Misleading Food Labels and the Challenge of Healthy Eating

More and more restaurants and fast-food establishments are offering allegedly “healthier” fares on their menus these days, but these so-called “health” options may not actually be nutritionally sound. This prolific problem extends to the grocery shelves, where manufacturers are using all sorts of legal loopholes to package their products in a more favorable light. Deceptive food advertising and labeling often misleads consumers who are trying to make wise food choices. For example, many of the popular juice drinks and meal replacement energy bars are full of sugar, heavily processed ingredients, and empty calories from added flavorings. Whether it’s labeling harmful ingredients under less familiar pseudonyms to making product claims that stretch the truth, it can be increasingly difficult to make healthy nutritional choices. However, with wide-ranging impacts on health, it is important to be an informed consumer, both when dining out and at the grocery store. Read more…