As I’ve mentioned before, I consider Netflix to be an excellent low-cost alternative to cable. Having Netflix gives you access not only to almost every DVD known to man (sent to you in the mail), but you also have access to their extensive streaming library. In other words, if you have high speed internet at home, you can watch a lot of movies and TV series (without commercial interruption) at no additional cost with just a button click. Not bad for $9 a month.
So, what do we use it for? In the evenings, we certainly do use it for a bit of entertainment to unwind a couple nights a week (we’re watching Doctor Who seasons right now), but my wife and I often dig deep into the documentaries in order to learn about a new topic and give us some food for thought on a particular subject.
Two big caveats. First, documentaries can definitely be as biased as anything else. I watch a documentary not because I believe it’s hard fact, but because it can often be a very compelling way of introducing an idea or making a case for another idea. A good documentary shouldn’t leave you thinking you now have all the answers, but should encourage you to follow up by finding more facts and different viewpoints.
Second, a good documentary should do just two things: it should make a particular idea or perspective clear to you and it should entertain you along the way. If it fails at either, it’s not a good documentary.
Over the past decade, I’ve watched a lot of documentaries. Some of them have been awful and failed on both the entertaining and clear perspective counts. Some of them have succeeded on one side or the other – they entertain but don’t have a point, or they have a point but are dreadfully boring.
Below are fifteen that succeed on both sides of the matter – and every one of them is available on Netflix streaming. If you have such an account (and I’m basically encouraging people to ditch their cable bill in exchange for it), then you’ll be able to just click any of the links below and either start watching immediately or add it to your instant queue to watch later.
Consider this an encouragement to cancel your expensive cable or satellite bill.
Cosmos
This is, hands down, the best documentary I’ve ever seen. It’s far and away the best science-related documentary I’ve ever seen, but for me, the take-away message was the fragile nature of human life. We are not invincible and the universe around us is very, very large, indeed. There are scenes from this that have stuck in my mind for many years. If you like Cosmos, try A Brief History of Time, by Hawking.
Maxed Out
Maxed Out covers the nature of overspending in America during the buildup to the 2008 financial crisis incredibly well, digging into the specifics of why it happened and the roles both individual choice and companies played into it. If you want more on this topic, In Debt We Trust is solid but nowhere near as good.
Food Inc.
If you’ve ever wondered what the process of moving food from the fields to your local grocery store and onto your dinner plate looks like, this is the show for you. I came out of this with two notable ideas: first, I wanted desperately to change my dietary habits, and second, my opinion of Wal-Mart went up significantly.
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
For the flip side on Wal-Mart, this makes the case that Wal-Mart’s business practices in bringing low-priced goods to many towns is often harmful in multiple dimensions. It reduces the quality of work and customer service available in the towns and also forces larger companies into some very shady practices in order to provide the goods at the very low prices that Wal-Mart demands.
Babies
This documentary compares how babies are raised in four distinctly different cultures and economic levels. What can be concluded from this is that you don’t really need to give your baby everything – all it really takes to raise a happy and healthy baby is care from the parents. No mountain of stuff will really make a difference if the parents are involved to begin with.
Hoop Dreams
My feelings on college sports changed significantly after watching this film (and, in similar ways, after reading The Blind Side). Individuals from very broken backgrounds are trying very hard to take advantage of the germ of basketball talent that they have so that they can make a new life for themselves, because their background assures them that many other opportunities in life are going to be closed to them. This is why collegiate athletics are important, in my opinion.
Super Size Me
This is a good one to pair with Food Inc. It documents the effects of eating nothing but fast food for a month on a human body, and the results are fairly ugly. Again, it’ll make you question what you eat, which is a powerful question to ask both for your health and for your finances.
Jesus Camp
This one has provoked more discussion with other people that have watched it than anything else I’ve ever seen, hands down, so it certainly fits here. That being said, it’s going to cause a reaction in you, but that reaction is going to be different depending on who you are and your beliefs. It’s a surprisingly unbiased look at a very conservative Christian youth camp – it almost feels like they turn on the cameras and just let them roll. From my eyes, there are good things and bad things about what’s shown regarding the camp, but some people are going to be much more strongly inclined to see the “good” and others are going to be strongly inclined to see the “bad.” Be prepared for some… discussions if you watch it with others.
Man on Wire
This one stands out to me not just because of a compelling story, but because it shows what can happen if you bring enough passion and repeated effort to the table. It tells the story of a man who walked a tightrope between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the 1970s without a rope, and how lots and lots of training and planning made such a seemingly impossible stunt possible.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
In many ways, this is similar to Man on Wire in that it documents the result of sustained effort and hard work, as two men compete and train to achieve the highest score in the world at the video game Donkey Kong. I genuinely watched this for a laugh, but it turned out to be incredibly compelling and rather thought-provoking. What drives people to be the best in the world at something? Can I harness that myself?
One last note: the Seven Up! series of documentaries is one of the best things I’ve ever seen, but the series isn’t wholly available on streaming, particularly the first one. However, you can get the disc if you so choose.
Now cut your cable and save yourself some money!
Comments:
I recommend: Fast Food Nation, The Corporation, and Manufacturing Consent. That last one is by Chomsky-definitely a single point of view, but thought provoking-for the fiction version watch Wag the Dog. None of these are appropriate for kids.
I recommend Fathead as a counterpoint to Supersize Me. Very thought provoking, and good points about nutrition in general.
I recommend exploring some older docs, such as “Salesman” and just about anything by the Maysles.
Also “Night and Fog” by Resnais.
Most of the older ones are just as relevant now as they were when they were first made.
Ones that left an impression on me, although they are not new releases:
Grey Gardens
Brother’s Keeper
Harlan County USA
The Farmer’s Wife (series)
Snagfilms.com also streams quite a few documentaries for free .
If you enjoyed Food, Inc., try Earthlings. It’s free streaming at earthlings.com
Or be really frugal and just get it at the library.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
How to Save Money by Shopping at Whole Foods
First, we need to address a couple of important issues that we hope will explain our point of view and curb controversy.
• We live in Manhattan. Overall, our groceries cost more than yours do if you live in Tennessee (we're only singling out Tennessee because we're from there, which means we know). We do not have Costco. We do not have Wal-Mart. We are comparing these Whole Foods products to products from Fresh Direct, Fairway, or the local Gristedes.
• We're not talking about fresh produce or meat. Fairway, Fresh Direct, and the farmers' market all have Whole Foods beat (or at least tied) when it comes to these categories. We're mainly talking grocery items (specifically, the in-house 365 brand).
• Organic counts. Sometimes, a product isn't much cheaper or any cheaper than the same thing at Fresh Direct. But many of the 365 brand products are organic, which means you're getting better quality for the same money.
With that, here are our picks:
1. Organic Water Crackers, $1.79. The ever-popular Carr's Water Crackers are $3.69 at Fresh Direct, and we've seen them for $3.99 at other stores. That's more than twice the price of the WF brand.
2. Organic diced tomatoes, $1.19. Del Monte from Fresh Direct are $1.79, as are Muir Glen Organic diced tomatoes.
3. Olive Oil, $7.49 to $8.49 for 1 liter. Whole Foods sells Greek, Italian, Spanish, and blended olive oils under their 365 brand. All are cheaper than the cheapest at Fresh Direct: Bel Aria, which is $9.99 for a liter (Bertolli and De Cecco are both in the $12 to $14 range).
4. Organic pasta, $1.99. Whole Foods 365 dried pasta is a bit more expensive than non-organic brands (like Barilla, which is $1.59 for most shapes at Fresh Direct) but much less than other organic brands ($2.99 for De Cecco organic) and multigrain varieties ($2.39 for Barilla Plus).
5. Organic milk, $3.39 a half-gallon. Horizon Organic is $4.39 and Organic Valley is $4.19 at Fresh Direct.
6. Organic chicken broth, $2.19. Imagine Organic is $2.89 at Fresh Direct. We occasionally see 2 for $5 deals at Fairway, but WF is still cheaper.
7. Nuts. We bought a pound of whole cashews for $6.69. At Fresh Direct, a 14-ounce bag costs $8.49. We can't remember our last nut purchase at Fairway, but we still think WF beats it.
8. Cereal! We don't eat a lot of cereal, but when we do buy a box, we're always blown away by how expensive it is. If you're willing to go with 365 Corn Flakes instead of Kellogg's, though, you can really save money. Most cereals at Whole Foods were $2.49 as opposed to $4 to $5 for brand names at the grocery store.
OK, those are a few of our staples. But there are plenty more... Do you bargain shop at Whole Foods? What are your favorite products?
Related: Survey: Shopping for Bargains at Whole Foods (our past coverage of this issue)
(Images: Elizabeth Passarella)
• We live in Manhattan. Overall, our groceries cost more than yours do if you live in Tennessee (we're only singling out Tennessee because we're from there, which means we know). We do not have Costco. We do not have Wal-Mart. We are comparing these Whole Foods products to products from Fresh Direct, Fairway, or the local Gristedes.
• We're not talking about fresh produce or meat. Fairway, Fresh Direct, and the farmers' market all have Whole Foods beat (or at least tied) when it comes to these categories. We're mainly talking grocery items (specifically, the in-house 365 brand).
• Organic counts. Sometimes, a product isn't much cheaper or any cheaper than the same thing at Fresh Direct. But many of the 365 brand products are organic, which means you're getting better quality for the same money.
With that, here are our picks:
1. Organic Water Crackers, $1.79. The ever-popular Carr's Water Crackers are $3.69 at Fresh Direct, and we've seen them for $3.99 at other stores. That's more than twice the price of the WF brand.
2. Organic diced tomatoes, $1.19. Del Monte from Fresh Direct are $1.79, as are Muir Glen Organic diced tomatoes.
3. Olive Oil, $7.49 to $8.49 for 1 liter. Whole Foods sells Greek, Italian, Spanish, and blended olive oils under their 365 brand. All are cheaper than the cheapest at Fresh Direct: Bel Aria, which is $9.99 for a liter (Bertolli and De Cecco are both in the $12 to $14 range).
4. Organic pasta, $1.99. Whole Foods 365 dried pasta is a bit more expensive than non-organic brands (like Barilla, which is $1.59 for most shapes at Fresh Direct) but much less than other organic brands ($2.99 for De Cecco organic) and multigrain varieties ($2.39 for Barilla Plus).
5. Organic milk, $3.39 a half-gallon. Horizon Organic is $4.39 and Organic Valley is $4.19 at Fresh Direct.
6. Organic chicken broth, $2.19. Imagine Organic is $2.89 at Fresh Direct. We occasionally see 2 for $5 deals at Fairway, but WF is still cheaper.
7. Nuts. We bought a pound of whole cashews for $6.69. At Fresh Direct, a 14-ounce bag costs $8.49. We can't remember our last nut purchase at Fairway, but we still think WF beats it.
8. Cereal! We don't eat a lot of cereal, but when we do buy a box, we're always blown away by how expensive it is. If you're willing to go with 365 Corn Flakes instead of Kellogg's, though, you can really save money. Most cereals at Whole Foods were $2.49 as opposed to $4 to $5 for brand names at the grocery store.
OK, those are a few of our staples. But there are plenty more... Do you bargain shop at Whole Foods? What are your favorite products?
Related: Survey: Shopping for Bargains at Whole Foods (our past coverage of this issue)
(Images: Elizabeth Passarella)
Friday, November 5, 2010
Find Free Wi-Fi Anywhere
Submitted by: Tip Hero 03/11/2010 9:38 AM |
 We might have saved a few bucks if we'd known about Wi-Fi Free Spot, a comprehensive online directory of businesses, airports, hotels and parks that offer free Internet access. You can browse by state, city or type of business. We did a quick search and discovered 30 locations within a few miles of our office that offer free wireless Internet access, most of which we had no idea offered this service. If you still can't find a location near you, check out this post about free wi-fi directories on makeuseof.com. Here's a list of the websites they recommend for tracking down free wireless Internet service: Wi-Fi Hotspot Directory - lists over 30,000 hotspots worldwide, not all of which are free, so be sure to click the FREE box during your search. Our Results - did not find any locations near us (and we are located in a fairly big city). Laptop Friendly Cafes - the name pretty much says it all, this site helps you locate cafes offering free wi-fi -- mostly in cities. Our Results - our city was not available. WaiFi - powered by users, this site interfaces with google maps to provide instant maps for the wi-fi locations. Our Results - located three in our neighborhood, two of which were for UPS stores, and two of the three results were about 25 minutes outside of our neighborhood. FREE-hotspot - similar to Waifi - a little more user-friendly, but with a smaller directory. Our Results - located 5 in our area, but left out 3 locations that we know offer free wi-fi in our neighborhood. So, we had mixed results with these searches, but nonetheless they are great resources for when you are traveling, particularly if traveling abroad and want to find free wirelss Internet services -- or when you just need a change of scenery from the office. And keep in mind that each of these services may work better in other locations (as we only tested one town). Want to locate even more Wi-Fi Hotspots in your area? Check out this article published last year on makeuseof.com. |
Thursday, November 4, 2010
17 Ways to Prepare for Black Friday Sales
| Submitted by: Kira @ Tip Hero 11/03/2010 9:58 AM |
 Ahh, Black Friday. Time to camp out in front of stores at four in the morning, even though you're still full to bursting with turkey. Time to get those elbows ready to shove people who are in between you and the hottest deals. Time to drink that coffee and put your game face on, because those deals certainly won't last.The biggest shopping day of the year (this year, November 27th, the Friday after Thanksgiving) can be a great opportunity to score some wonderful deals. However, it can also be a very overwhelming day, especially if you're unprepared. So, to make sure Black Friday doesn't leave you trampled to death without anything to show for it, I've provided a guide for you to follow. Here's what you can do before and during Black Friday to increase your chances of success on America's favorite shopping day. Pregame If you're planning on taking advantage of Black Friday sales, the best time to prepare is now. Here are some ways you can make sure you're ready for the big day.
Game Day So you've done your research and have your ads in hand. Now what? Here are some tips for the big day:
What are your best tips for braving the crowds on Black Friday? Will you be heading out to take advantage of the sales, or will you be sitting this one out? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below, and thanks for being a Tip Hero! A big "thank you" goes out to the following sources: eHow, US News, Not Made of Money, Couponing @ About.com Photo credit: vegascheaply.ly |
Sunday, October 17, 2010
13 Things Your Butcher Won't Tell You
Butchers share their secrets, tips, and what's in your meat.
By Michelle Crouch
From Reader's Digest 
1. Don’t be fooled by supermarket brand names like Butcher’s Brand, Rancher’s Reserve, and Blue Ribbon. The label to look for is USDA Quality Grade. Prime is the best (and most expensive), followed by choice, select, then standard.
2. A big part of our job is window dressing. We flip brown meat over, cut off fat, and dab away blood that might turn you off.
3. Your beef may get ground in Iowa, stuffed in a long tube of plastic, and trucked to our store, where we regrind and package it.
4. Some companies pump carbon monoxide into packaging to keep the meat from turning brown.
5. Make sure you check the price per pound or per serving. The regular size is often cheaper than the family pack.
6. Why are you so wedded to the cut of beef your recipe calls for? We can suggest cheaper options.
7. My favorite cut? The hanging tender. Also known as a hanger steak or a bistro steak, it’s got great flavor at a good price.
8. Take the meat tray at the bottom of the stack or the farthest in back. Just like milk, it tends to be fresher.
9. Save $1.50 to $2 a pound on boneless pork chops. Buy a whole boneless pork loin roast and slice it into chops an inch thick.
10. Yes, that 92/8 ground beef is lean, but if you make burgers with it, you might be disappointed. Your favorite burger joint probably uses beef that’s much fattier.
11. Even if those chicken breasts say “100 percent natural,” they may still be injected with sodium-laden broth, salt water, or seaweed extract. Always check the label.
12. Some of the best tasting cuts are the ugliest ones, like the flap meat on the belly part of beef.
13. Ask me to help. Even if it’s already on a tray wrapped in cellophane, I can cut the fat off a roast, trim a flank steak into stir-fry strips, or grind up a chuck roast. Then I’ll neatly wrap it back up for you. All for no extra charge.
Sources: Butchers in New York City; Charlotte, North Carolina; San Francisco; Kingston, New York; and Timberville, Virginia; Lee O’Hara, author of Beef Secrets Straight from the Butcher; and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
1. If you throw your meat straight into the freezer in the packaging it came in, freezer burn is a virtual certainty. Instead, take the meat off the tray, rewrap it with plastic food wrap or aluminum foil, then put it in a Ziploc freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as possible.
2. Want to save a few bucks per pound at a butcher shop? Try buying a whole top sirloin and asking me to cut it into steaks. Or get a whole chuck and ask me to make you some chuck roasts, beef stew cubes, and ground meat out of it. The bigger the cut, the more money you’ll save.
3. London Broil is a cooking method, not a cut of meat. A package labeled that way is probably a top round roast, a very tough steak that otherwise wouldn’t be worth much. But if we label it as a London Broil – which means you should cook it medium rare with lots of seasonings, then slice it real thin against the grain – it’s at least edible.
© Noel Hendrickson/Digital Vision/Thinkstock
Don't throw your meat straight into the freezer in the packaging it came in or it will get freezer burn.
5. Despite all the hype, most of us think “Certified Angus Beef” is a marketing gimmick that doesn’t necessarily indicate the meat is any better than other beef with the same USDA grade. Though I have to admit, it does look spiffy on that black tray.
6. I know grass-fed beef is the hot thing, and it’s supposed to be healthier, but it sure doesn’t taste as good.
7. Like your steak well done? That’s your call, but don’t bother buying an expensive cut. Once you cook it that much, it all tastes pretty much the same… kind of like shoe leather
8. Want fresh meat? Check the pack date. Ideally you want to get packages dated that day or the day before.
9. Your mother had good intentions, but a little pink inside your pork is fine. In fact, it’s preferable. Pork that’s white all the way through is likely to be dry and tasteless. Just make sure its internal temperature is at least 160 degrees.
Sources: Butchers in New York City; Charlotte, North Carolina; San Francisco; Kingston, New York; and Timberville, Virginia; Lee O’Hara, author of Beef Secrets Straight from the Butcher; and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.
Don't Be Fooled By Product Labels
Don't Pay More for Meaningless Words & Phrases
October 12, 2010 @ 2:00 pm - Written by Trent
Categories: Getting Started,Shopping
Bookmarks: del.icio.us, reddit
Every time I go shopping for a food item or a household item, I’m always bombarded with all sorts of nonsensical and largely meaningless terms plastered all over products. The words are often tied to products that, frankly, I view as overpriced for various reasons.
I decided to catalogue a few of these wonderful meaningless words that people pay for.
New The “cult of the new” is an expensive one that has a lot of adherents. New products are usually priced quite highly – and usually attract buyers who are simply looking for a “new” experience. At the same time, of course, “new” products are ones that have not stood the test of time. They might be good – they might be awful. For my dollar, I think I’ll stick with a Consumer Reports recommendation and pick up a product that I know works that doesn’t have that “new” premium price.
Now 28% better! Whenever you see a comparison like this, ask yourself two things: in what way is it better and how is that “better” actually measured? If you read this type of statement and think for a moment, you realize that it could mean anything at all – better blue color in the liquid laundry detergent and so on. Unless the product is precisely stating what the improvement is, such a statement doesn’t have any meaning – or value – at all.
Hypoallergenic It’s a nice-sounding term that doesn’t mean a thing. Why? There is no official standard for what the word means. There isn’t even a voluntary standard that defines the term. It does not mean that the product won’t cause an allergic reaction. It might, at best, mean that the marketers think that the stuff in the product probably won’t cause an allergic reaction – which really doesn’t mean much at all, does it?
Fragrance-free Wouldn’t it be nice if “fragrance free” actually meant that the product doesn’t contain any fragrance? In truth, the product is usually “smell-free” or some attempt at it. Instead of not including a fragrance, what often happens is that a finished product with a fragrance in it has something added to eliminate or mask the smell. If it’s done well enough, marketers will slap this label on it – but if you’re allergic to fragrances, it really doesn’t mean much at all.
All natural The word “natural” can basically mean anything. There are no standards at all for what this word means. Try this: compare a “natural” product to a similar one that doesn’t have “natural” written on the label and see what exactly is different in the ingredients list. I’ll go ahead and tell you: not much is different.
Never tested on animals This one actually is true on the shallow surface: the product hasn’t been tested on animals. However, that statement is saying nothing at all about the ingredients that make up the product – most of those were likely tested on animals before they were approved for wide use. There are almost no ingredients in cosmetics and medicines for human use that weren’t already tested on animals.
Best-of-breed Such statements usually imply that the product is the best among its competitors. However, when you’re allowing the company to define who the competition is, they usually define that competition as narrowly as possible: “dog foods that use these 25 ingredients and these 6 coloring agents” or something to that effect. It’s easy to be best-of-breed when you’re the only one in the group.
Organic A caveat: when you actually see the USDA Organic label on food products, that label has specific meaning: the item comes from (or the ingredients come from) a farm that lives up to the USDA Organic standards for plant and animal treatment, which encompasses quite a few things – no hormones, no pesticides, and so on. However, the word “organic” is often used in contexts that have nothing to do with farms or the USDA Organic certification – it’s just used as a buzzword for a product that’s trying to sell itself as being “all natural,” as mentioned above.
Superfood This is yet another term without any sort of legal definition. Thus, it’s ofen applied to all kinds of things to encourage sales – particularly high-priced fruits, vegetables, juices, and vitamins. Guess what? A well-balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables of all kinds will take care of your nutrition needs without spending extra money on the exotic semi-bogus “superfood” of the week.
Nontoxic Again, this is a term that has no standard definition and no verification process to ensure that the product meets that non-existent definition. If a manufacturer thinks the product probably won’t kill you if you eat it and doesn’t contain anything that’s blatantly known as a toxic chemical, they can put a “nontoxic” label on it. But if it’s not food, why are you eating it anyway?
Some others that I’m familiar with:
“Farm fresh” (or similar) means nothing. On a carton of eggs, for example, it means nothing about the conditions in which the hens are kept.
“Hormone free” on eggs or poultry meat means nothing, since it’s against the law in the US to give hormones to poultry.
“Cage free” on poultry meat means nothing, since birds raised for their meat are not kept in cages (they’re kept in crowded sheds). On eggs, it does mean something – that the hens are kept in crowded sheds instead of crowded cages.
“Free range” on eggs or poultry meat means that the birds are kept in a crowded shed with a door that gives them access to an enclosed outdoor area. But it could be a tiny door and a tiny outdoor area, so that most of the supposedly “free range” birds never actually go outside.
“Multigrain” does not mean whole grain. Unless it says otherwise, a multigrain product is probably mostly refined white flour. Check the ingredients list if you want to know.
“Wheat” does not mean whole wheat. “Enriched wheat flour” is refined white flour. Unless it says “whole wheat,” it’s not whole wheat.
“18 grams of whole grains per serving” is not very much – it’s about a tablespoon. Don’t confuse “grams of whole grains” with “grams of fiber.” (18 grams of fiber, on the other hand, is a lot – more than half of what you need for the day.)
And finally, a surprising one that does mean something:
“Healthy” in the name of a product means that it must meet certain standards for fat and sodium. At least, that’s the law – there’s no guarantee that the manufacturer isn’t in violation of the law. Always check the “nutrition facts” label if you want to know about that sort of thing.
October 12, 2010 @ 2:00 pm - Written by Trent
Categories: Getting Started,Shopping
Bookmarks: del.icio.us, reddit
Every time I go shopping for a food item or a household item, I’m always bombarded with all sorts of nonsensical and largely meaningless terms plastered all over products. The words are often tied to products that, frankly, I view as overpriced for various reasons.
I decided to catalogue a few of these wonderful meaningless words that people pay for.
New The “cult of the new” is an expensive one that has a lot of adherents. New products are usually priced quite highly – and usually attract buyers who are simply looking for a “new” experience. At the same time, of course, “new” products are ones that have not stood the test of time. They might be good – they might be awful. For my dollar, I think I’ll stick with a Consumer Reports recommendation and pick up a product that I know works that doesn’t have that “new” premium price.
Now 28% better! Whenever you see a comparison like this, ask yourself two things: in what way is it better and how is that “better” actually measured? If you read this type of statement and think for a moment, you realize that it could mean anything at all – better blue color in the liquid laundry detergent and so on. Unless the product is precisely stating what the improvement is, such a statement doesn’t have any meaning – or value – at all.
Hypoallergenic It’s a nice-sounding term that doesn’t mean a thing. Why? There is no official standard for what the word means. There isn’t even a voluntary standard that defines the term. It does not mean that the product won’t cause an allergic reaction. It might, at best, mean that the marketers think that the stuff in the product probably won’t cause an allergic reaction – which really doesn’t mean much at all, does it?
Fragrance-free Wouldn’t it be nice if “fragrance free” actually meant that the product doesn’t contain any fragrance? In truth, the product is usually “smell-free” or some attempt at it. Instead of not including a fragrance, what often happens is that a finished product with a fragrance in it has something added to eliminate or mask the smell. If it’s done well enough, marketers will slap this label on it – but if you’re allergic to fragrances, it really doesn’t mean much at all.
All natural The word “natural” can basically mean anything. There are no standards at all for what this word means. Try this: compare a “natural” product to a similar one that doesn’t have “natural” written on the label and see what exactly is different in the ingredients list. I’ll go ahead and tell you: not much is different.
Never tested on animals This one actually is true on the shallow surface: the product hasn’t been tested on animals. However, that statement is saying nothing at all about the ingredients that make up the product – most of those were likely tested on animals before they were approved for wide use. There are almost no ingredients in cosmetics and medicines for human use that weren’t already tested on animals.
Best-of-breed Such statements usually imply that the product is the best among its competitors. However, when you’re allowing the company to define who the competition is, they usually define that competition as narrowly as possible: “dog foods that use these 25 ingredients and these 6 coloring agents” or something to that effect. It’s easy to be best-of-breed when you’re the only one in the group.
Organic A caveat: when you actually see the USDA Organic label on food products, that label has specific meaning: the item comes from (or the ingredients come from) a farm that lives up to the USDA Organic standards for plant and animal treatment, which encompasses quite a few things – no hormones, no pesticides, and so on. However, the word “organic” is often used in contexts that have nothing to do with farms or the USDA Organic certification – it’s just used as a buzzword for a product that’s trying to sell itself as being “all natural,” as mentioned above.Nontoxic Again, this is a term that has no standard definition and no verification process to ensure that the product meets that non-existent definition. If a manufacturer thinks the product probably won’t kill you if you eat it and doesn’t contain anything that’s blatantly known as a toxic chemical, they can put a “nontoxic” label on it. But if it’s not food, why are you eating it anyway?
Some others that I’m familiar with:
“Farm fresh” (or similar) means nothing. On a carton of eggs, for example, it means nothing about the conditions in which the hens are kept.
“Hormone free” on eggs or poultry meat means nothing, since it’s against the law in the US to give hormones to poultry.
“Cage free” on poultry meat means nothing, since birds raised for their meat are not kept in cages (they’re kept in crowded sheds). On eggs, it does mean something – that the hens are kept in crowded sheds instead of crowded cages.
“Free range” on eggs or poultry meat means that the birds are kept in a crowded shed with a door that gives them access to an enclosed outdoor area. But it could be a tiny door and a tiny outdoor area, so that most of the supposedly “free range” birds never actually go outside.
“Multigrain” does not mean whole grain. Unless it says otherwise, a multigrain product is probably mostly refined white flour. Check the ingredients list if you want to know.
“Wheat” does not mean whole wheat. “Enriched wheat flour” is refined white flour. Unless it says “whole wheat,” it’s not whole wheat.
“18 grams of whole grains per serving” is not very much – it’s about a tablespoon. Don’t confuse “grams of whole grains” with “grams of fiber.” (18 grams of fiber, on the other hand, is a lot – more than half of what you need for the day.)
And finally, a surprising one that does mean something:
“Healthy” in the name of a product means that it must meet certain standards for fat and sodium. At least, that’s the law – there’s no guarantee that the manufacturer isn’t in violation of the law. Always check the “nutrition facts” label if you want to know about that sort of thing.
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