choosing one food item over another for reasons such as products claiming they are all natural or fat free do not always mean it is healthier. the fda does not define “natural” but if labeled so, the food must not contain added colors, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances. however, foods labeled natural can contain preservatives. companies will argue that natural products that contain high fructose corn syrup are healthy because it comes from corn. no sugar added items are often bought but also not fully understood. foods like fruit, milk, cereals, and vegetables naturally contain sugar. although there may not have been added sugar, they still contain natural sugars. these sugar free products may contain added ingredients like maltodextrin, which is a carbohydrate. carbohydrates may be simple sugars or complex starches that can raise blood sugar. just because “no sugar added” is labeled does not mean the product is calorie free or carbohydrate free which most consumers often misunderstand. most consumers are ignorant about the actual nutritional content of their foods and heavily rely on the food labels and claims that are provided on packages. this over-reliance on a variety of different claims has many implications including uninformed customer purchases and over-consumption of unhealthy foods.