Why can’t we trust that when our beauty products say “all natural” they really contain only whole products straight from nature? And why doesn’t “whole grain” really mean that bread is made from 100 percent whole grain? The answer is largely marketing. Last night, my mom showed me a container of yogurt she had bought. It had a nice-looking insignia that insinuated that the yogurt contained probiotics for healthy digestion. However, nowhere else on the package did I see the words “live and active cultures.” After some careful investigation of the company’s website, it turned out that the yogurt did, in fact, contain those desirable bacteria. But the fact remains that many of us — loved ones, friends, etc. — rely on packaging alone to tell us what we need to know about products. Further, consumers are growing increasingly confused about their products’ health basics. For that reason, I’m looking forward to developing more stories in the magazine that focus on product labeling. What pitfalls to look out for, which labels are trustworthy, etc. (Check out this awesome story on beef labels.) It’s a constant struggle for information and against marketing hype. In the meantime, if you have questions about labels you see in the store or on your favorite products, or if you’re just not quite sure what to look for, post a comment on our newly created label forum. Also stay tuned for our excellent and comprehensive guide to nutrition labels in the July issue of Delicious Living.

I know gasoline prices have everyone in a tizzy, but for me, this week the real sticker shock came at the fish counter: Every kind of seafood was simply too expensive for me to buy (and I’m not one to shy away from expensive, good food). I know salmon stocks are in serious peril (I blogged about that a while back), so I’m thinking, as this article says, that we may want to give them a break for a while; but this week at least, everything, not just the salmon, was too pricey. Thank goodness it’s summer and the vegetables are looking great … I think the Vegetable Risotto with Pine Nuts is what’s for dinner. (For more great veg recipes, go to the DL Recipe Archive and type in “vegetable.”)

According to just-published results from a NPD survey, Americans are choosing to eat healthier, rather than jump on board with popular diets. “The desire to lose weight really was a 90’s trend. Today consumers appear to be making healthier food choices,” says Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group, and author of Eating Patterns in America. The press release also notes that more