Natural Food Market Smart Shopping Tips

Natural and organic food markets have sprouted up everywhere, offering you a nearby source for "natural" foods, such as organic produce and other foods that are free of antibiotics, preservatives, growth hormones and trans fats.

However, not everything in these markets is healthy.

In fact, the layout of a natural food store can be challenging for even the smartest shoppers. Learn how to spot and navigate around the danger signs in store aisles before your next visit to the market. Jenna Bell-Wilson, PhD, RD, CSSD, co-author of Energy to Burn and owner of SwimBikeRunEat.com, shows you how.

Danger Sign: Organic Labels

The term organic means that the food is more than 70% free of pesticides, herbicides' fungicides, growth hormones, antibiotics, irradiation and genetic modification.

Organic does not mean the product is low fat, low sodium, fat free, low calorie, nutrient dense, rich in phyto-chemicals or even plain old healthy.

It simply means it has been certified "organic" by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Danger Sign: Crackers, Chips and Cookies-Oh My!

Natural food markets offer shelves and shelves of crackers, chips and cookies claiming to be organic alternatives to junk food-all without trans fatty acids. In these aisles, keep a close eye on food labels to make sure saturated fat hasn't replaced trans fat. There are some better, tasty snack choices lurking on these shelves, but again, check the labels to find the healthiest options. Danger Sign: Frozen and Faux Foods

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