Who says it's natural? The marketing department.

Our first tidbit of wisdom is natural food. Good for you, right? Look at the ingredients list and see how many natural things are in it. Take these Oreo- type cookies from Back to Nature- a company that claims it's all natural and wholesome. Here's their description:

Classic Crème

Go ahead. Taste and reminisce. These creme sandwich cookies are delicious, with rich creme filling between two delightful chocolate cookies. Take a bite and enjoy a crunch so delicate you'll wonder how we did it. We believe that it's the best taste nature has to offer.

* No hydrogenated oils
* No high fructose corn syrup
* No artificial preservatives, flavors or colors

And this is the ingredients list:

UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, RAW SUGAR (TURBINADO SUGAR), PALM OIL, EXPELLER-PRESSED OLEIC SAFFLOWER OIL, COCOA (PROCESSED WITH ALKALI), BROWN RICE SYRUP, ORGANIC CORNSTARCH, BAKING SODA, SEA SALT, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), NATURAL FLAVOR.

The ingredients highlighted in red don't look so natural and wholesome don't they? Natural flavors are just flavorings that have some ingredients derived from natural stuff, as the FDA says. Plus, Evaporated cane juice and raw sugar are two different types of sweeteners in one product. But, it's your call. Discuss.

BONUS CONTENT: Banners on food labels that claim "Less sugar" or "No trans fats" are really supposed to make buyers think the food is better. They aren't lying, but they aren't really telling the WHOLE truth either.