Organic, fat-free, whole grains, heart healthy…these are all popular buzz words in the food marketing world. However, there is a drastic difference between healthy food and healthy marketing. Plans are in the works by the FDA to improve food labels to cut down on this confusion but ultimately learning how to make healthy choices will be on the consumer.
Below are a few marketing terms and what they actually mean so that you can make a more informed decision. Be sure to note that most of these terms apply to a single serving and in some cases it’s not really about the actual product but it’s relation to it’s full fat counterpart (i.e. Reduced Fat or Light).
Fat-Free – Less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving.
Low-Fat – 3 grams of fat or less per serving.
Reduced Fat – 25% less fat than the original product.
Light – 50% less fat than the original product.
Low Cholesterol – 20mg or less of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
Sodium Free – less than 5mg of sodium.
Sugar Free – Less than 1/2 gram of sugar per serving.
High Fiber – 5 grams or more of fiber.
