With most Americans doing all they can to achieve a balanced diet – recent studies show that 85% say diet and nutrition are important to them – food manufacturers have started using stealthy marketing tactics to manipulate consumer buying decisions. You may have noticed an excess of food packaging with popular marketing slogans such as “trans fat-free,” “whole grain,” “organic,” and “high-fiber.” Keep in mind these savvy companies have designed their packaging to attract buyers; so many foods in the marketplace today aren’t always as healthy as they claim.

Here are some common “healthy” foods and health claims on packaging that may mislead you when you’re shopping. Being aware of these tricky marketing ploys will help you make better decisions. Just remember when reading labels, you can judge a food product by its first few ingredients, because the first ingredients listed are always what the food is primarily comprised of. Become an informed buyer and you’ll be in better shape too!

Whole Grains

When seeking out whole grain foods, you need to know the whole truth! Be cautious of products that claim to be whole-grain but aren’t. Many contain added sugar, preservatives and fat to enhance flavor. Look for 100% whole-wheat bread when shopping, these have all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals intact and are the ones that may help cut your risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The rest are largely made up of refined white flour, which has been stripped of most of its nutrients. For example, many “multi-grain” breads that may look healthy are actually just refined white flour, (beware of brands such as Bran’nola Nutty Grains, Oroweat Light 9-Grain, Pepperidge Farm Hearty Crunchy Oat, Roman Meal 12 Grain, and dozens of other nutritious-claiming breads). Pepperidge Farm Light Style 7-Grain bread may sound healthy right, but it has more corn syrup than grains!

Vegetable Chips

You may notice your chip isle got a little bit larger in the past few years, that’s because companies have jumped on the bandwagon and started manufacturing “veggie chips” which naturally sound like a much smarter option to regular potato chips! Actually vegetable chips are not going to be a replacement for getting your greens, and they are almost equal in calories to regular potato chips. If you need to splurge on some fried carbohydrates, enjoy it and try to keep it to a reasonable potion, just don’t be duped into buying a product that claims to be healthier than it really is!

High-Fiber

Eating foods that are high in fiber is a great way to maintain your weight and keep your digestive system healthy because dietary fiber helps fill you up and keeps you satiated longer. Just be cautious of some products that say high-fiber on their label, when in fact they contain maltodextrin, inulin, and polydextrose that can cause stress to your digestion and don’t have the same naturally-occurring fibers. Foods that contain natural fiber and are most nutrient-dense include whole fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Try not to peel vegetables and fruits as this will remove some of the edible skin that is an excellent, natural source of fiber.

Trail Mix

Many store-bought trail mixes are full of fat and calories, including nuts that have been fried in unhealthy oils, yogurt-covered raisins, sugar-coated dried fruits, chocolate chunks, banana chips and other unhealthy ingredients. Trail mix can be a nutritious, convenient snack if you select the healthy versions or make your own. Look for mixes that include raw nuts or roasted nuts without salt. Stay away from mixes with sugar-coated dried fruits and candy additions, such as M&M’s or chocolate chunks. Your best bet is to make your own mix. Combine four tablespoons of raisins, dried apricots or other diced, dried fruit with two tablespoons of your favorite nuts.

Sugar-Free

The problem with sugar-free products, unless you’re diabetic, is that they can cause serious bowel problems because they use artificial sweeteners. They also have been shown to cause more sugar cravings because of their sweeter taste. Many of these products are void of nutrition and are still filled with empty-calories. A better bet if you can’t live without a sugar-free cookie or muffin is to make your own healthy version by using baking substitutions that are lower in fat and sugar, such as using applesauce to cut butter potions, or using honey in place of sugar. A great trick for yummy cookies is to use low-fat cream cheese in place of butter to get a delicious, chewy cookie with half the fat!

100-Calorie Snack Packs

There are several misleading notions about these little portion packages. Yes, portion control is a good thing, and yes, snacks can be part of a healthy diet. However, many 100-calorie snack packs on the markets today are merely smaller versions of the junk food we should all be avoiding. If you want to have easy, portion controlled snacks on-the-go, make your own 100-calorie snacks and put them in baggies. Also, making your favorite snacks into 100 calorie portions is an eye-opener: it really helps us think about what a portion should look like! Here are some 100-calorie snacks you can make on your own (and will be healthier than the 100-cal lil’ Debbie!):

• 2 tblsp hummus (50 calories) with 5 baby carrots (25 calories) or sliced celery

• 7 baby carrots (35 calories) with 2 tsp all-natural peanut butter (about 65 calories)

• 1 medium apple (75 calories) with 1 tblsp low-fat cheese (25 calories)

• 1/2 cup fruit (25 calories) with 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt (75 calories)

• 1 tblsp dark chocolate chips (35 calories) with 10 spelt pretzels (60 calories)

Vitamin Water/Gatorade

This product sounds good in theory, but in actuality it’s little more than dressed-up soda! It does contain vitamins, but it also contains a ton of sugar and calories. With 2.5 servings per bottle and 50 calories per serving, you’re getting as many calories in one bottle as an entire can of soda. Keep the occasional treat of gulping down a Gatorade for when you’re really dehydrated or after an extra long workout, so you can burn off some of the added calories. Water should be your main staple in the hydration department. If you get bored with the plain taste of water, mix it up with a squeeze of lemon or lime, or add slices of cucumber or oranges to your glass.