“But It Says Healthy Right on the Label!” — Why You Can’t Trust the Front of the Package/Box
Recently at a conference, I saw a woman snacking on a bag of fruit yogurt bites. She seemed pleased with her choice, so I asked if I could snap a photo of the label. She smiled and said, “Sure! My granddaughter gave them to me. They’re a healthy snack.”
Let’s just say… it wasn’t.
And to be clear, this isn’t about shaming her. It’s about something deeper: how easily people are misled when we’ve never been taught how to read food labels. I’m sure she took that snack out of love for her granddaughter’s offering and because she truly thought it was healthy. I know for a fact she’s not the only one falling for the “healthwashing” happening these days.
Healthwashing in Action
Let’s define it: Healthwashing is when a food company uses trendy buzzwords like gluten-free, non-GMO, natural, or contains probiotics to make you think a product is healthy—even when it’s loaded with sugar, junk oils, and artificial additives.
The front of her snack bag said:
- Gluten Free
- Non-GMO
- No Corn Syrup
- Contains Probiotics
Sounds like something you might toss in your cart without a second thought, right?
The Back of the Pack (pictured above) Tells a Different Story
Let’s break it down—ingredient by ingredient—and why your body deserves better:
Juice Concentrates Instead of Whole Fruit
Made with apple puree, strawberry puree, and juice concentrates (lemon, elderberry, and apple), this “fruit” snack is basically fruit-flavored sugar without the fiber.
Why it matters: Sugar without fiber spikes blood sugar fast, driving energy crashes, cravings, and long-term inflammation.
Soluble Corn Fiber
Added to bulk up fiber claims and reduce net carbs—but it’s a highly processed additive, not real food.
Why it matters: Can disrupt digestion, bloat the gut, and offer none of the microbiome benefits real fiber delivers.
Natural Strawberry Flavor (WONF)
WONF stands for “With Other Natural Flavors.” Translation?
Maybe there’s a drop of real strawberry, but it’s been blended with lab-made compounds that can come from entirely different sources—even animal-based.
Why it matters: These “natural” flavors often include solvents, preservatives, and synthetic carriers. You’re not just eating strawberry essence—you’re eating chemical additives that don’t belong in the human body.
7g of Added Sugar in One Tiny Pack
That’s nearly two teaspoons of sugar—in a few pieces that fit in the palm of your hand.
Why it matters: Even small bursts of added sugar cause inflammation, destabilize blood sugar, and drive metabolic issues. When it’s disguised as health food, it’s even more damaging because people don’t realize they’re eating dessert.
Palm Kernel Oil
This shelf-stable, highly refined oil is what gives that “yogurt coating” its creamy feel.
Why it matters: It’s processed using high heat and chemical solvents and is linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, and heart disease. Want more? [Click HERE for my deep dive on oils.]
Nonfat Dry Milk, Whey Protein Concentrate, Yogurt Powder
These aren’t whole dairy foods—they’re processed dairy isolates, stripped of fat and loaded with heat damage.
Why it matters: These isolates can spike insulin, disrupt digestion, and offer none of the nutritional benefit of real, full-fat dairy. Not to mention—non-organic versions may contain hormone and antibiotic residues.
Soy Lecithin
One of many emulsifiers that most often comes from GMO soy. It’s used to keep the coating from separating.
Why it matters: Another ultra-processed ingredient that your body doesn’t need. If your gut is already under stress, this adds to the burden.
Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG (a probiotic)
Technically, yes—this is a probiotic strain. But it’s likely minimal and possibly degraded by heat or storage conditions.
Why it matters: A sprinkle of probiotics doesn’t undo the rest of the label. A single strain tossed into a sugar bomb isn’t therapeutic—it’s marketing.
Why Read Labels?
We were never taught to read food labels—not by our schools, not by our parents, and definitely not by the food industry. So it’s no wonder people fall for products that look and sound healthy but are built on a base of cheap, low-nutrient, inflammatory ingredients.
That woman at the conference didn’t grab those yogurt bites because she was actively working on her health. She took them because her granddaughter gave them to her. But her granddaughter likely thought she was making a healthy choice—because the package said so.
And who taught her to read food labels? Probably her mother, who didn’t know how to read them either. That’s not a personal failure—that’s a generational failure in education. But it’s one we can change.
Marketing vs. Reality
Yes, it says non-GMO. But that does not mean organic. Non-GMO only means the ingredients aren’t genetically modified—it doesn’t mean they’re free from pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or processing.
Yes, it’s gluten-free. So is soda (and we all know how bad soda is for our health-right?).
Yes, it’s labeled all-natural. But if you flip the package, you’ll find lab-derived additives, processed oils, and synthetic sweeteners. “Natural” doesn’t mean what you think it means.
This snack is:
- Full of added sugar
- Loaded with processed oils and dairy isolates
- Filled with lab-created flavors and fake fiber
- Built on a foundation of low-quality, gut-disrupting ingredients
Why that matters: These ingredients make you feel bad. They mess with your mood, metabolism, and microbiome—and they keep you coming back for more, thinking you’re making good choices when you’re not. And the food industry counts on that.
What You Can Do Right Now
While I’m putting the final touches on my Label Decoder Guide, here’s how you can start spotting fake health foods in the wild:
- Flip the package and read the ingredients and the nutrition label—the front is marketing; the back is where the truth tries to hide (but still needs decoding).
- Avoid anything with “natural flavors.” It’s typically chemicals and additives. If the food industry won’t tell you exactly what it is, that’s a red flag.
- Stay away from seed oils like canola, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, grapeseed—and yes, palm oil too. These oils are cheap, inflammatory, and over-processed.
- If you can’t pronounce it or don’t know what it is, look it up—or put it back.
- Example: Potassium sorbate. Sounds harmless, even good for you right? Potassium is essential for health. But potassium sorbate is a synthetic preservative used to extend shelf life—and has been linked to DNA damage, gut irritation, and cellular dysfunction. Your body doesn’t need that.
- Check the first 3 ingredients. If you see sugar, syrup, fruit juice concentrate, or oil near the top, it’s not real nourishment.
- Choose organic when you can, especially for oils, fruits & veggies, meat, nuts, and dairy. Remember: Non-GMO ≠ Organic. But Organic = Non-GMO + No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Go organic whenever possible
- Skip anything with the word “emulsifier” or “gum.” These ingredients are used to thicken and stabilize fake foods—often at the expense of your gut health. They can interfere with digestion and damage your microbiome, especially when consumed regularly.
But You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know!
You don’t have to decode this all on your own. I’m here for you! I’m working on a Label Decoder Guide to help you learn how to read labels and actually understand what you’re reading. You’ll find it soon on my website—but if you want to be the first to grab your copy, sign up for my weekly blog. Or follow me on Instagram where I’ll post about it once it’s live.
No spam. Just real talk, helpful tools, and strategies to reclaim your health one bite at a time.
Something Real to Chew On (No Fake Ingredients)
Health doesn’t come from pretty packaging with misleading claims.
It comes from learning how to read between the lines—and choosing real food that supports the body you want to live in.
And yes—it takes practice. You won’t catch every sneaky, nasty ingredient the first time or even the hundredth time. That’s okay. Every time you choose to flip the label, question an ingredient, or put something back on the shelf—you’re doing your body a favor. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
In fact, the guys I work with have a routine now. They’ll find a “healthy” snack, hand me the package, and say, “Alright, tell me what’s wrong with this one.”
And after I break it down for them, they always ask the same question:
“Would you eat this?”
That’s become their litmus test—and honestly? It’s not a bad one to adopt for yourself.
For more about my health journey and sustainable weight loss of 140 pounds, check out my new book The Awakened Body. Click HERE to purchase!