PITTSBURGH,None — Channel 11 is looking into misleading food labels.
"Nutrition uses marketing just like every other industry does," said Amy Goodson, a registered dietitian.
Goodson cautions that many foods labeled to look like diet food may be comparable to eating junk food.
"Many times there are just as many calories in the health food as there are in the counterpart," said Goodson.
Take veggie chips for example: There's a full serving of vegetables in every ounce, but they contain the same amount of calories and fat as regular potato chips.
"Honestly, a whole wheat cracker that's rich in fiber would be a more nutrient-rich option," said Goodson.
Goodson said energy bars and fruit smoothies are other items that may look healthier than they actually are.
"Some of these smoothies have as many grams of sugar as two packages of M&Ms," said Goodson.
Also, don't let the word yogurt fool you, especially when it's in the frozen form.
"There are more than 80 grams of sugar in just a little container of frozen yogurt," said Goodson.
Sticking to the subject of dessert, be cautious of the organic kind.
"Many people that wouldn't buy cookies pick up organic ones and think they're good for them and they can eat as many as they want," said Goodson.
The organic versions usually have just as many calories as their Oreo counterparts.
"Don't necessarily look at the marketing label. Look at the ingredient list. Pick a short ingredient list and buy more single foods," said Goodson.
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