When you’re trying to eat a healthy diet, the simplest rule is to stick to whole, unprocessed foods. If it has a label, be cautious. If the label makes health claims, run the other way.
According to one expert, as America’s collective waistline continues to expand, so does the number of food products parading themselves as healthy options. In light of growing concern over the nutritional value of the foods we put into our bodies, many food marketers have stepped up their advertising in an effort to stand out against their competitors.
According to Nancy Childs, Ph.D., professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, there is a “virtual food policy war” raging over the use of front-of-pack labeling – all those brightly colored codes, symbols, checks, stars, and claims on food labels identifying the nutrients in the box or bag.