When it comes to healthy eating, the devil really is in the details. Taking notice of the small things in the ingredients list on the back of some food packaging will change your perspective. Here are some ways to start paying attention to important food details when shopping.
Preservatives
Nowadays, many, many grocery store ingredients and items are made with preservatives. That might go against what one may typically expect – since the stereotype of preservatives is that it is found in high amounts in fast food. This is true. But it is also very common in grocery stores. The exceptions may be the grocery stores that are a little bit more upper-class, expensive, and organic; but even then, it’s best to check the label. All additives are legally required to be cited on the packaging. Preservatives in certain amounts aren’t inherently bad. Their purpose is to make food last longer, after all. But, like everything else, they are bad in excess.
Added Sugar
While preservatives may be found in far more places you would expect, the same could be said even more so for sugar. Especially in America, sugar is put into practically everything. It makes it all more palatable! Sadly, it also makes a whole lot of food a fast track to heart disease. Sugar is especially insidious when placed in foods and items that are marketed as “healthy.” Sports drinks are popular with athletes, but they’re loaded with added sugar. The same can go for many kinds of granola bars. Make sure you check labels for sugar content, and make sure you understand how much a gram is. Sugar is ironically listed in grams on all American packaging – even though most Americans don’t really know how much that is.
Serving Sizes
One tricky way that certain companies can fool you is with their serving sizes. Many people who look at and read the ingredients unconsciously assume that those ingredients are being listed for the entire container. That may or may not be true. You can know by checking out the serving size, which will explain how much of the food or substance is specified relative to the ingredients listed. You might find on a bag of chips that the nutrition facts only apply to a serving size of three chips!
Healthy living takes effort. It also can sometimes require money, if you want to really buy the expensive and organic produce. However, you can already be eating far healthier just by knowing what to look for on food labels.
Check out this article on how to cut back on food waste in your kitchen!
