Art by Dan Berger, Concept by Mike Adams

I am an educated person and strive to do what is best for myself and my family, but there are times when I feel lost and alone in trying to navigate our food industry.  Anyone else with me?

Despite the ease of understanding the overall outline and great pictures that were issued with the new dietary guidelines released a little less than a year ago,  I still find that I am fumbling about trying to understand what it is that I am purchasing for my family.  I know the rules about “shopping the perimeter” to stay focused on produce, dairy and the fresh offerings.  I am also cued into choosing meats that are antibiotic and hormone free (I bring enough of my own hormones to the table).  But, let’s face it! There are  times when I have to venture into the dreaded “inner circle” of the grocery store.  This is where I get stumped.  In fact, there are times when I feel down-right duped by the food industry.

Does anyone else experience head spinning while trying to navigate the world of complicated labels and ingredients?  What exactly is “sorbitan mono-stearate” and “sodium propionate” anyway and is it really safe for us to consume?   If so, who is determining its level of safety and under what criteria? Also, why do some packages which you would naturally assume are a full serving -  like an 8oz bottle of flavored water- get to list their content and caloric information but for a smaller serving size?  It seems sneaky that an 8oz bottle of flavored water lists its caloric content clearly, but in fine print, notes that this count is for a 2.5 oz serving. This feels like trickery.

So, during my grocery expeditions, I often end up falling back to my tried and true modus operandi…..Keep It Simple Sista. If I can’t understand (or worse yet, pronounce) the ingredients on a label, I put it back on the shelf and walk the other way.  To provide a little  backup information, I have also taken to carrying the Guide to Reading Food Labels in my purse.

What tips and tools do you use to help navigate the food jungle?