These days, most of the packaged food products you find in your grocery store have one or more nutrition-related claims on them as attention grabbers.
- —All-natural!
- —Low calorie! Reduced calorie!
- —Low fat, Low sugar
- —Sugar-free, Fat-free
- —Keto! Paleo, Low-carb
- —Low sodium, Reduced sodium
- —No HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup)
- —No added sugar
- —Whole grain, Whole wheat
- —More fiber
- —Gluten-free, Dairy-free! Nut-free
It can be a little overwhelming—and confusing. Many of these health claims seem to contradict each other, making you wonder: “Is salad dressing healthier for me if it’s low in sugar or low in fat? Keto products are high in fat, while other products are low in fat—which one is healthy for me? Is whole wheat healthier for me than gluten-free?”
Here, we’ll take a look at what some of these nutrient claims really mean.
What does “natural” mean on a food product?
The FDA says, “We do have a longstanding policy concerning the use of ‘natural’ in human food labeling. The FDA has considered the term ‘natural’ to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food.”
It goes on to say that “natural” on a food product doesn’t reflect anything related to how it was grown, processed, or manufactured. It also doesn’t guarantee any health benefits.
What does “healthy” mean on a food product?
At the moment, the FDA has no clear guidelines or qualifications that a food product must meet in order to claim that it’s “healthy.”
Yes, that means anybody can put the word “healthy” on their food product!
What about “keto” vs. “paleo” vs. “low-carb”?
The FDA has no guidelines or criteria that a food product must meet in order to put claims like “keto” or “paleo” or “low-carb” on its packaging.
This means it falls on you, the consumer, to read the ingredients, study the nutrition profile, and consider how it was processed and created.
Just because something is “low carb” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s “healthy” or beneficial for individuals who have diabetes. Meanwhile, a cucumber is “low carb” but it comes with no food label at all!
Most whole foods (fruits, veggies, legumes, etc.) don’t come with any health claims! What does that tell you?
What do claims around calories, sugar, fiber, sodium, etc. mean?
The guidelines and criteria around these components of nutrition have been well-established and defined by the FDA. Do keep in mind that just because something is “low-calorie” or “sugar-free”, for example, does not mean it’s inherently healthy.
While some nutrient claims can be helpful, some can be very misleading. A low-fat food, for example, may actually contain a lot more sugar in order to give it flavor!
The important thing is to look beyond the nutrient claims, and review the ingredients of any food product. Again, most of today’s whole foods come with no food labeling, claims, or packaging at all!
Nutrient claims about CALORIES
—Calorie-free: Less than 5 calories per serving
—Reduced calorie: At least 25% fewer calories than the original version per serving
—Low calorie: No more than 40 calories per serving
Nutrient claims about SUGAR
—No added sugar: No sugar in the list of ingredients per serving
—Reduced or less sugar: At least 25% less sugar than the original version per serving
—Sugar-free: No more than 0.5 grams of sugar and no sugar in the list of ingredients per serving
Nutrient claims about SUGAR
—No added sugar: No sugar in the list of ingredients per serving
—Reduced or less sugar: At least 25% less sugar than the original version per serving
—Sugar-free: No more than 0.5 grams of sugar and no sugar in the list of ingredients per serving
Nutrient claims about FIBER
—High fiber: At least 20% of the daily recommended fiber per serving
—“Excellent source of fiber”: At least 20% of the daily recommended fiber per serving
—“Good source of fiber”: At least 10–19% of daily recommended fiber per serving
Nutrient claims about DIETARY FAT
—Fat-free: Less than 0.5 grams of fat and no fat in the list of ingredients per serving
—Low fat: No more than 3 grams of fat, 30% or less of calories from fat per serving
—Reduced-fat: At least 25% less fat than the original version per serving
—Low in saturated fat: 1 gram or less of saturated fat, 15% or less of calories from saturated fat per serving
—Light: At least 50% less fat than the original version per serving
Nutrient claims about CHOLESTEROL
—Cholesterol free: Less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and no ingredient containing cholesterol per serving
—Reduced cholesterol: At least 25% less cholesterol than the original version per serving
—Low cholesterol: No more than 20 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
Nutrient claims about SODIUM
—Sodium free: Less than 5 milligrams of sodium and no ingredient that contains sodium per serving
—Very low sodium: No more than 35 milligrams of sodium per serving
—Low sodium: No more than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving
—Lightly salted: At least 50% less sodium than the original version per serving
—No salt/unsalted: No salt in the list of ingredients per serving
Labels, claims, and facts—oh my!
Learning what types of foods work well for you and your health is not a simple process, and the overwhelming number of nutrient claims on food products don’t always help.
Take some time to think about what types of foods you believe are part of a healthy diet and your personal goals. Working closely with a registered dietitian or certified diabetes care and education specialist can also help you determine what kinds of food and food products are right for you.