when it comes to your favourite loaf!
2. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit can be a great healthy additive to porridge, salads, or certain desserts. There are, however, certain varieties that may feature undesirable ingredients such as sugars, artificial colours, trans fats, or even hydrogenated oils. When looking for healthy dried fruit options, always check the ingredients list and nutritional information on the pack. Look out for brands that feature any of the above mentioned contentious ingredients.
3. Diet Fizzy Drinks
An undoubted fad favourite for many over the years, diet fizzy drinks have been at the centre of many a health debate over the years.
First introduced in 1958 for people living with diabetes, marketing strategies have since touted these so-called diet drinks as a lower-sugar option for people trying to cut back on their weight. Some brands, however, use sweeteners, colours, or even other types of sugar, to enhance the taste of their product.
There’s currently a lot of conflicting information on the benefits of diet drinks, but fundamentally, they don’t add more nutritional value than their original counterparts. Instead, it is suggested to try alternatives such as fruit-infused water, fresh homemade lemonade, or iced tea.
4. Organic Food
The term “organic” has slowly lost credibility and is now viewed as more of a marketing tool.
Food manufacturers have a field day touting their products as organic to us consumers, despite these same products often containing numerous additives; but they don’t mention that, conveniently.
The advice is, to always check the packaging to get a sense of whether the food is genuinely organic. True organic foods often have shorter shelf-lives (due to a lack of preservatives) and may even have a few traces of insects, indicating the food was grown and processed using less harsh methods. Don’t let the insect signs put you off- simply wash the fruit/vegetables; it’s what you can’t see that may be worse for you ie chemicals. Farm shops can be the best place to purchase truly organic produce.
5. Breakfast Cereals
Your favourite box of morning cereal probably has lots of enticing words such as “sugar-free,” “low-fat,” or “whole-grain.” But if you take a careful look at the ingredients list, you might find a few extra ingredients including sugar, artificial flavours or colours, and even refined grains. The front packaging can make several health claims, but the ingredients list may paint a different picture. As they say, always read the label.
6. Spotting Potential Fakes
The thing about wholesome, healthy foods is they don’t need to parade themselves as being healthy. Processed food, on the other hand, needs all the PR it can get. When you’re out and about doing your grocery shopping, always be wary of catchy phrases or tags that try to draw you in.
One example is ‘water.’ Fancy some vitamin water after a workout? While claiming to be enriched with vitamins and minerals, it can also come with some harsh sugar additives, particularly fructose. Meanwhile, perhaps some baked crisps sound like a healthier option over their fried counterparts? Not quite. Baked crisps may have less fat than fried crisps, but they still contain high salt levels. As a rule of thumb, anything with slogans such as “enriched,” “fat-free,” “heart-healthy,” or “all-natural” probably could use a bit more scrutiny.
Getting Around the Issue
When it comes to health food items, promises always come easy but typically fall way short. If you want to ensure a healthier diet for you and your family, one of the simplest ways is to opt for less-processed food items. Instead, go for nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, legumes, healthy fats such as olive oil or avocados, and good-quality proteins such as soy, beans, seafood, or lean beef. If you must snack, have a piece of fruit or make your own snacks at home. DIY granola bars, graham crackers, baked banana chips, and strawberry oat squares are a few examples of healthy, homemade snacks that aren’t a hassle to whip up.
Conclusion
It seems some food companies are willing to compromise genuine health standards for greater margins. Today, there are food enterprises that are comfortable doing whatever it takes to push more of their products, even if it means using less-than-sincere marketing tactics. Like wolves in sheep’s clothing, some food manufacturers put up a facade to unsuspecting customers. Keep a wide eye on what you’re buying to avoid falling prey to duplicitous products.
