"Funny" Food Marketing

aeloine
aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Yesterday, a coworker gave me a Clif Bar. He was trying to be witty and said something along the lines of "be careful, it says 'energy'! It might make you stay up!" I joked back that they call it "energy" because it has a lot of calories.... but that might actually be true! It's actually quite a few calories for a granola bar/for how small it is.

He kind of fell for the gimmick and I know that we all have done it. What foods marketed as "healthy" have you fallen for?


Me: Nutella, back in the day. It's a hazelnut spread!
Wouldn't ya know it, turns out they got sued for false advertising!
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Replies

  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    I always laugh at our marshmallow packets, boldly claiming them to be FAT FREE!!! Wooohoooooo...

    (completely true, but stupid imo)

    Wait.... aren't they all pretty much fat free anyway?
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    I've heard about something called "Apple Cider Vinegar" or "ACV" somewhere. Can't remember where I read about it though, but it rings a bell for me for some reason.


    :devil:

    Have you seen that they're now selling FLAVORED "drinking" ACV? It's ACV diluted with water and flavored with added syrups like coconut and raspberry.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    aeloine wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    I always laugh at our marshmallow packets, boldly claiming them to be FAT FREE!!! Wooohoooooo...

    (completely true, but stupid imo)

    Wait.... aren't they all pretty much fat free anyway?

    Yes.... But the claim on the packet somehow makes them appear "better".
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    aeloine wrote: »
    Tacklewasher wrote: »
    I've heard about something called "Apple Cider Vinegar" or "ACV" somewhere. Can't remember where I read about it though, but it rings a bell for me for some reason.


    :devil:

    Have you seen that they're now selling FLAVORED "drinking" ACV? It's ACV diluted with water and flavored with added syrups like coconut and raspberry.

    Does it help with weight loss???????

    If you mean losing the weight of money in your wallet.....
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    edited March 2018
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    Not one that I have fallen for but one that just bugs the shiz out of me - 'gluten free' stickers on packages of steak. Also fat free and gluten free stickers on candies like twizzlers.

    :hushed:

    That's hilarious!
  • emcclure013
    emcclure013 Posts: 231 Member
    Nuts! Sure, those little buggers might be packed with protein and other good things for you, but I RARELY can fit them into my calorie goals, and always in smaller portions than I ever believed. In the past I could've easily eaten a cup of peanuts as a "healthy" 800+ calorie snack.
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,169 Member
    I saw a “gluten free” label on rice. Well, duh.
  • JMcGee2018
    JMcGee2018 Posts: 275 Member
    Anything labeled "fat free" or "light" that makes people believe it is healthy makes me laugh. Was fat demonized in the 80s or 90s? Either way, to make it taste good they typically end up loading that food up with sugars and other fillers, which makes it no more healthy than the original, full-fat version most of the time.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    DebLaBounty wrote: »
    I saw a “gluten free” label on rice. Well, duh.

    I don't know...it's a grain and that whole gluten free thing takes a while to figure out. I've heard people say they don't eat corn/corn oil/HFCS because of the gluten - I mean :huh:

    But to be fair, genpop isn't really that educated about nutrition, and "gluten free" seems a lot like the trendy thing to do for some people who don't even need to do it. Like it's just generally "healthier."

    Rule #1

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15_-cKwNWDA
  • goatg
    goatg Posts: 1,399 Member
    Clif is great to eat while you're working out. So I wouldn't say it isn't healthy.

    I would never, ever eat it otherwise, though.
  • Kalex1975
    Kalex1975 Posts: 427 Member
    lightenup2016 wrote: »
    Quest bars, specifically cookies n cream and cookie dough flavors--advertised as actually edible!! :lol:

    I love Quest bars, especially the cookie dough flavor :wink:
  • JMcGee2018
    JMcGee2018 Posts: 275 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Those 'zero calorie' butter sprays. 2nd and 3rd ingredients are oils :confounded:

    cr2e6t1ztu91.jpg

    I believe anything where the serving size comes to less than 5 calories can be labeled as zero cal. Which is unfortunate because some people overspray, and 5 hidden calories several times a day can add up over time.
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
    goatg wrote: »
    Clif is great to eat while you're working out. So I wouldn't say it isn't healthy.

    I would never, ever eat it otherwise, though.

    That's the thing - he brought it around as a "treat".
    Um s'cuse me, my whole lunch is 300 calories and this bar is 260?
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    Big sign "source of fibre" at the front of a pack of whatever food with only traces of fibre (about 1g or less per 100g)! I get so mad! This should be made illegal - it is deceit made in full conscience.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    lightenup2016 wrote: »
    "Lower sugar" jelly for my kids. Turns out it was lower sugar because they used Sucrulose instead. Thanks, but I'll take a little more natural sugar, and no chemical junk that tastes like *kitten*!! ETA, as long as I'm asking, just give me jelly that actually has less natural sugar but no artificial ones either!

    Peanut products that have an allergy warning that they contain peanuts. My son has a nut allergy, so I really do appreciate the allergy warnings, but these always make me giggle when it's so obviously a peanut product!

    I think things like that come down to the 'suing culture' America has. Health warning have to go on anything
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    JMcGee2018 wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Those 'zero calorie' butter sprays. 2nd and 3rd ingredients are oils :confounded:

    cr2e6t1ztu91.jpg

    I believe anything where the serving size comes to less than 5 calories can be labeled as zero cal. Which is unfortunate because some people overspray, and 5 hidden calories several times a day can add up over time.

    Same as 'alcohol free' isn't actually alcohol free
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    JMcGee2018 wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Those 'zero calorie' butter sprays. 2nd and 3rd ingredients are oils :confounded:

    cr2e6t1ztu91.jpg

    I believe anything where the serving size comes to less than 5 calories can be labeled as zero cal. Which is unfortunate because some people overspray, and 5 hidden calories several times a day can add up over time.

    Yup, same with cooking sprays like Pam. Not that I think everyone who uses spray butter is unintentionally sabotaging their weight loss using 10 sprays instead of 5. I just wish they'd add an alternative serving size that shows there are actually calories in it.

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