"Natural" flavors

"Natural flavors" is one of the most common ingredients on food labels, and one of the vaguest. By FDA definition, it means flavor compounds derived from a plant or animal source, like fruit, spices, meat or yeast. But those compounds are often extracted and blended in a lab, and the final mix can include solvents and preservatives that don't have to be listed individually.

Natural flavors aren't necessarily harmful, and in small amounts they're unlikely to be a big deal. The bigger point is that "natural" on a label doesn't mean the food is nourishing. A flavored seltzer can taste like grapefruit without containing any.

Try this: next time you reach for a flavored drink or yogurt, choose the plain version and add the real thing, like a squeeze of citrus or a handful of berries.