How labels could trick you into believing some foods are healthier than they are

Many people worry about their health and want to eat healthy. A lot of foods might seem healthy, but the words being used to convince you they’re good for you might not mean anything at all — at least legally.

“There is an organization that can check if your product is organic or not, but when you write ‘all natural,’ legally, that doesn’t mean anything,” said Luca Cian, a marketing professor at the University of Virginia’s business school.

Labels on food that read “all natural” get consumers to think that a product is “healthier than a non-natural product,” Cian said. “Sometimes, they’re using labels and words that try to convey healthiness.”

Another example is when a food product is listed as 90% fat free — which technically means it still has 10% fat, Cian said.

“If you use ‘90% fat free,’ then people are always thinking that the product is much leaner than if you say 10% fat,” he said.

“Clean eating” is another term that’s becoming trendy — but in terms of legitimate standards, there is nothing that actually defines what “clean” is. Anything from a salad to a red velvet cupcake can be labeled “clean” and face no repercussions.

“Protein” is another word that can be used to trick you.

“If you emphasize the amount of protein that a product has, then people tend to think it’s healthier,” Cian said.

Food packaging that says “a good source of protein” influences consumers to think it’s a healthier option than food that doesn’t have that label, because “now we associate protein with something healthy and gym related,” Cian added.

He also said research has found that labels that are green or feature fields and flowers, or foods that are rounder or softer shaped, can also make you think something might be healthier than it is.

Your best bet is to look at the label on the side or back of the container and measure calories, fat, protein and sugar to decide how healthy something might be. Terms like “zero sugar” or “low fat” don’t always mean low calorie.

“Just comparing the label itself can give you an idea what is healthy versus what is not healthy,” Cian said.

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