In the supermarket, you may think the packages that shout out all sorts of health claims are helping you make better choices. In the hunt for food that's good for you, you may be swayed by the Smart Choices check mark, or "Whole Grain Guaranteed," or the Heart Healthy logo.
Consumer Reports' ShopSmart cautions that what's on the front of the package may not be a good guide to what's inside. Some seals of approval are made up by the companies themselves. And they may pay for other seals that are devised by outside organizations. The end result is very misleading for consumers.
For example, Froot Loops has had the Smart Choices checkmark even though it's 41% sugar by weight.
As for the "Whole Grain Guaranteed" claim, Trix cereal does have whole-grain corn. But don't think that means it's high in fiber. It has only one gram of fiber per serving. An excellent source has at least five grams. Consumer Reports' ShopSmart says there's no substitute for carefully reading the nutrition facts on the package.
Also be aware that claims like "Good source of calcium" means the product has to supply only 10% of your daily needs, the same as just a third of a cup of milk.
A can of Hormel Chili says it has "less sodium" but it still has a lot. Just one cup of the chili has 30% of the recommended daily amount of sodium, and that's way too much.
ShopSmart offers a shortcut to help you judge for yourself: Look at the daily values of things that aren't so good for you, such as sodium and saturated fat. They should be 5% or less per serving.
And if you do opt to buy something that has an unhealthy ingredient with a daily value that's higher than 5%, ShopSmart says you should plan your other meals around it so you can stay within the recommended guidelines for the day.
The Food and Drug Administration is concerned that shoppers may be misled by some of the front-of-the-package health claims and is now investigating.
