Over the years, we have seen more and more people adopting healthy lifestyles and diets for overall well-being. In due course, their kitchen pantry has undergone a massive change - from replacing refined flour with whole grains to including healthy snacks in place of chips and biscuits. In fact, this is when people visit supermarkets just to pick food items that are labelled healthy. But the question remains, are these packaged foods, claiming to be healthy, really loaded with nutrients? The answer is, not always! Several researchers and food experts from across the globe have claimed that these labels on packets can often be misleading. This makes us wonder - are we misled? Are those seemingly "healthy" snack packets in the pantry good for consumption? Dear reader, do not worry! We have found an easy solution to this universal problem. We recently came across an Instagram post by nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee, where she decodes some of the most commonly used misleading labels on our food packages. Let's elucidate further.
What Does The Term 'Healthy' Mean When It Comes To Food?
According to a report by The University of California, food can be considered healthy if it isn't associated with the development of chronic illness. When it comes to packaged foods, the term "healthy" should be used in a way that points the consumer to those food products that are, more or less, unadulterated and unprocessed and contain ingredients they can identify. "A long list of unrecognizable ingredients should be cause for concern," the report adds, explaining that popcorn kernels are healthy, but the ones that are microwavable and have trans fats and salt added cannot fall under the same category.
This is why it gets yet more important to scan the packaging of every food product to determine if it is healthy at all.
Also Read: Do You Eat Junk Food And Sweets During Stress? It May Lead To More Anxiety: Study
3 Simple Tricks To Understand The Misleading Labels On Food Packaging:
1. "Low Fat" Foods:
Anything that comes with a "low fat" tag can instantly excite us. Isn't it? But did you know many low-fat foods can actually be high in calories - courtesy of the added sugars and refined flour in the recipe? This is why nutritionist Anjali Mukherjee recommends checking the total calories of a food item before considering it to be healthy or unhealthy.
2. "Sugar-Free" Claims:
Such claims can easily lure a person suffering from diabetes or trying to cut down calories for weight loss. And that is where many of you go wrong. Sugar-free foods like processed cereals can have high fat content, potentially contributing to high-calorie intake. Hence, the expert suggests checking the total carb content of a food before purchasing.
3. "No-Cholesterol" Claims:
Nutritionist Anjali Mukherjee says that plant-based oils naturally contain no cholesterol. But they are 100 per cent fat and should be consumed in moderation. Besides, one must also remember that cholesterol rises due to increased intake of processed and ultra-processed food items.
Also Read: Nutritionist Simrun Chopra On Health And Diet: 'No Such Thing As Good Or Bad Food' - NDTV Exclusive
So, we say, check the labels thoroughly every single time to make an informed decision about your overall diet. Eat mindfully, and stay safe!