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Sneaky Food Marketing – 3 Things To Consider

Sneaky is often the name of the game when it comes to food marketing. The good news is, that when you become a conscious consumer you can learn to look past sneaky marketing tactics and find high-quality, healthy food.

Here are three things to think about when it comes to food marketing:

Fat-Free Isn’t Problem Free

Twenty-five percent of North Americans have stated that a “low-fat” label was a determining factor in deciding whether to purchase a food item.

Although cutting out fats may seem like a better dietary move, being fat-free doesn’t mean our bodies are better off. Healthy fats, including omega 3s, promote fullness and thus help with portion control. They also protect against inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease.

For manufacturers to use a reduced fat content claim, FDA guidelines state that the food must contain a minimum of 25% less fat than the regular comparable product. However, there are no requirements for specifying the kind of fat used. A processed “fat-free” food may not contain nuts or oil, but it is likely replaced with even more unnatural and unhealthy ingredients. They may also simply overload it with sugar in order to keep the taste desirable after removing the fat. Fat tastes good. Low fat often equals high sugar, and sugar is almost always way worse for you, plus plays a much larger role in weight gain than fat does.

Check For Sneaky Added Sugars

Food manufacturers often increase the sugar levels in their foods in order to make them taste better. Flavored yogurts, breakfast cereals, and peanut butter are loaded with sugar, salt, and preservatives.

Sugar-free can also seem like a great option, but 9 times out of 10, manufacturers will replace natural cane sugar or fructose with an artificial sweetener or high-fructose corn syrup which can be extremely detrimental to your overall health.

Artificial sweeteners are thought to be associated with a higher risk of stroke, cancer, and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease. You’re better off sticking to regular sugar while reducing your daily intake. You may also want to look into natural sugar alternatives.

All-Natural Is Far From Natural

“All Natural” is a term often used by food manufacturers… but did you know that it is not regulated by the FDA? With the chief goal of selling products, manufacturers find endless ways to create misleading and outright false food labeling. In fact, many products that carry the label “All Natural” likely contain ingredients that are harmful to your health, such as GMOs, pesticides, or hormones.

In their policy concerning the term “natural” in food labeling, the FDA does not address processing or production, such as pesticides, pasteurization, or heat treatment.  Even meats treated with hormones can still fall under the “natural” label because it does not radically alter the product itself. 

What Can You Do?

This is all a little scary right?

So, what can we do to ensure we are buying the healthiest option and avoiding sneaky food marketing?

Nutrition facts and ingredients can tell you a lot about what’s in the food. Keep in mind it won’t tell you everything, but it’s a great place to start. Here is a quick run-through on how to read Nutrition Labels.

My rule of thumb for buying a product includes two things…

First, can I pronounce and do I know what each ingredient listed actually is? If not, I don’t buy the product. What is Polydimethylsiloxane anyway? Turns out, it’s a Silly Putty-like additive in most fast foods.

Shop Around

Secondly, I look at the calories per serving and compare it to other brands. I’ll give you an example:

When I first started my healthy lifestyle journey, I was sure I was never going to be able to eat Alfredo sauce again because of its off-the-charts caloric content and weird ingredients. Determined to continue enjoying a comfort food favorite, I decided to do some comparison shopping. Luckily, I found a great-tasting alternative, right inside my normal grocers.

The Kroger brand, “Private Selection” has an Alfredo sauce that is only 90 calories per serving compared to the normal 200+ in other brands. Plus, I can pronounce every single simple ingredient in the sauce. The caloric content was also much lower when taking a look at the Private Selection brand for other everyday items.

Keep in mind here, I’m not promoting counting your calories, but eating excess calories when there are better alternatives is just silly. Usually, those extra calories come from added sugars.

My intention is not to promote Private Selection but give you an example of how easy it can be to find healthier alternatives right in your normal grocery store. Ultimately, your health will benefit from spending a few extra minutes comparing brands the next time you go shopping. This ensures that you can find the best and most nutritious option, not just the name-brand product. You’d be surprised how easy it is to find healthier, great-tasting food.

Still have questions? Comment below or message us on Instagram.

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