The Food Advertisements Survival Guide

So many people don't realize that food companies can fool the public by a few tiny little adjustments they can make in advertisements or even in food labels! Here's a few things to watch out for, because I've found even my own family fall into these... pitfalls... xD Just read on.

"False" Advertisement
- You see a commercial for LITE Coolwhip. "Lite" would translate in your mind as "light in fat, calories, etc." WRONG. "Lite" can mean anything - light in color, light in weight, and it could even be referring to the BOX, not the food. Don't take a commercial's word for it when it says "lite."
- "Fat free" and "reduced fat" are other terms to not trust 100%. I can't remember the EXACT reason, because my Health teacher told me this, but I think that by putting "fat free" or "reduced fat" on the box, it technically might be referring to the box being fat free, therefore tricking the consumers. I'm not sure if that's the reason, but just be wary of those terms in advertisements.
SOLUTION: Check the food labels before buying something. And be wary of advertisements, both on TV and on the box.

Food Labels
So many people misread food labels it's not even funny. I'm going to be using my "Cheez-It STIX" food label as the example, since I'm eating them at the moment anyways.
- Serving Size: See that little "serving size" part in the small writing at the top of the label? Yeah, a serving size is the healthy amount of something you should eat. You don't want to exceed a serving size, because that goes into unhealthy consumption. And Daily Value is measured in serving sizes. You'll know what that means in a sec.
- Daily Value: You notice the little percentages that are on the right side of the label? For example, it says Total Fat = 11%. This does NOT mean that the snack is 11% fat, given the serving size. This means that, after consuming the given serving size, that food was 11% of your Daily Intake of fat, since it is made of 11% Total Fat. And read the chart below this, very important:

HEALTHY AMOUNT OF DAILY VALUE OF FATS, CARBS, AND PROTEIN -
Carbohydrates: 25-30%
Fat: 15-20%
Protein: 5-10%

You don't want to exceed these numbers. So, back to our Total Fat = 11%. This means that, after eating one SERVING of these Cheez-it STIX, it takes up 11% of my daily intake of fat. And see the chart? You don't want to exceed 15-20%. Can you believe that? After ONE serving, I've almost had all my fat requirements for the DAY.
- Ingredients: See all those hard-to-pronounce words in there? Here's a few to watch out for - Corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. The first three ingredients named in the list are the primary ones it is composed of.

Some Alternatives
- If you couldn't have guessed already, my Cheez-Its are lookin' pretty unhealthy right now, based on the fat. Almost ALL snacks are this unhealthy. Be sure to read labels on snacks carefully.
- There are stores that carry ALL-ORGANIC foods. You want organic foods, because they don't have as much shit in them that raises the fat and carbs levels. And, for example, organic milk is also retrieved from cows naturally. Whereas obtaining regular milk, the cows are treated far more horrible. Organic vegetables don't have all that pesticide crap in them.
- Fat isn't necessarily bad. You just have to regulate how much you have. Use the chart I posted. And look carefully on food labels. If there's a lot of Saturated and Trans fat, watch out. If there's none or not a lot of Saturated fat, you're alright. Saturated fats are worse than unsaturated fats, so they're listed on food labels so you know how much of it you're eating. Watch out for those little bastards...

I hope that helps. I used to have horrible misconceptions concerning reading food labels, but after a good Health lesson, I learned how to read them. I'll admit, I still eat crap, but at least I know what I'm eating. I work off the fat and all, but I know that it's still not great eating habits. Bad eating habits can cause diabetes, liver and gullbladder problems, or even cancer. Well, just about EVERYTHING causes cancer anymore, but...