Is Your Healthy Food Everything it’s Cracked Up to Be?

All natural. Organic. Cage free. Range free. You’ve read the foodlabels, shelled out a little extra cash for the promise of healthier options,and savored the flavor of your favorite organics. But wait. If the truthwere known about wholesome-labeled foods—the 100% real, 100% puretruth—you might find yourself lowering your fork. Or at leastrethinking your grocery list.

There’s good news and bad news about today’s food choices.The bad news is that labels can be misleading. In fact, a growing numberof nutritionists, natural food experts, and food industry insiders areblowing the whistle on some foods you’ve been led to believe aregood for you and your brain. Buyers, beware when it comes to these popularfoods with commonlymislabeled ingredients and processes:

•Seafood and salmon. “Wild caught” and “ocean fresh” may only be partiallytrue. Some dietary reports disclose that salmon often spend half theirlives in a hatchery before they become wild stock. This is bad news becausefarm-raised fish contain more cancer-causing chemicals. In addition, a 2013 seafood studyrevealed that in the United States, 87 percent of red snapper is not redsnapper and 59 percent of tuna is not tuna. Does this mean you shouldgo fishless forever? Not necessarily. You can’t catch every deception,but do your best to be as informed as you can. Read labels. Ask restaurantsand food retailers if the fish they selling is farmed, and if it’sthe type of fish you think you’re buying, or a cheaper substitute.

•Olive oil. Italian olive oil is often mixed with seed oils like canola, so read labelsif you want to steer clear of hybrids. (Tip: Pay attention to where theoil originated. California is a more trusted source for pure olive oil).

•Honey. Forget the plastic bears. Typical store honey is processed with high heatand thinned with corn syrup. Buy only unpasteurized, raw honey.

•Raw almonds. Domestically grown almonds are often treated and stripped of nutrientsand still labeled “raw.” Look for organic-labeled nuts, particularlyimports from Spain.

•Milk. Some milk producers add artificial sweeteners including aspartame, soread the label to see what you’re really buying.

•Oreo cookies. What’s in that creamy filling? If you think it is real cream, thinkagain. The the middle of an Oreo is actually made with vegetable oilsand soy. We’re just sayin’.

Okay, fine, we admit it. Oreos aren’t exactly a brain-healthy food.And yet, in the grand scheme of things, it could be argued (if only withtongue in cheek) that vegetable oil and soy aren’t as bad for youas some of the chemicals and processes we’ve just identified in“healthier” options. And in our support of Oreos, we’dlike to add that cookie-dunking is still pretty much the happiest methodof transporting calcium-rich, aspartame-free milk from your glass to yourmouth. (See? We promised there would be good news!)