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"But it sounded healthy" and other mistakes we make

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They call it the health halo and it’s an attitude many people have when they see a food label that suggests that the food they are scrutinizing is healthy or has healthy ingredients or health benefits. We then tend to eat it more than an appropriate portion. Try to avoid second helpings or large portions of any processed foods that have health claims. If you want seconds have another fruit or portion of vegetables.

When a snack food comes in a 100 calorie portion pack, the point is to just have one. A box with 6 servings should last a person one week.

Worth repeating, a processed food can claim zero or no trans fats as long as there is 0.5 mgs. or less of trans fats per serving. You do the math. Several servings of these so-called trans fat free foods can mean you get a significant dose of trans fat in a day’s worth of eating.

Even canned healthy soups, brimming with vegetables, can have a whopping dose of salt. Read the ingredients label of all processed foods, even the healthy ones. Look for salt, hidden trans fat and sugar content.