What's Really in Your Food? Top Eight Lines of the Most Common Claims You'll Find on Your Food

The foods on supermarket shelves have more health information on their labels than ever before--but that has only made it more confusing to figure out what to buy. Read on to learn which nutritional claims you can trust and which are pure hype.

With all of the health promises made on food packaging today ("100% natural!" "0 grams trans fat!"), you'd think it'd be easier than ever to eat right. But scan grocery store shelves to figure out what to buy, and you're bound to feel frustrated. "There's so much information on products that it can be challenging for the average consumer to figure out what it all means. While the government does regulate these claims, what's key to know is which labels represent truly useful health info and which are just marketing pitches. here, we read between the lines of the most common claims you'll find on your food.

1. "Good source of fiber"
If a package bears the words good source of followed by the name of nutrient--such as fiber, protein, or calcium--the the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates that the food must contain at least 10 percent of daily value of that nutrient. The same is true if the words plus or extra appear before the name of nutrient on packaging. read more...