According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese.” (http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html) How many times have you heard this statistic? Plenty, right? Then it should come as no surprise that when it comes to finding ways to eat better, people are talking. And food labels aren’t helping their efforts. With labels such as “All Natural,” “Organic,” and “No Sugar Added,” They can be very misleading. Here’s a helpful guide to help you determine just how “natural,” your “all natural” snack really is.
1. Check the ingredient list!
As a general rule of thumb, the shorter the ingredient list, the better. You may find one “all natural” product to only contain five ingredients, while another “all natural” product might contain 25. The longer the ingredient list, the more “junk,” has been added to your food.
2. Find foods that say “all natural,” or “natural style”
This is a pretty self-explanatory step, but one that should be mentioned. Beef jerky for example comes in many different flavors; some regular, some all natural, and some organic.
3. Check to see what makes the product “all natural”
The label should make a clarification such as, “no artificial ingredients,” or “minimally processed.”
4. Make sure the meat was raised without added hormones
The USDA has a very loose definition of what can be labeled “all natural.” It only pertains to what happens to the meat during and after processing, it does not take into account what was given to the animal prior to processing.
5. Get curious, call the company about more information
As a consumer, you have every right to know what you are consuming. If you do not feel like you have been provided an adequate amount of information about the nutritional information; then don’t be afraid to go straight to the source and find out just what “natural flavorings” they are referring to.
When faced with the decision to consume an “all natural” product vs. a non “all natural” product, it could be the best option; but just remember that not all “all natural” snacks are created equally. Do your homework and make sure that you are not falling into the trap of being deceived by a healthy sounding label.
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