The phrase “all natural” is appearing on the packaging for more and more food products every day.  Such claims can be very compelling, but the astute shopper still needs to check out the nutrition label.  Products labeled “natural” or “organic” can still be full of sugar, fat and preservatives.

Here are a few points to consider as you roam up and down those aisles:

1. Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, explains that when selecting free roaming or free range animal products, consumers are being told that the animal had access to open space not that the animal necessarily spent time outdoors.

2. Be sure to read the label on all those Low-Fat and Fat-Free products.  When fat is removed, food manufacturers often add high amounts of salt and/or sugar in order to make up for the changes in flavor and texture.  Sometimes that lower fat version may have more calories and junk than the original!

3. The pricey drinks we see now containing green tea, acai, pomegranate, etc. are often full of sugars and artificial sweeteners.  Instead, go to the source.  In season, a real pomegranate has greater nutritional benefits and is far cheaper than the beverage.  In general, when choosing between a juice that most likely contains added sugar and little fiber and an actual piece of fruit, go for the fruit itself.  You’ll get fiber, a greater feeling of fullness and fewer calories.

4. Granola – I do love the stuff, but check the label.  Most brands are marketed as all natural but are loaded with sugar, fat and calories – especially when you make note of the suggested serving size (often a mere quarter-cup!).  Instead go to the source once again.  Pick up some oatmeal and prepare it at home with fresh fruit or nuts.

5. Two more tricky ones – David Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, cofounder and director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, explains that some pasta sauces “have higher concentrations of added sugar than ice cream toppings” and that some breakfast cereals “have a higher concentration of salt than potato chips”.

So, read the labels to confirm or deny the “all natural” marketing language you find on food packaging.  You might surprise yourself.

Back in October I wrote about the new “Smart Choices” food rating system that’s showing up in grocery store aisles across the country.  Any program that highlights Fruit Loops as a “Smart Choice” deserves serious scrutiny.  Take a look at this recent piece in the LA Times.

The program is now on hold because of the FDA suspects it might mislead consumers into buying processed foods that are high in sugar, sodium and fat.  USA Today is reporting this latest highlight.

Bottom line – don’t look solely at the front of a food package to make a purchasing decision.  Read the nutritionals and ingredients for yourself to see if the science supports the claims made on the front.

First, I’ll start with the assumption that you all know Dr. Oz.  That assumption made, Dr. Oz’s daughter Daphne, a recent college graduate, is making her own mark in the world of healthy living publications with The Dorm Room Diet.

She is also talking about her exploration of possible gluten intolerance as an explanation for some of her own health challenges.  Take a look at this piece on Oprah.com and see if any of her experiences ring true for you.

It doesn’t matter where you do your food shopping.  Grocery stores across the country are adopting various strategies for ranking products on their shelves under the guise that it will make it easier for consumers to make healthier choices.

Despite good intentions, I find the systems baffling.  Most of the items I find in the grocery aisles are highly processed and the packaging is wallpapered in health claims and misleading copy.

Take a look at this review of the phenomenon on InteliHealth and come to your own conclusions.

Get those kiddos off to a terrific start for the school year!  Include delicious, healthful, allergy-safe goodies from Indigo Rabbit in their lunch boxes.  The convenient grab n’ go pouches are great for the backpacks, sports bags, even those cute little pencil cases!

Leave those preservative-laden ”100 calorie packs” on the shelves and pick up some scrumptious Indigo Rabbit cookies so your kids get the taste they want and the nutrition they need to make the most of their school day.

If you’ve got college students in your brood, send along a care package they’ll LOVE filled with their favorite varieties of Indigo Rabbit cookies!  They AND their roommates will be the hit of the dorm.

NO high fructose corn syrup

NO hydrogenated oils

NOTHING artificial

You can PRONOUNCE every item in the ingredient list

Make sure you try every delicious flavor

Heavenly Chocolate Pillows, Seriously Cinnamon Almond, Gingerlicious, Luscious Lemon Chewies, Perfectly Peanut Butter

The next time you’re in the grocery aisle (or studying the items already in your pantry), consider this about the information listed toward the bottom of the Nutrition Label.

The lower portion of the Nutrition Facts panel reflects the amounts of different nutrients in a product.  Typically, if the daily percentage of a particular nutrient is between 10% and 19% , the food is considered to be a good source of that nutrient.

Come on down to the Whole Foods Market in Providence on Waterman Street on Sunday, July 19 from 12:00-3:00.  Indigo Rabbit will be there with free cookie samples from 1:00-3:00 as part of the annual block party!

They’re closing down the street and featuring RI Rock Gym’s rock wall, watermelon eating contests and so much more.  We hope to see you there!

If you don’t find yourself in Providence on Sunday, come eat FREE cookies at Roche Bros, West Roxbury on Friday, July 17  from 4:00-6:00 and at the Whole Foods Market in Hingham on Saturday, July 18 from 12:00-2:00.

Everywhere you turn, there is advice on how to weather this economic downturn.  When it comes to food, make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck.

Choose foods that are nutrient-dense.  When you spend your money on foods and drinks that have useless calories (lacking vitamins, antioxidants, fiber – just calories), you’re really wasting your cash.

It can be daunting, I know.  Keeping in mind all the items to avoid once you’ve been handed a Celiac diagnosis is no small task. 

Scott Adams has prepared an extensive list of unsafe ingredients in his on-line newsletter Celiac.com.  Print out this list and take it with you as you familiarize yourself with new key words on ingredient listings.

We’re giving away yummy free samples again – this time at the Whole Foods Market in Brighton, MA on Saturday, June 13 from 11-1.  Come munch and shop.  Load up on Indigo Rabbit cookies for Flag Day!