Does An Orange Have To Make A Health Claim?
I just finished reading a great article by Michael Pollan (Thanks Crystal), author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto
In the article, Pollan makes a simple but profound statement regarding not only labels, but the state of our food in total:
“…if you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid food products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it’s not really food, and food is what you want to eat.” – Michael Pollan
Think about it, how many times do you pick up a box or bag of something, and it has to trumpet how great it is for you, how some nutrient contained therin is so healthy for you.
What’s up with that?
I then took a look at our list of “Power Foods” to see how it stacked up to the “no health claim” test.
Pretty well I would say…
Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Whole Grains… Check, Check, Check, and Check
The protein category holds up well too, although I would qualify it this way – Grass fed beef, hormone free animal proteins, and free range eggs are far superior to your average feed lot product. Not even close in fact, and definetely something to consider as you modify nutrition habits.
I would encourage you to read the entire article, as it gives very good insight to how the government chooses which foods to propagandize, er…I mean recommend.
Your feedback is always valuable, so let’s hear what you have to say!