What Do Those Food Labels Really Mean?

What Do Those Food Labels Really Mean?
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I don't put a lot of stake in sensationalized media articles, & I try to take a more moderate view of the world we're living in. Nothing is ever as bad as people try to make it out to be, there is a lot of good in the world, we are not all doomed to a dystopian future.

However, I do believe that it is very important to continue to educate yourself. We all need to keep learning from trustworthy sources & keep applying that knowledge to our own everyday lives. We owe it to our family to read beyond the headlines & weigh different options & opinions.

But then life gets busy...

There are many things that I should do that I simply don't. One of those things that I am trying to do a better job of is feeding my family (& myself). It is important to be aware of different issues surrounding the food that ends up in our grocery carts, our homes, & our bodies. What do those food labels really mean?

Fortunately, there is a great resource for people to test their knowledge of food labels & FDA regulations. You can go here to take a food labels quiz that doesn't sensationalize anything; it simply provides you with facts in a very easy to digest (pun intended) manner. I think I did okay on the quiz, but the point isn't to pass or fail. The point is to learn & recognize that this is something worth considering & reading about further.

Click to take the Food Labels Quiz yourself.

This quiz only takes a few minutes out of your day, & here's what I learned from it:
  • GMOs make up a much larger percentage of crops than I realized.
  • Foods labeled organic don't have to be fully organic.
  • A cholesterol free label doesn't quite mean cholesterol free.
  • "Made with real fruit" labels are almost completely unregulated.
  • Free-range poultry requirements are not very supervised.
  • There is no FDA guidance on the use of multigrain labeling.
  • The FDA does not have an official definition of "all-natural."
  • There is little guidance as to what constitutes "local" food.
Ultimately though it is beneficial to gather information & resources & then draw your own conclusions about these types of concerns. There is always a way to find a healthy middle ground, & we owe it to ourselves & to our families to do just that.

Keep up with Shari on Snapchat: ShariMedini

This post originally appeared on MomShar.com

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