1. Light, lite, dietetic - might mean anything. Generally it means less calories, sugar, or salt. They may even refer to the color or texture of a product and sometimes so called light products contain chemical additives and preservatives.
2. Know what the official USDA definition for "fat-free. or "low fat". They don't always mean what you think they do. Check the product against a full fat version and see what the difference is before you buy
3. Serving sizes are sometimes unrealistically small. Check to see what it is and then check how much fat or carbs are in it.
????: South Beach Diet Forums http://www.southbeachdietbulletinboard.com/doing-south-beach-vegetarian-way/339-reading-labels.html
4. Fat-free means less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving, not necessarily zero fat. If the list of ingredients lists butters, oils, nuts, flour then you know there is some fat involved.
5. If the label advertised as healthy, check the ingredients. Many snack foods are made with coconut or palm oil because these oils are cheap, and store well prolonging the shelf life. Sometimes healthy is not
6. If you can't pronounce or understand the ingredients, its probably something you don't want to put in your mouth anyway
7. Be skeptical. Organic is another word that is sometimes not :jester:

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Great public service, Lynne!

There are some coconut & palm oils that are good for you but most versions (when used for extending food life) are not!

I get so mad how easily the public buys into a product as being healthy for them because the package says it's healthy -- with no real claims to back it up. Like "Healthy Choice" foods that use an abundance of high fructose corn syrup and/or way too much sodium.

That makes me get on my soapbox!!!!:Catfight: