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Confused about food buzzwords?

You're not alone!

Matthew Fried

Apr 12

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I’ve been in the food business for 25+ years and I still get confused, at times, by the buzzwords and packaging on food!

Nothing you see on food packaging is there by accident; it is all intentional.

This is a multi-billion dollar industry so make no mistake: companies know how to get your attention.

With that said, this doesn't mean that every package is nefarious or made with malicious intent.

There's nothing wrong with trying to sell a product that is actually helpful.

Here are a few bullet points that you might find helpful as guidelines for shopping/decision making:

→ First things first.

If you're hitting your top nutritional priorities (total calories, regular movement, hydration, eating mostly whole/less processed foods, variety) then eating a small % of packaged foods shouldn't make you crazy ... you're doing a great job.

→ Consider the dose.

If it's something you're eating multiple times a day, that's more important to know more about than something you eat only occasionally.

→ Ingredients are listed in descending order.

The first ingredient appears in the food in the highest % and it descends from there.

→ Are you familiar with / do you trust the brand?

If you know a little bit about the company's practices, for example most websites are either transparent or not, then you can start to identify brands you trust over time.

→ Don't pull your hair out.

If you're doing all of the above, make the best choice you can and move forward. You do not need to study PubMed to purchase a drink.

→ Buzzwords are not automatically Benefits

For example is something says 'probiotic' that doesn't mean that the product is guaranteed to improve your microbiome.

I think I will stop here for today and perhaps do a longer post of my own just breaking down some specific Buzzwords soon.

I hope this was helpful!

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