20 Ways Your Food May Be Fooling You

by Nate Widom

Is your food tricking you into thinking it’s healthier than it actually is? Thanks to flowery marketing tactics and jargon, you might not be getting the whole health picture. Let’s explore several ways your food packages may mislead you, along with tips to make informed, healthier choices.

Buzzwords

If you pick up a package of food, you’ll likely see a few common labels like “low-sugar,” “vegan,” and “made with real fruit.” Most of these labels make the product appear healthier, but looks can be deceiving.^1-4

“Reduced” or “Light”? Compared to What?

Food with an ingredient labeled as “reduced” means it has 25% less of that ingredient than the standard version of that food. Similarly, food labeled as “light” means it has 1/3 the calories or half the fat of the standard version of the food. For sodium specifically, “lightly salted” means the sodium has been reduced by half. Yes, the modified version of a particular product may be lower in fat, calories, etc., compared to the original version. Still, it’s essential to consider whether either version is good for your health and goals or if there are better alternatives out there.

“No Sugar” products often have Processed Sweeteners.

A product with a “no sugar” or “no sugar added” label means no sugar was added to the product. However, artificial sweeteners, which can cause poor gut health and other issues, are often used in place of real sugar.

“Natural” Doesn’t Mean Healthy.

Perhaps you see products with labels claiming they are “natural,” but this doesn’t always mean they are healthful. For instance, consider French fries—they are essentially just deep-fried potatoes topped with salt and seasoning. The FDA considers foods containing zero synthetic or artificial ingredients to be “natural.” But that definition is fairly broad, encompassing GMOs, pesticide-treated crops, and other seemingly unnatural ingredients. Plus, there’s no real regulation of the word natural on packaging.⁵

“Vegan” Also Doesn’t Mean Healthy.

Some vegan and plant-based products should still be limited in a healthy diet. Back to French fries—they are technically vegan. Additionally, many plant-based meat substitutes contain a range of undesirable, artificial ingredients.

Unhealthy Foods Can Be Fortified, Too.

Fortified products have a small amount of nutrients added to them during processing. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, the most common fortified foods aren’t recommended to begin with. Highly processed white bread and sugary breakfast cereals are frequent culprits.

Made With Real Fruit?

Some foods contain fruit and have a designated label touting them as “made with real fruit.” But no regulations dictate how much real fruit is required for that claim. Some products may contain barely any real fruit at all and make up the difference with sugary fruity flavors.

Whole-Grain? You Can Do Better.

Whole-grain labels indicate the product contains at least 51% whole-grain flour. Instead, look for products labeled “100% whole-grain” since that means there’s no refined flour in the product, period. Generally, a whole-grain product is less processed and has a higher fiber content. So, aim for 100%.

“Multigrain” products include a mixture of grains. This mixture may consist of some (or a lot) of refined grains.
“Made with whole grains” also means that the product contains some amount of whole grain. Again, this could mean the product is mostly refined.
“Good source of whole grain” means the product is 15% – 25% whole grain.

Uncured Meats? They Still Have Nitrates.

Cured meats are preserved with synthetic nitrates, and uncured meats are preserved with natural nitrates, like celery seed powder. But both natural and synthetic nitrates can break down into potentially carcinogenic compounds. Typically, this reaction occurs in food that is high in protein when cooked at a high temperature.⁶

“Natural Flavors” May Not Be Natural.

The “natural flavor” found on labels must be derived from a plant or animal, but it is often highly processed. Regulations mandate listing only the flavor, not its source or chemical mixtures present within it.⁷ As an example, it’s preferable to see “vanilla” or “vanilla extract” instead of “natural vanilla flavor” in the ingredients.

Superfoods? That’s Not a Regulated Term.

No regulation or certification defines the quantity of nutrients a food should have to count as a “superfood.” Right now, that’s pretty much just a marketing term. If you’re looking for a nutrient boost, you’re best off getting it from natural sources like whole fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds.

“Local” Foods May be Produced Far, Far, Away.

Unfortunately, no current regulations specify the distance a food product must be produced from its point of sale to be classified as “local.” However, you can always look up the manufacturer’s location.

Sneaky Package Design

Some trickery even comes down to packaging! Consider whether you’ve ever come across a package that exhibits one or more of the qualities listed below^8-10 and made an assumption about the food inside. Did you check the nutrition label to confirm?

Tall, Thin, Packages

Seeing food in a slender, tall package? Maybe one that slightly resembles an hourglass shape? Research indicates that the food in these packages is perceived as less calorie dense.

The Texture

Studies found that participants associated glossy packaging with unhealthier foods, while matte packaging was associated with healthier ones. Manufacturers often use this to their advantage.

Earthy Imagery

Many companies use plants, farms, and other nature-themed imagery on their packaging. Subconsciously, this may lead you to believe a product is less processed, uses organic ingredients, or is generally healthier.

Natural Colors

Companies will also take special consideration of colors. Muted colors, and especially greens and yellows, are associated with health.

What Constitutes “Low?”

“Low” is a frequent buzzword on packaging, but do you know what it means? Per the FDA’s regulatory requirements:

Low-calorie means there are 40 or fewer calories in snack foods, or
120 calories or less per 100g for meals.
Low-fat means 3g or less fat per serving. Low-saturated fat means there is
1g or less per serving, or 15% or less of the calories.
Low sodium means 140mg or less per serving.
Low cholesterol means 20mg or less per serving.

Foods May Include Things You Don’t Want

In addition to appearance, specific regulations permit the use of questionable ingredients in our food. These ingredients may be shielded by more buzzwords, and harmful substances can also be allowed in very small quantities.

“Free” Doesn’t Always Mean Free

Items labeled calorie-free, fat-free, or sugar-free aren’t always really free of those things. Foods with five or fewer calories per serving can be dubbed as “calorie-free,” and foods with 0.5 g or less of sugar and fat per serving can be labeled as “sugar-free” or “fat-free.”1 It may seem like a minor distinction, but if you’re eating a lot of “free” foods, those calories, sugars, and fats can add up!

Small Amounts of Harmful Ingredients May Be in Your Foods

The National Library of Medicine states that ingredients classified as harmful can be present in our foods, provided they are at a level of 1/100th of the amount considered dangerous. While this may be a fraction of what’s harmful, it’s best to exercise caution, especially for people with allergies. For example, they recommend caution for asthmatics because they may be sensitive to sulfites.

Remember trans fats? They’ve been “banned” in 2020 thanks to their links to inflammation, heart disease, and cholesterol. However, they’re still allowed in quantities of half a gram or less per serving. This concerns nutritionists because it can add up, especially if you eat multiple servings of junk food, where trans fats are most commonly found. If you see “partially hydrogenated oil” on the nutrition label, trans fats may be in your food.¹¹

Everything is an Estimation!

Additionally, the way nutrition is calculated and how your food is prepared may not align exactly with what you see on the nutrition label. However, this trickery isn’t intentional.^12,13

Calories May Be Up to 20% Inaccurate

Once food is processed, it can be tough to determine its calorie count. The FDA recognizes this and allows manufacturers to list calorie content with up to a 20% margin of error. Though the calories on nutrition labels may be inaccurate, logging your intake is still recommended to give you a clearer sense of where you’re consuming too much or not enough.

There are several methods for determining nutrition data for our foods, primarily through scientific testing.¹⁴ According to the National Institute of Science and Technology, manufacturers check their data against the agency’s food reference materials, which precisely measure the nutrient profiles of different foods within a 2% to 5% margin of error.¹⁵

The Way You Cook May Change Nutrition

This could be a whole topic in itself. However, it’s worth noting that the way you cook and process foods can alter their nutritional composition. Sometimes, vitamins may be lost during the cooking process. You’ll also have to consider the amount of oil you’re using, as that adds calories and fat.¹⁶

Here’s What You Can Do

Fortunately, there are several ways to avoid sneaky tactics, and they’re easy best practices anyway.¹⁷

Look at the Nutrition Label

Often, when a typical ingredient is missing or reduced, something else is added in its place to maintain the original taste. Let’s say that you find a low-fat protein bar. Checking the ingredients on the nutrition label may reveal undesirable ingredients, such as added sugar.

Note that ingredients will be listed in order of the highest to the lowest amount of what makes up the food. Look for whole, familiar ingredients as the first few. Be cautious of long ingredient lists filled with unfamiliar names.

Avoid the Front of the Box

To avoid falling victim to any misleading marketing claims, it may be best to steer clear of any nutrition claims made on the front or sides of the package entirely. Instead, go directly to the nutrition label.

Watch Serving Sizes

The recommended serving size for any food will always be on the nutrition label. But people often consume more than a serving without realizing it. For instance, those low-fat crackers may actually equate to a high-fat snack if you consume well over one serving.

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20 Ways Your Food May Be Fooling You