Who doesn\u2019t get excited about a mid-afternoon treat or having something delicious to munch on while we\u2019re watching \u201cThe Pitt\u201d?<\/p>\n
But not all snacks are created equal, and if we want to choose one that offers some nutrition, what are our best options? And are these new \u201cnaked\u201d and \u201cnatural\u201d snack foods that are popping up everywhere really that much better for us than their \u201cdressed\u201d and \u201cunnatural\u201d counterparts?<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what we \u2014 Raj Punjabi-Johnson and Noah Michelson, co-hosts of HuffPost\u2019s \u201cAm I Doing It Wrong?<\/a>\u201d podcast \u2014 asked Maya Vadiveloo<\/a>, Ph.D., RD, a registered dietitian, nutritional epidemiologist, and associate professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Rhode Island.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got a question [from a listener named] Cambria, and she\u2019s talking about … something called Simply NKD Nacho Cheese Doritos,\u201d Michelson said. \u201cSo I\u2019m looking at [this snack] online right now, and it says it\u2019s \u2018the classic Doritos flavor you love, but now naked of dyes and artificial flavors.\u2019 What are your thoughts on that?\u201d<\/p>\n Vadiveloo was suspicious of the product and others like it.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, that\u2019s more of a health-washing trend,\u201d she told us, adding that companies are aware that many consumers are now concerned about so-called \u201cultra processed\u201d foods and what they may do to our bodies.<\/p>\n \u201cThe current working definition [of an ultra processed food] … is really just a food that is including some form of cosmetic additive or ingredient that\u2019s not regularly available in a home kitchen,\u201d she said. \u201c[Warnings about] ultra processed [foods have] really taken off politically as well right now, and food companies are not going to lose money because now they\u2019re demonized for having a food dye.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s incentivized manufacturers to create snacks that are free of dyes and artificial flavorings, but that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean these snacks are better for us.<\/p>\n \u201cThey haven\u2019t done anything to inherently make the Dorito healthier,\u201d Vadiveloo said. \u201cAnd for me, while there may not be a need for the cosmetic additive, removing the cosmetic additive doesn\u2019t make Doritos suddenly something that I would say should be the basis of a snack.\u201d<\/p>\n When Punjabi-Johnson noted that \u201ca \u2018naked Dorito\u2019 feels like a tortilla chip,\u201d Vadiveloo countered: \u201cEven if it is a tortilla chip, a tortilla chip is relatively high in calories … again, you can have a handful of tortilla chips in the context of a balanced diet, but it\u2019s not going to be that balanced snack that\u2019s giving you the nutrition that you really need.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, she urged us to reach for whole foods that offer protein, fiber or other nutrients \u2014 especially fruits and vegetables, which she said are \u201cwoefully underconsumed\u201d in the United States. <\/p>\n Vadiveloo, who loves to snack baby carrots or trail mix with nuts and unsweetened dried fruits, also emphasized that it\u2019s not just words like \u201cnaked\u201d or \u201cnatural\u201d that are being used to sway shoppers.<\/p>\n \u201cFood companies are really smart \u2014 like if you look at even the NKD Doritos packaging, it\u2019s not bright and loud like the regular Doritos,\u201d she pointed out. \u201cIt\u2019s like meant to be muted … They\u2019ve done thousands upon thousands of focus groups to say, like, \u2018What do you think of when you see, you know, a matte color palette that\u2019s kind of green?\u2019 You associate that with health, just like we use \u2018traffic light\u2019 labeling to convey messaging very simply. You know, you can use it to make people to think of it as maybe not as bad … That\u2019s one of the things that\u2019s so fascinating about behavioral economics and things like that is we can all be manipulated even when we know we are [being manipulated].\u201d<\/p>\n Vadiveloo told us about a study that found \u201cin general, the higher the number of health claims, the less likely the food was to meet general nutritional guidelines,\u201d which she said highlights the absurdity of the health-washing that is currently present on many products.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s always funny when you see a jar of peanut butter and it\u2019s \u2018cholesterol free,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cOf course it\u2019s cholesterol free because it\u2019s plant based, and cholesterol only is an animal products.\u201d<\/p>\n Ultimately, Vadiveloo encouraged us to be wary of any promises that seem too good to be true. <\/p>\n \u201cWhen you start to see more health claims on something, it should probably alert you that maybe somebody\u2019s trying to prove something too much,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n And, as with most things in life, moderation is always going to be our best bet when picking a snack.<\/p>\n \u201c[We should] absolutely normalize that it\u2019s not that easy to make a healthy choice and to do it all the time and that everybody is imperfect in making those choices,\u201d Vadiveloo told us. \u201cIt\u2019s really [just about] trying to move the needle of \u2018OK, how can I feel myself better at my next meal or at my next snack?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n We also chatted with her about the current protein bar craze and what to avoid, the link between anxiety and snacking, and much more, so click above to hear the full episode or listen wherever you get your podcasts<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can also watch the full episode on YouTube.<\/a><\/p>\n For more from Maya Vadiveloo, head here<\/a>.<\/p>\n