I read this fascinating article in Allure Magazine called “Junk Food Dieting”. It was an in-depth look at the diet food industry and the methods a lot of people, including myself take to stay thin. The article pointed out that there are certain go to items for dieters. Included in this list might be your lean cuisines, 100-calorie packs, gum, tasti delites, diet coke etc. Basically a lot of things that allowed you to get your junk food fix without consuming as many calories. Unfortunately, there is little if any nutritional value in the junk food diet.

One thing that really hit home with me in the article was the part that focused on frozen food – specifically lean cuisines. I personally want to look good and stay thin and I thought lean cuisines were a good way to achieve that. After all, they give you a portion-controlled meal that seems to be well balanced. However, the article points out that while this meal claims to be healthy, it is extremely high in sodium and not as healthy as you would assume.

Do you ever feel misled or frustrated when it comes to eating healthy like I did at that time? The truth of the matter is, not everything that claims to be healthy is. Unfortunately, we as consumers are not health experts. Therefore, it is up to us to learn how to choose wisely what we eat. If we can do this, we will find that our health will be better and the risk of getting many diseases will be lowered.

The first thing to remember is to focus on the food label. It was created for a reason. The label is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration to ensure that consumers were being told what they were eating. When you are reading the food label pay close attention to the “% Daily Value” column. This will help you to determine how the food is fitting into your diet. Also, look at the serving size and try to stick to it.

Another good thing to recognize is that the government regulates claims food companies can make in terms of fat content. For example, it is not uncommon to see a label that says something is “low” in fat. According to the government, for it to be low in fat it has to have less than 3 grams per serving. Also, if it is “light” compared to the regular brand it will have at least 50% less fat. “Reduced” fat has to have 25% less than the regular brand.

Keep your eyes out for nutritional options to add to your diet. Try not to be lured by colorful wording and nice labels. At the end of the day, food is food. And, the best food is the most nutritious.