ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Health claims on food labels

Hey kiddo! Have you ever seen those little labels on food packages that say things like "low fat" or "heart healthy"? Those are called health claims! They're supposed to tell us important things about the food we're eating, like how healthy it is for us.

Sometimes health claims can be a little tricky though. Companies who make food want people to buy their products, so they might put health claims on their packaging that make the food seem healthier than it really is. That's why it's important to pay attention to the details of the health claim.

Here's an example. Let's say you see a bag of chips that says "low fat" on the label. That sounds pretty healthy, right? But if you look at the nutrition facts on the back, you might see that the chips still have a lot of calories and sodium - two things that can be bad for our health. So even though the chips are low in fat, they might not actually be very healthy overall.

It's important to remember that health claims are regulated by the government to make sure they're truthful and not misleading, but companies can still be a little tricky sometimes. That's why it's always a good idea to take a closer look at the nutrition facts and ingredients on the back of the package before you buy something, especially if you're looking for something healthy to eat.

So, the next time you see a health claim on a food label, just remember that it's like a little sign that's supposed to give us important information about the food, but we still need to use our own brains and check the details to make sure it's really healthy for us to eat.