Amigo Falso

Misleading Food Packaging

When I was in high school, my Spanish teacher coined the phrase “amigo falso” meaning “false friend”. This phrase was used to describe Spanish words that sounded similar to English words, yet had entirely different meanings. Therefore, they falsely lead you to believe you knew the meaning of the word.

With the rising popularity of health conscious folks, there is a plethora of amigo falsos in the grocery store. Many packages are labeled with whole wheat, whole grain, organic, low fat, low sugar, no trans fat, all-natural, fat free, low carb, and the list continues on and on.

These labels can often times be misleading. The label “vegetarian” is often mistaken for “healthy” in a purchasers mind. However, the real facts are on the back of the package included in the nutritional facts. Often times vegetarian really just means “meat free and loaded with sodium and/or fat to mask the vegetables in a caloric and fat laden delicious sauce”.

Fat free or low fat foods are often loaded with sugar. For example gummy bears are fat free, however loaded with sugar. Just because foods are low fat, or low sugar, the nutritional information should also be addressed. When fueling the body it is best to ensure there is some nutritional value in the food.

The best ways to ensure you are eating “all natural” and “healthy” foods are to avoid processed foods. Always try to eat fresh foods, this way you are not consuming hidden sugar, sodium, and fat which is added depending on the cooking style prior to being packaged.