13 Common Grocery Store Myths That Keep You Fat (Nutritionists Break The Truth)

You fill your cart with “fat-free” yogurt, “veggie” straws, and “diet” drinks. But the numbers on the scale refuse to budge. Sound familiar?

The modern grocery store is confusing. Labels are designed to sound healthy. But they often hide ingredients that stop your weight loss. You’re trying to do the right thing, but the food industry makes it hard.

In this article, we break down the 13 most common grocery store myths that keep you stuck. With help from top nutritionists, you’ll learn how to read labels like a pro.

You’ll also find simple swaps to make. This will turn your healthy grocery shopping into a real engine for weight loss in 2025.

1. “Fat-Free” or “Low-Fat” Means Healthy

It is one of the oldest nutrition myths. When companies remove fat from food, they have to add something else to make it taste good. They almost always add extra sugar, salt, or artificial ingredients. The problem is that fat helps you feel full and satisfied.

Sugar does the opposite. It can make you crave more sugar later, which leads to eating more calories overall. This is why many “low-fat” products can actually make it harder to lose weight.

• The Data: The American Heart Association (AHA) says women should have no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day (36g for men).
• Label Check: A “low-fat” fruit yogurt can have 22g of sugar. A plain Greek yogurt might only have 6g.
• The Action Plan: Ignore the “fat-free” claim on the front of the box.
• Your New Habit: Always read the “Added Sugars” line on the nutrition panel on the back.

2. “Gluten-Free” is a Weight Loss Tool

“Gluten-free” is not a magic health halo. This label is critical for people with celiac disease or a real gluten sensitivity. But for most people, “gluten-free” is not inherently healthier or better for weight loss.

In fact, many processed gluten-free foods are less healthy. To replace wheat, companies use refined flours like rice flour or potato starch. These can have more calories and sugar, and less fiber, than their whole-wheat versions.

• The Problem: Gluten-free bread or cookies often have more refined carbs and less fiber.
• The Action Plan: Don’t buy processed gluten-free snacks if you don’t need to.
• Your New Habit: Focus on foods that are naturally gluten-free.
• Good Examples: This includes all fruits, vegetables, quinoa, rice, and lean proteins.

3. “All-Natural” Means It’s Good for You

The word “natural” is a powerful marketing tool that means almost nothing. As of 2025, the FDA has no formal definition for it. This means companies can slap it on almost anything. “Natural” does not mean organic, low-sugar, or healthy.

High-fructose corn syrup comes from corn, so it’s “natural.” Sugar comes from cane, so it’s “natural.” Salt is “natural.” This word is designed to make you feel good about a product without offering any real health promise.

• The Truth: “Natural” is a marketing term, not a nutritional one.
• The Action Plan: Ignore this word completely.
• Your New Habit: Read the ingredients list.
• Rule of Thumb: If you can’t pronounce the first five ingredients, think twice.

4. “Organic” is Always More Nutritious

“Organic” is a term that refers to the farming method. It’s strictly regulated. It means the food was grown with no synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or non-GMO seeds. This is great for the environment and for reducing your exposure to chemicals.

However, “organic” does not automatically mean “more nutritious” or “low calorie.” Studies show the vitamin and mineral content is often very similar to conventionally grown produce.

• The Example: Organic cookies, organic sugar, and organic candy are still cookies, sugar, and candy.
• The Action Plan: Prioritize your budget. You don’t need to buy everything organic.
• Helpful Tool: Use the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) “Dirty Dozen” list for 2025.
• Smart Shopping: Buy organic for items on the “Dirty Dozen” (like strawberries, spinach). Save money on the “Clean Fifteen” (like avocados, onions).

5. “Diet” Sodas & Zero-Sugar Drinks Help Weight Loss

This myth is finally crumbling. For years, people swapped sugary drinks for “diet” versions, thinking it was a free pass. But the science is catching up. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) formally advised against using non-sugar sweeteners (like aspartame or sucralose) for weight control.

Emerging research in 2025 suggests these artificial sweeteners can negatively impact your gut health. They may also trick your brain and increase your cravings for actual sugar later.

• The Data: The WHO states these sweeteners don’t help with long-term weight loss.
• The Problem: They may harm your gut microbiome and increase sugar cravings.
• The Action Plan: Try to cut back on these artificial drinks.
• Your New Habit: Swap them for water, sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon, or unsweetened herbal tea.

6. Veggie Straws/Chips are a Serving of Vegetables

This is one of the most misleading grocery store myths, especially for parents. Those colorful, crunchy straws sound healthy, but they are not. They are typically made from potato starch or corn flour.

Then, a tiny sprinkling of vegetable powder is added for color and marketing. Nutritionally, they are almost identical to regular potato chips. They offer no real fiber or vitamins that you get from actual vegetables.

• The Truth: These are processed chips, not vegetables.
• The Action Plan: Read the ingredients. The first one will be “potato starch” or “corn flour,” not “broccoli.”
• Your New Habit: For a real veggie crunch, buy baby carrots, cucumber slices, or bell pepper strips.
• Healthy Swap: Pair real veggies with hummus or a yogurt-based dip.

7. All Granola and Granola Bars are Health Food

Granola has a strong “health halo” left over from the 1970s. But most commercial granola you buy today is a sugar bomb in disguise. It’s often loaded with calories, sugar, and oils to make those crunchy clusters.

Many popular “healthy” granola bars are no better than a candy bar. It’s very easy to pour a bowl and accidentally eat 500 calories and 30 grams of sugar before your day has even started.

• The Example: A popular “nature” granola bar (12g of sugar) can have more sugar than a chocolate-glazed donut (10g of sugar).
• The Action Plan: Read the label. Look for granola with less than 6 grams of added sugar per serving.
• Your New Habit: Check the serving size. It’s often a tiny 1/4 or 1/3 cup.
• Better Swap: Switch to plain rolled oats and add your own fresh berries.

8. Bottled Smoothies & Juices are a “Healthy” Choice

It is a big trap. You see a bottle packed with kale, spinach, and fruit and think you’re drinking pure health. The problem is that juicing removes all the fiber. Fiber is the part of the fruit and vegetables that keeps you full and slows down the absorption of sugar.

Without the fiber, you are left with a highly concentrated glass of sugar (fructose). This spikes your blood sugar and leaves you hungry again very quickly.

• The Example: A 12oz “healthy” green juice can have 30 grams of sugar or more.
• The Truth: You would never eat 3 apples, 2 oranges, and a banana in one sitting. But you can drink them in 30 seconds.
• The Action Plan: Eat the whole fruit.
• Your New Habit: If you want a smoothie, make it at home in a blender (which keeps the fiber) and make sure it’s mostly vegetables.

9. You Must Shop Only the Perimeter of the Store

You’ve heard this rule: “Stick to the outside aisles.” This is a good starting point, as that’s where you find fresh produce, meat, and dairy. But this rule is outdated. The center aisles are not just a “junk food” zone.

They contain many of the healthiest, most budget-friendly, and most convenient staples for healthy grocery shopping. If you skip the center aisles entirely, you’re missing out on key ingredients for a healthy diet.

• Healthy Staples: The center aisles have canned beans, lentils, and quinoa.
• Pantry Must-Haves: You’ll also find rolled oats, brown rice, canned tuna/salmon, olive oil, and spices.
• The Action Plan: Shop the perimeter first. Fill your cart 80% of the way.
• Your New Habit: Make strategic “missions” into the center aisles for specific, unprocessed staples.

10. Avoid the Frozen Food Aisle

Many people walk right past the frozen food section, thinking “fresh is best.” But this is wrong. Frozen fruits and vegetables are “flash-frozen” at their peak ripeness, just hours after being picked. This process locks in their nutrients.

“Fresh” produce, on the other hand, might have been trucked for weeks. It can lose a significant amount of its vitamins (like Vitamin C) by the time it gets to your plate.

• The Truth: Frozen produce is often more nutritious and cheaper than fresh.
• The Action Plan: Stock your freezer with frozen berries (great for smoothies), spinach, broccoli, and peas.
• Your New Habit: Read the label. Make sure you buy only the vegetables or fruit.
• What to Avoid: Skip the versions that come with added salt, cheese, or sugary sauces.

11. Egg Yolks Cause High Cholesterol

This myth is officially dead, but many people still fear the yolk. For decades, we were told to eat egg-white-only omelets. But we now know that dietary cholesterol (the cholesterol you eat in foods) has very little impact on your blood cholesterol for most people.

Your liver produces most of the cholesterol in your body. The yolk is actually the best part. It contains most of the egg’s nutrients.

• The Data: The AHA and the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans no longer set a daily limit for dietary cholesterol.
• The Nutrients: The yolk contains vital nutrients like Vitamin D and Choline (which is great for brain health).
• The Action Plan: Eat the whole egg.
• Why It Works: Eggs are a cheap, nutrient-dense food. The protein and fat in the yolk help you feel full and satisfied.

12. “Brown” Bread is Always Better than “White” Bread

Don’t be fooled by color. “Brown” is often just a dye. Food manufacturers know that people think brown bread is healthier. So, they add molasses or caramel coloring to regular, processed white bread to make it look “wheaty” or “healthy.”

This fake brown bread has all the same refined flour and sugar as white bread. It has none of the fiber or nutrients you’re looking for.

• The Trick: “Wheat bread” or “multigrain” can just be white bread with coloring.
• The Action Plan: Ignore the color. Read the ingredients list.
• Your New Habit: Look for the words “100% Whole Wheat” or “100% Whole Grain” as the very first ingredient.
• Check the Fiber: A good whole-grain bread should have 3 grams of fiber or more per slice.

13. You Need “Superfoods” to Be Healthy

“Superfood” is a marketing term, not a scientific one. There is no single food that can magically make you healthy. Goji berries, acai, spirulina, and other exotic powders are often very expensive. While they are nutritious, they are not magical. You can get the exact same (or even more) health benefits from common, cheap foods that you’ve known your whole life. Don’t waste your money.

• The Example: Regular, cheap blueberries are just as powerful as expensive acai berries.
• The Example: Broccoli and beans offer amazing health benefits for a fraction of the cost.
• The Truth: A variety of “regular” fruits and vegetables is what makes you healthy.
• The Action Plan: Build your diet on a rainbow of common produce. Don’t fall for the exotic powder hype.