Flip the Pack: The Truth About Packaged Foods and Your Health
- Ryan Fernando
- Aug 16
- 3 min read
Every Independence Day, we proudly celebrate freedom. But are we truly independent in the choices we make when it comes to food? Step into any supermarket aisle and you’ll see shelves loaded with “health” products—colorful packets, shiny labels, and big promises. Yet behind these claims hide preservatives, sugar, cheap oils, and marketing gimmicks designed to trick us.
This blog takes you inside that supermarket maze, decoding food labels one by one so you can make healthier, smarter, and truly independent food choices.
Why Reading Food Labels Matters
Most people don’t flip the pack. The front screams “premium,” “healthy,” “natural” while the back quietly hides ingredients like refined flour, palm oil, and sugar. The first three ingredients listed on any packet usually make up the bulk of the product—and if those three are maida, oil, and sugar, you already know what you’re putting into your body.
Learning how to decode terms like INS numbers, E-numbers, and chemical additives isn’t optional anymore—it’s survival in a world where marketing tries to outsmart your health.
And if you’ve ever been confused by strange names like INS 319 or INS 211 on food labels, here’s a quick reference chart to help you decode what they really mean—and why they could be harmful to your health:
Biscuits, Snacks, and the Illusion of Health
Take the classic tea-time biscuit. Whether it’s “premium” or “fruit and nut,” the reality is the same: refined flour, sugar, and palm oil, with barely 8% fruits or nuts. Instead of falling for these gimmicks, try wholesome homemade alternatives like dry fruit laddoos, peanut chikki, or sesame ladoos. They satisfy your cravings while nourishing your body.
Chocolates and Kids’ Favorites
Bright colors and cartoon mascots grab children’s attention, but the ingredients tell a darker story. Many popular chocolates contain more sugar and oil than actual cocoa. Palm oil in particular lowers Omega-3, increases Omega-6, and affects children’s brain function and focus.
A smarter alternative? Dark chocolate with 70% cacao or more. Add raisins, nuts, or make homemade brownies. Your kids still get a treat—only without the hidden harm.
The Oils You Cook With
Supermarkets today are flooded with “healthy” oils—olive blends, refined sunflower oil “rich in Vitamin E,” and other marketing spin. But look closer: many bottles that say “olive oil” are actually 80% rice bran oil. Others use TBHQ (E319), a synthetic preservative that protects the oil from spoiling but harms your body.
The real answer? Cold-pressed oils, coconut oil, ghee, or extra virgin olive oil. They may cost more, but they protect your health in the long run.
Instant Foods and Hidden Sugars
Cup noodles, fruit juices, flavored cornflakes—quick, cheap, and convenient, but packed with refined flour, added sugars, and minimal nutrition. A “real fruit” juice, for example, can contain up to 5 teaspoons of sugar per glass!
Instead, go for fresh fruit, poha, idli, dosa, eggs, or homemade juices. These aren’t just traditional choices—they’re healthier, more filling, and free from chemical additives.
Condiments: The Silent Culprits
From ketchup to mayonnaise to ginger-garlic paste, condiments often look harmless but hide massive amounts of sugar, salt, emulsifiers, and preservatives. Why buy bottled ginger-garlic paste with milk, soy, and chemicals when the real thing takes just two minutes to make at home?
Homemade ketchup, spreads, and pastes give you full control—no hidden sugars, no TBHQ, no unnecessary additives.
Your Body, Your Real Estate
Think of your body as the most expensive real estate you’ll ever own. Would you allow someone to ruin it with cheap construction material? Then why fill it with harmful oils, sugars, and additives?
Food independence is about breaking free from marketing tricks. Flip the pack, read the label, ask questions. True freedom means choosing what is genuinely healthy, not what looks healthy.
Join the Food Independence Movement
Let’s reclaim our freedom at the dining table.
👉 Flip the pack.
👉 Read the label.
👉 Choose fresh, whole, and nourishing foods.
Join me, Ryan Fernando, in the #FlipThePack movement. Share your supermarket discoveries, tag me, and let’s spread awareness together.
✨ Your health is your true freedom. Claim it today.
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