WHAT IS HEALTHY?
I'm Nikki Lee, a senior Visual Communication Design major at Hartford Art School in CT.Every senior is required to complete a senior project, with the subject being of our own choice. I've decided to base my project around eating healthy.
I'm not trying to create another campaign to tell America that they shouldn't eat Big Macs. People know Big Macs are bad for them. A person needs to make the decision to eat healthier on their own. But once somebody decides to change their eating habits for the better, it's often difficult for them to actually figure out what is good for them, what isn't, which nutrients to look for, what to stay away from, what those unknown ingredients are, etc. Confusing nutrition labels and false claims from food brands don't make it any easier.
For my senior project, I'd like to rethink the nutritional label system, change the way that people think about and learn about food, and educate people on what they should be putting in their bodies, once they decide on their own they'd like to eat healthier.
This blog is a way for me to organize and categorize my research on healthy eating.
Nine Food Label Lies ›
Similar to the last link, except with three extra lies, oh boy!
Made with whole grains, ingredients (they can list of multiple different kinds of sugar with difficult names, but there’s still a whole lot’o sugar), serving size, omega 3, made with real fruit, 0 trans fat, free range eggs, fiber, and health claims.
Six Meaningless Claims on Food Labels ›
Exactly what the title says. Six things that food companies will put on their products’ packaging to make it seem healthier, when really, the claims mean nothing.
The six are: lightly sweetened, good source of fiber, strengthens your immune system, made with real fruit, made with whole grains, and all natural. The article goes into detail.
What should food look like? ›
Article discussing how food packaging influences the choices people make in the supermarket. What if healthy food were packaged as junk food? Or as a generic (cheaper) brand, instead of trying to look upscale and expensive?
There are lots of great reader comments to this article, too. The readers ask really thoughtful questions.
“We can redesign the food pyramid until the end of time, but if there aren’t any apple at the deli to be eaten, so what?”
“Consider the bizarre yet compelling idea of repackaging baby carrots as junk food.”
“If we make healthy look upscale, then the assumption is that it costs more.”
One reader’s comment:
“Apples aren’t packaged. In fact, most healthy foods aren’t. The question I would ask is what role can designers play outside of packaging? Can we influence habits that surround eating before people even enter the supermarket?”
