July 2, 2017
If you’re like most people, when you read the words “natural” or “all natural” on a food label you think that food contains no artificial ingredients, right? Or I bet you think they at least contain no GMOs, or pesticides or at least antibiotics, right? In a recent Consumer’s Report survey of more than 1000 adults, nearly two-thirds thought exactly that. And who wouldn’t? I mean Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “natural” as “existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind.”
SURPRISE…on processed food labels the “natural” word doesn’t have to mean any of those things! In fact, the term is essentially meaningless. So Consumer’s Report is actually in the process of gathering signatures on a petition to be sent to the FDA, demanding the agency do the right thing and fix the “natural” label (click here to read the full Consumer Report article and sign the petition)
Check out just a few items that call themselves “natural” but really aren’t:
·Applegate Farms Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets
·Cape Cod Kettle Cooked Potato Chips
·Chobai Greek Yogurt Vanilla Blended
·Del Monte Fruit Naturals
·Florida’s Natural Fit & Delicious Valencia Orange Juice with Calcium & Vitamin D
·Healthy Choice Café Steamers Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
·Hillshire Farm Naturals Black Forest Ham
·Kraft Natural Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
·Margaritaville Tortilla Chips with Sea Salt
·Natural Brew Draft Root Beer
·Tyson Grilled & Ready Frozen Southwestern Chicken Breast Strips
·Wesson Vegetable Oil
·Pure Leaf Real Brewed Tea Lemon
·Smucker’s Natural Strawberry Fruit Spread
·Snapple Apple
So what’s a health conscious person to do???
Just remember that ANYTHING in a package should be considered an advertisement (and I know this firsthand…remember long ago in a galaxy far, far, far away I was an overweight, sedentary, Advertising Art Director…chick here to learn more about my journey towards optimum health!) Even the PERCEPTION of healthfulness can be a key driver of food choices and the fact that food labels are deliberately misleading causes me to wonder if there really is a hidden agenda in this country to keep us sick? (Think about it…there sure is a LOT of money riding on us NOT getting well, right?)
Remember that the healthiest foods of all (VEGETABLES) don’t have or need a label! Want to learn more EASY ways to replace processed food with veggies without feeling deprived? My next round of Paleo and Smoothie-making classes are coming up soon…click here for the complete fall lineup.
