We try to avoid sweet treats and prepackaged foods as much as possible in our house. They're loaded with sugar and sodium and lack any real nutrients. It's better to not even buy them because if they're in the pantry; then we will usually choose to eat the bad stuff before the healthy stuff...especially Lucas. However, for the sake of convenience and a little fun (lol), it is not always feasible to avoid all prepackaged foods. It took a lot of practice reading nutritional labels though to actually figure out what foods to buy and which foods should be avoided. Many companies are very sneaky with their food labels and are truly trying to fool us into thinking their food is healthy. If you know what to look for though, it is much easier to navigate a food label so I've compiled a list of red flags you should watch out for.

1. Made with Whole Wheat or Whole Grains or Multi-grain is not healthy.If you read the ingredients, you will see the first ingredient isalmost always enriched flour. Look for 100% Whole Wheat or 100% Whole Grains
2. Fruit drinks that say, "good source of calcium". This may be true, but it usually means the juice contains very little fruit and probably has a ton of sugar.
3. Sugar Free and No Sugar Added does not mean the food does not contain any sugar. It just means no sugar was added, but the food can still contain a lot of sugar. Check the actual grams of sugar listed under Total Carbs.
4. Low Fat, Reduced Fat, and Fat Free are not ALWAYS the healthiest options. A lot of the times, it can mean that the food has a ton of sugar-more than the full fat version even. Food manufacturers add sugar to compensate for less fat.
5. Prepackaged food like Lunchables that say "excellent source of protein". Yes, they are a good source of protein, but the sodium levels are outrageous. Buy your own deli meat, cheese, and crackers. Not only is it healthier, but you'll save money.
6. Terms like Fresh, Natural, and No Additives do not equal healthy! These terms always raise a red flag. Natural does not mean organic. If you want organic, then look for the USDA Organic seal on the package. Also, keep in mind that organic does not mean healthy either. Organic food can still be high in sugar, fat, calories, and sodium.
   
7. Sugary cereals that claim to be healthy because they have 100% Whole Grains are not healthy.
8. Read the serving size! Food manufacturers will often claim there are two servings or more in snack sized foods. That way the food can appear to be healthy, but once you add up the servings and multiply by the calories, fat, sodium, or sugar content all of a sudden you realize that it is actually junk.
9. Read the ingredients list on the label. Avoid foods that have any of the following as the first few ingredients: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sucrose, or glucose. These mean very high sugar content! We try to avoid any food that says high fructose corn syrup anywhere on the ingredient list.
   
10. Remember that labels on food that is not specifically made for kids are based on the nutritional requirements for adults. One serving may be ok for an adult, but a child may require less.