Life Skills How to think critically about food choices

Tricks the food industry plays on your plate

These days manufacturers know that quite a lot of people want to feel that they are eating more healthily.

• Yet there is generally a bigger profit margin on junk food and it’s more likely to be purchased as an impulse buy.
• So, they reason, rather than actually producing healthier food, why not just make it seem healthier?

Which claims on the packet can you trust?

• You might notice breakfast cereal with a big splash of colour on the packet, announcing, ‘no artificial flavours or colouring’.
• Fair enough, but if you concluded that made it healthy, you’d be gravely mistaken.
• What about the nine teaspoons of sugar in every serving?

• If we want to eat healthily, we need to take some responsibility for casting a more critical eye over some of the manufacturer’s claims.
• Look at the label.
• The ingredients are listed in weight order, from biggest to smallest.
• So, if sugar is in the top three ingredients, as it is in most cereals, you can be sure that there’s a lot.

Read the label: what to check

• Generally speaking, you can assume that the longer the list of ingredients, the worse it is likely to be for you.
• That’s why a slab of dark chocolate is likely to have much less sugar and other additives than a so-called healthy cereal bar.

• Veggie crisps may be made of vegetables, but if they’re deep fried and greasy, with high levels of sodium, plain popcorn would be a much healthier choice.

• And watch out for other clever tricks from the junk food industry aimed at getting you to eat more.
• Examples: biscuit packets that won’t seal until you have devoured six or seven of them, extra large ‘grab bags’ of crisps.
• Supermarkets also use ploys to get you to buy more unhealthy food, such as tempting BOGOF deals (‘buy one, get one free’).
• As a final tip, you’ll probably buy healthier food if you plan ahead what to get, and remember – don’t go shopping when you’re ravenous.

How to think critically about food choices

Six rules to read a food label like a critic.

• Don’t assume that reduced-fat, or no artificial flavours or colouring means that food is healthy.
• Look at the labels. The ingredients are printed in weight order, with the first few items being the most important.
• It is vital to check how much saturated fat, sugar and corn syrup the product contains.
• When making comparisons, look at the amount per 100 grams, so you can be sure you’re comparing like-for-like.
• The lengthier the list of ingredients, the less healthy a food item is likely to be, as there are likely to be a lot of additives.
• Don’t let the junk food industry entice you into eating more than you had planned.
• If you’re feeling ravenous, it probably isn’t a great time to do your weekly food shopping.

Don’t assume that 1 _ fat, or no 2 _ or colouring means that food is healthy.

Look at the labels. The ingredients are printed in 3 _ , with the first few items being the most important. It is vital to check how much saturated fat, sugar and 4 _ the product contains.

When making comparisons between different foods, don’t look at the amount of saturated fat and other ingredients per 5 ___ , but per 100 grams, so you can be sure you’re comparing like-for-like.

As a general rule, the lengthier the 6 _ , the less healthy a food item is likely to be, as there are likely to be a lot of 7 _ .

Don’t let the 8 ___ industry entice you into eating more than you had planned.

If you’re feeling 9 ___ , it probably isn’t a great time to do your weekly food shopping.