BY CAMILA SOSA
Gulping down a bottle of Naked Juice’s “Berry Blast” I am beyond satisfied. The thick rich texture of this drink sends shivers down my spine, as I taste the blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries burst into my mouth. I’m proud of myself, feeling unrealistically healthy as I read the side tag, “This product contains: 5 blackberries, 4 raspberries, 4 strawberries, 3 ½ apples and ½ a banana. I don’t think I’ve eaten that much fruit in the last year. Alas my spirits sink as I come to realize that this splendid sweetness is unnatural, making a smoothie at home wouldn’t taste nearly as good even with the freshest fruit money can buy. Though staying true to its flavor, Naked Juice isn’t necessarily staying true to its label of being truly “naked” of added sugars and preservatives. Still, this isn’t the only “healthy” product under fire, as large corporations are constantly taking advantage of health crazes, by getting foods that are healthy on paper, then filling them up with sugars and additives, covering it all up with some fancy marketing techniques, and labeling the products “healthy” though they are decidedly unhealthy. Below are a few snacks you probably thought were good for you but are sadly not.
Naked Juice- Over the summer there was an extreme amount of hype over this smoothie and even I got sucked into the idea of a nutritious yet undeniably tasty drink. But just glancing at the ingredient list will reveal a number of additives. On the front label of the drink there are big letters boasting “100% juice,” “No sugar added,” and “3 delicious fruits inside,” but on the back you’ll find what there actually is to know. Naked juice claims to be natural and made out of pure fruit. But let’s take, for example, the Pomegranate blueberry flavor. The ingredient list shows that the beverage contains pomegranate juice, red grape juice, and white grape juice. According to health experts, the addition of all these juices is almost exactly like adding sugar and contributes to the shocking 64 grams of sugar the bottle contains. The smoothie also claims to have a pound of fruit in every 15.2 oz of bottle, but unlike actual fruit, Naked’s fruit contains no fiber, and is pasteurized, which basically takes away all nutrients a fruit once held. Fortunately, this has not gone unpunished, as Naked Juice has been recently sued for the use of non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) labels despite containing synthetic substances. Trying to make it seem like a small amount, calories account for only half a serving reading from 130-150 calories. When added up, some flavors come out to contain 300 calories, almost as much as a full meal!
Trail mix- Trail mix started as a healthy snack, consisting of peanuts and dried fruit. In the process of making these handy snacks, the peanuts are coated in salt some dried fruits are drenched in chocolate. This, according to “thatsfit.com,” makes the average cup of trail mix about 700 calories. So by the time they are packaged and put onto shelves they are just about as healthy as any old junk food product.
Quaker and Nature Valley Granola Bars- Tiny snacks like these don’t exactly have to boast and try to convince us they’re healthy. The oats, the nuts and the granola they contain easily convince us Americans. However these brands do lie, claiming their snack bars are loaded with vitamins and fibers. The marketing is, of course, just another falsehood. According to greatest.com these granola bars can be easily compared to a chocolate bars because of their 10-12 grams of sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Diet Coke- Nowadays, believing Diet Coke is actually diet friendly seems pathetic, while many of us are aware of this fact; we are oblivious to its actual dangers. Diet Coke is full of sugars that replace the original soda’s tasty calories, though this seems like a better choice than plain old Coca Cola, which contains both sugars and calories-it’s not. What companies fail to mention is that these sugars are, in the long run, damaging to our health. According to an article in Huffington.com, the sugars tend to trick our brains; with such high levels of sugar the body expects high calories but of course get none. This increases appetite and leaves us craving more sugar. Diet colas also contain a myriad of chemicals that may be linked to cancer. So why it is that Coca Cola Co. makes it seem like a healthier alternative?
Pre-made salads- When we walk into a fast food restaurant, instead of ordering the juicy burger or the greasy chicken nuggets, we pick a nice healthy looking salad, and so we can’t help but feel a sense of self-control. We think we’re so much healthier than everyone else in the eatery, but that is not exactly true. Pre-made salads have proven to be one of the most deceiving dishes out there. According to an article in takepart.com popular food chain salads like Wendy’s Baja salad and Apple Bee’s original Salad range from 800-1300 calories and 40-100 grams of fat.
With their deceptive nature, marketing companies can brainwash just about anyone. This is especially detrimental to the progress of health freaks. But how does this concern us, teenagers, who are rarely health conscious in the first place? The thing is, it isn’t just about losing x-amounts of pounds in order to fit into skinny jeans. To us the most important matter at hand should be the clever marketing ploys of food markets.
