10 Food Buzzwords we are Sick of!

Food marketing is an activity that has been there since time immemorial. But have you ever thought that buying food should not be so complicated? All the labels that go with it take the fun out of shopping, and at times, eating. People eat to live; we get the whole concept but as with anything, when overused, it becomes overrated; even diet buzzwords. The sound of these diet words make us cringe:

1. 

   Heirloom

At one point, heirloom tomatoes really were heirloom- old seeds that had been rediscovered and grown, so that you had an amazing looking fruit that no-one had seen for years. Now it’s used for every tomato out there that’s just maybe fresh picked or really ripe, and everything else from cheeses to corn. Time to give this word a pass.

2. Natural

We get it; all-natural foods are always preferable over others. But whether you are dieting or not, isn’t everything we eat natural first then processed later? Basically the FDA allows a company to call a product natural as long as it doesn’t have added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances. So beware of what you’re getting. Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream is all natural, but not necessarily good for you!

3. Fresh

Granted, everybody loves fresh food but how many times do you buy something “fresh” at the convenient store or the grocery only to get home and find out it is stale? What if different labels like “baked today” or “arrived yesterday” were used? Truth in advertising!

4. Probiotic

Oh, marketers, you did a good job with this one! Suddenly everything is marked probiotic. Yogurt has had these beneficial bacteria for centuries, but suddenly certain brands had better ones, or more of them. I say shut up and eat your yogurt.

5. Organic

Organic can be good! But much organic produce doesn’t actually come from small farms, as you may picture it. It comes from huge factory farms that don’t necessarily take care of the environment. It is only a small definition that tells farm management what types of substances can be put on their fields.

6. Antioxidants

They are important because they help in protecting against heart diseases but all fruits and vegetables have antioxidants. Eating pomegranates isn’t going to save your life. Eat sensibly.

7. Junk Food

Everybody knows…continuous eating of junk foods is bad for your overall health. We know these kinds of food add little to no nutritional value to the body but there’s no need to label them as ‘junk’. They can actually get you through a bad day or heartache.

8. 12-grain bread

It sounds healthy, and crunchy, but in reality unless it’s really whole grain it may not be very good for you. As 12 grain (or any grain) bread could have sugar and all kinds of preservatives. Be wise, look at labels.

9. “Eat Clean”

This is a common phrase used in marketing various diet foods. It is annoying in a sense because someone would think they are demonizing the usual foods we eat on normal basis. Food is not “unclean”.

10. Healthy

As the saying goes, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. When it comes to diet foods, this saying is literal. Healthy is a relative word. Staying healthy is crucial, but one does not have to eat by the book…bend the rules a little every now and then.