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Uniform Food Label

I first wrote about the Smart Choices labeling program in November 2008, after it was rolled out at the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference. In a nutshell, it is the food industry’s stab at taking all the “front of package” labeling from individual companies (smart spot, sensible solutions, etc…) and giving it some uniformity. The new smart choices program has come under hefty criticism from Marion Nestle, who thinks it is more a marketing effort than a nutrition effort.

I hear what she’s saying – do we really need a big effort to help people choose processed foods?  Shouldn’t nutrition experts tell people to limit packaged foods and eat more whole foods?  YOU BET! But, I’m more of a realist than an idealist. When I meet with a client, I can easily tell if they need to cut down the processed/convenience stuff. I can also tell when someone doesn’t want to “give up” their chips, but is willing to cut down on portions or choose the baked version if it is better for them. So I think this labeling system can be useful if you take the right approach. I have some tips to offer that will hopefully help you figure out how you would like to use the label to make decisions. Don’t forget, you are in control. You are smart and can make the right choices for you and your family.

1. don’t let the label give the product a health halo – processed food is processed food (yes, minimally processed is better). If it needs a label to rate it, you know it’s probably not the healthiest choice. So use it as a way of identifying a better choice among your bags of chips, pretzels, and the other salty convenience foods. You still have to do the work of portion control and making it a “sometimes” food. These aren’t foods you devour in front of the t.v.
2. don’t let the label make you buy more – just because you see a new product with a label, doesn’t mean you need to add it to your grocery bill. It’s one thing to try something new that replaces another packaged food you used to buy, but be careful that you don’t overdo it on the convenient packaged foods. Cut veggies and hummus is a convenient and healthy choice that can be a great side to lunch sandwiches.
3. fill your cart with mostly nutrient rich foods – before cruising the packaged foods with the new smart choices label, make sure you give priority to fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits, your favorite lean protein (canned beans, fish, eggs, lowfat dairy), and whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, wheat pasta, tortillas, and other wheat bread products).

Check out the program for yourself here and make your own judgement. Also check out www.mypyramid.gov and track some of your favorite foods to eat. Do you go over budget in “discretionary calories“? If so, maybe your eating plan needs a tune up! A dietitian can help you get on track.

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