Be Judgmental. Read the label.


We all have come across "new improved packaging" way more often than actual improvement in the product itself. So, we end up buying new packets instead of new products.

 Here are a few examples:

 Cholesterol free oil

These oils claim to be heart healthy. The fact of the matter being that none of the refined oils or unrefined oils have cholesterol!! Even when it is not stated, the oils don't have cholesterol.

Fact check: Cholesterol is made in the liver when excess fat is eaten.


Ice cream 
The so called cream is actually hydrogenated fats which are excessively harmful for your heart.
Take a look at the ingredients of the 'Baskin Robbins' chocolate ice cream.

Cream, Sugar, Nonfat Milk, Corn Syrup, Mousse Base (Palm Kernel Oil, Palm Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Caseinate, Propylene Glycol Monostearate, Mono and Diglycerides, Cellulose Gum, Acetylated Monoglycerides, Guar Gum, Carrageenan), Chocolate Liquor and Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Whey Powder, Natural and Artificial Flavor.
Nutritional Info

Corn syrup is used to enhance texture and improve taste and also to add volume to the food. Palm oil increases cholesterol in the body, but you can find it in lots of packaged products including biscuits, cakes etc.

Fact check: A perfect chocolate ice cream can be made at home with few ingredients like cream, sugar, milk, melted chocolate or cocoa.

Health drinks for kids
A household health drink in India and the superfood of the previous generation. We grew up on the added flavours of complan, bournvita and horlicks to our milk. With main ingredient as sugar  (most of them have 30-40% sugar) and plenty of useless additives like emulsifiers and anti-caking agents and caramel, maltodextrin etc. and with side effects ranging from a spike in blood sugar levels to complications like the bi-polar disorder. These are doing more harm than you can imagine! No matter what they claim, they cannot increase your child's natural growth progression. Nor can they fill up the nutritional gaps in a diet.




Fact check: You can make the milk interesting by using nuts, saffron, turmeric, cardamom, even cocoa powder or good quality melted chocolate. If you don't use sugar from the start, the kids get used to the natural sweetness of milk.

So the next time, you go to the supermarket, judge your food, read the labels and then decide if you really need it or not.

Do drop in your comments and views. Also you can share your experiences about various products.

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