Looking at labels could not be more important than it is in our world today. Even though a product claims to be “healthy” one way or another, until you read the label you will never know for sure. Maybe they have reduced the fat, but added more sugar. So really a label reading low-fat might be true, but they don’t tell you up front they have added something in its place. Here are 3 examples that might be worth a glance.
Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter
You may think reduced-fat PB is the way to go to, but have you read the label to check out the ingredients? It’s peanut butter and in my opinion it should only be made of peanuts! Artificial sweeteners are added, but that only takes off 0.5 grams of fat and 10 calories….is that really worth it? The unsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds, pb, and olive oil help protect our heart, lower bad cholesterol, and fight inflammation in our bodies. Choosing your peanut butter can be made easier if you go with organic or natural. The calorie content can be scary with pb, just remember moderation and only allow 1-2Tbsp per serving.
Frozen Yogurt
Since yogurt is being considered a health 
food then why not treat yourself to a dish of frozen yogurt?! For the most part I’d have to agree, but we have to watch it with portion sizes and topping that are added. There are so many self-serve places around that lets you choose your portions along with loading on all types of delicious toppings! Very quickly you went from a healthy snack to calorie overload and you didn’t even realize it.
Gluten-Free Foods
Celiac Disease is what causes people to have to go gluten-free, it’s not a choice for them. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as rye, wheat, and barely which leads to inflammations in the small intestine and prevents sufferers from absorbing certain nutrients. It seems that this ‘diet’ has become quite popular lately even though some people who chose to live this way don’t actually have to. Due to the marketing of gluten-free products as health foods we have to watch out because some products actually contain significant amounts of sugar, saturated fat, and preservatives. Don’t fall into this craze if you don’t indeed need to be gluten-free. When it comes down to it you only need to go gluten-free if you have been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease.
These are just a few of the things out there that claim to be “healthy”, but might need a second look. Looking at labels might take a little extra time so ultimately it’s up to you if you want to know what you’re putting into your body.
~ Your Health Dork ~
The Health Dork 