Food shopping while trying to lose weight can be a confusing task. You know you have to eat your fruits and veggies, but what about when it comes to reading food labels? With terms like "Fat Free," "Sugar Free," or "Gluten Free" found on lots of our supermarket fare, it's hard to understand what they exactly mean.
Lucky for you, we've decoded what these terms and others really mean and why you should avoid them at all costs.
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Below we've described the labels you've seen at your local supermarket and their real definitions. Don't be fooled any longer by them and make sure you don't go shopping without reading this list!
"All Natural" or "Natural flavoring": Unless it's a raw apple, chances are when you see this label it's on a packaged product. This is such a broad term and usually means hidden high fructose syrup, preservatives, or extra sodium.
"Fat Free": Most people think that because an item is free of fat, that it's good for them. Quite the contrary since there could be hidden sugars and have the same amount of calories as the regular item.
"Sugar Free": Much like "Fat Free" this term can trick people into thinking fewer calories. In reality, it contains artificial sweeteners, extra calories, and other unknown ingredients. All this label means is that it contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar but it's replaced by these sketchy ingredients.
"Gluten Free": People allergic to gluten, a protein found in wheat, can't eat bread. Therefore manufacturers gluten free items that are ideal for them. But many people are under the impression that they are weight loss friendly. Instead it contain less fiber and other hidden chemical ingredients.
"Light": This usually means the food has up to 50 percent less fat or sodium than the original product. It could have hidden sugars, might taste lighter, but it doesn't change the calorie count.
"Multigrain": This label can be tricky since it sounds healthy, but instead check out what the first few ingredients are. Usually these contain unbleached wheat flour as the main ingredient which defeats the purpose of what's supposed to be a whole wheat product and may even have more sugar than you think.
"Made with real fruit: This term can be found on yogurts or fruit snacks. All this means is that it's all sugar derived from fruit concentrate.
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