Did You Guess the Health Foods Right?
Last week I showed you the ingredients from five “health” foods – did you guess them right? Well, none of them are what I would class as a health food. Wouldn't you agree?
Product one – this will help you lose weight
Atkins: Endulge Caramel Nut Chew Bar
Another reason why Atkins just isn't paleo. Just because it's low carb, doesn't make it healthy as the chemicals in this ingredients list demonstrate. What ever happened to eating real food?
Product two – it's never too young to start being healthy
S-26: Gold Soy Baby Formula
I assume for babies who are intolerant to dairy or for vegan parents? Introducing Soy baby formula….
Product three – start your day the right way
Sanitarium: Up & Go Chocolate Flavoured Milk
This is marketed as a good nutritious way to start your day. Right. I think I'll just have a normal paleo breakfast instead, thanks…
Product four – the best bet for children everywhere
Cottee's: Coola No Added Sugar Cordial
No added sugar – so it must be good for you, right? Surely no one needs any of these chemicals. Is it so hard to drink water?
Product five – watch your cholesterol
Flora: Salt Reduced Sunflower Margarine Tub
And the biggest scam of them all. Avoid butter and have margarine instead….
Behind the Labels: The Illusion of “Health” in Packaged Foods
It’s no surprise that many so-called “health” foods, once scrutinised beyond the shiny packaging and clever marketing, are anything but healthy. The examples above showcase how easily consumers can be misled by buzzwords like “low fat,” “no added sugar,” and “fortified.” But when you dig into the ingredient list, you quickly realise these products are highly processed, artificial, and far removed from real, nourishing food.
In an age where we’re becoming more label-literate, it’s worth exploring why these products continue to flood supermarket shelves — and more importantly, why we’re still being encouraged to eat them in the first place.
The Problem with “Health Washing”
“Health washing” is the marketing tactic of making unhealthy products appear nutritious. It’s rampant in the food industry. From snack bars with more sweeteners than a lolly shop to cereals claiming to support immunity while delivering a sugar hit that rivals soft drinks — the deception is subtle but powerful.
Parents, in particular, are targeted with messages that suggest these products are essential for growth, learning, and energy. Terms like “essential vitamins,” “source of fibre,” or “supports brain function” are plastered across items that would struggle to be recognised as food by our grandparents.
What Do These Ingredient Lists Really Tell Us?
Let’s take a closer look at the patterns behind products like those featured:
- Highly refined ingredients: Most processed health products rely on industrial oils (like canola or sunflower), refined flours, soy derivatives, and synthetic thickeners.
- Artificial sweeteners and flavourings: To compensate for reduced fat or sugar, chemical additives are used to maintain flavour and mouthfeel.
- Long shelf life: These products often include preservatives, stabilisers, and emulsifiers to extend their shelf life far beyond what fresh food ever could achieve.
- Minimal real nutrition: You’ll often find added synthetic vitamins — not because the food is nutrient-rich, but because all nutrition was stripped out during processing and had to be added back in.
The irony is that many of these “health” foods are far more processed than the foods they’re intended to replace. A chocolate Up & Go, for instance, is essentially a high-carb, synthetic cocktail dressed up as breakfast — while an actual breakfast of eggs, spinach, and avocado would blow it out of the water nutritionally.
The Role of Seed Oils and Soy in Processed Foods
One commonality in these products is the use of seed oils (such as soybean, canola, or sunflower) and soy-based derivatives. These ingredients are cheap, highly processed, and heavily subsidised in many countries. But their presence in everything from baby formula to margarine is deeply concerning.
Seed oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, which when consumed in excess (as they often are in modern diets), contribute to systemic inflammation — a root cause of many chronic diseases. Soy, particularly in its isolated or genetically modified form, has been linked to hormonal disruptions and digestive issues in some individuals.
What Makes a Food Truly Healthy?
Let’s strip things back to basics. A food is “healthy” when it’s:
- Minimally processed — close to its natural state
- Free of artificial additives — no hidden colours, flavours, or stabilisers
- Rich in bioavailable nutrients — vitamins and minerals your body can absorb
- Satiating and energising — not engineered to make you overeat
That means foods like pasture-raised meat, wild-caught fish, seasonal vegetables, natural fats, free-range eggs, and fermented foods. These are the real superfoods — no barcode required.
The Baby Formula Conundrum
The inclusion of soy-based baby formula in the “health” food list is especially alarming. While sometimes used as an alternative for infants with dairy sensitivities, soy formula is far from an ideal solution. It often contains phytoestrogens (plant compounds that mimic oestrogen), processed sugars, and seed oils — all in a product meant to be a baby's sole source of nutrition.
It’s a sobering reminder that the word “formula” should not be equated with “complete nutrition.” Many health professionals now advocate for donor milk or properly prepared homemade formulas where breastfeeding is not possible — options that are far more aligned with an ancestral, whole food approach.
The Cost of Convenience
Most of these “health” products are designed for convenience. They're quick, shelf-stable, and marketed to fit seamlessly into busy lifestyles. But convenience often comes at a cost: poor nutrient density, disrupted digestion, and long-term health consequences.
It may take a few extra minutes to prepare a proper breakfast or pack a lunch from real ingredients, but the long-term benefits — from energy and mental clarity to disease prevention — make it well worth the effort.
Start Reading Labels Differently
Next time you’re in the supermarket, challenge yourself to flip over the packaging. Read the ingredients list instead of just the front label. Can you pronounce the ingredients? Would you cook with them at home? If not, it’s a red flag.
Even better, shop the perimeter of the store where fresh food lives. Or support local markets and growers where seasonal, nutrient-dense food is more likely to be available and free from clever marketing spin.
Final Thoughts: Choose Food, Not Products
The examples above show just how easy it is to be misled by packaging that speaks the language of health — while delivering none of it. In a world full of engineered food-like substances, the best health decision you can make is to eat real food, not products designed to mimic it.
Forget the slogans, the endorsements, and the fortified this-or-that. If your food needs a marketing team to convince you it’s healthy, it probably isn’t. Your body deserves better — and once you start fuelling it with real, whole ingredients, the difference becomes impossible to ignore.
How many did you guess the health food from the ingredients right? Any “health” foods with ingredients that shock you? Share in the comments below!
