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PROOF MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
37
Check the Label
T
hese days, it’s a little bit harder to eat
whatever you want, guilt-free. How
many times have you been casually
watching the news and heard, “a new
study suggests that [insert your favourite
food here] can potentially increase your
risk for [insert chronic disease here]”?
With that in mind, many of us are trying
to be responsible adults and make better
food choices (most of the time at least).
Food companies (astute as they are) have noted this
growing movement, and have begun a concerted
effort to make their products more appealing to
this era of health-conscious consumers. Just look
at nearly any food package on the market today –
chances are you will find yourself bombarded by a
heaping helping of “healthy buzzwords”, touting the
superior nutritional value of the product (“Gluten-
free!”, “zero trans fats!”and “all-natural!”, anyone?).
Buzzwords like these are intended to show
customers that, for instance, while regular
chocolate bars might be bad for you, these ones are
“all-natural, made with organic cocoa and added
fibre”, so it’s basically like eating a salad, right?
Well, firstly, what do those words even mean?
When you buy a pack of “reduced fat, oven-
baked, gouda-and-cayenne flavoured, multigrain pita
chips”, are you actually making a healthy decision?
Well, the answer is complicated – maybe yes, or
maybe no. It depends. Food companies help convince
us of the nutritional value of products by combining
clever design, a bit of psychology, and a whole lot of
“healthy buzzwords”. For example, did you know
that green packaging denotes ‘eco-friendliness’ and
‘health’ to consumers, while browns and earth-
tones make a food product seem more ‘organic’?
Similarly, snack companies are now opting to use
matte packaging, instead of the glossy finish that we
usually associate with snack products. This switch
is because matte finishes are more closely associated
with paper and ‘naturalness’, and subsequently
makes the product seem healthier to consumers.
Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong
with buzz words or special packaging. Knowledge
is power, and as a consumer, it is important to
understand precisely what these terms mean,
so you can ensure you are truly making a
decision that is in line with your health goals.
And how do you do this? By checking the
nutritional facts of course! Pardon the cliché,
but when it comes to food items, you just can’t
judge the book by its cover. Luckily, however
(unlike your high school English Lit class) you
can get away with just reading the back!
On the next page, we have designed our own
‘pseudo-healthy’ snack, to show you exactly how
a few fancy words, and some cleverly designed
packaging can turn your regular, run-of-the-mill,
sugary cereal into a seemingly nutritious snack!
THE SENSES ISSUE
eat this,
not that!
100% Whole Wheat/
Whole Grain instead
of Multigrain!
Multigrain simply means
that there are a variety
of grains present, some
of which may actually
be refined and stripped
of natural nutrients and
fibre (also many food
producers use dyes
to make the product
appear more natural).
When in doubt, look for
the 100% whole grain/
wheat label because
this means the entire
grain (the bran, germ
and endosperm) is
used in the product.
Flavoured water
instead of diet soda
While diet soda might be
light on calories,
it is heavy on arti-
ficial chemicals and
sugars. Water is
always the best
option, when
you are feeling
thirsty but if
you are craving
something on the
sweeter side, add
a lemon wedge or
other fruit to add
some flavour!
Fresh fruit instead
of dried fruit!
Dried fruits are not
necessarily bad for
you- they are just fresh
fruits that have been
dehydrated. The problem
is that due to the loss of
water, dried fruit is half
the size of its fresh fruit
counterpart but twice as
sugary! So, make sure to
watch your portion size,
and remember, when it
comes to fruit- fresh is
always best!