Eating Healthy Is Hard!

Even if you have the best intentions, it’s easy to get tricked by buzzwords and marketing.

Deciding something is healthy based on a single claim -- such as “organic” or “gluten-free” -- and ignoring some of the item’s not-so-healthy attributes is called the “health halo.”

Many people assume, without really thinking much about it that if something is organic, it’s also lower in calories or higher in fiber. In reality, the term “organic” just refers to agricultural practices.

The same thing happens with packaging. A photo of running shoes on a protein bar or the word “fitness” on a snack is often enough to convince us the food is healthy.

To avoid falling victim to the health halo, be sure to read the nutrition facts on every packaged food you purchase. Make sure you know exactly what you’re eating, and ignore healthy-sounding slogans or packaging.

Once you start seeing these marketing tactics for what they are, it’s easier for you to make healthy decisions and avoid the health halo!