Conscious Consumers

Fact (noun): a thing that is indisputably the case.

We are all consumers. We shop, eat, watch, listen.

Stores (physical and online) are CONSTANTLY vying for our attention. No one is immune to it.
Think of the ads, commercials, flashy signs, billboards, email promotions (#spam, let’s call it what it is) that flood our vision each and everyday.
These marketing ploys are designed with the customer in mind. The end goal for all businesses is to make a profit, whether that’s monetary or not, and it all depends on us, the consumer. And because our role is so crucial, marketers will do whatever it takes to make sure these ads, commercials, flashy signs, billboards, and emails work their magic.
And, just speaking for me (and probably you, too), the magic works.
I buy.
The business wins.

This isn’t something to feel bad about.

If anything, it just means there are some really talented people out there in advertising.
The messages are having their intended effects (can we talk about the latest Diet Coke campaign? WOW – the brilliance! I digress..) and it seems like a win-win. Profits are gained and we got a new pair of shoes. Hot dog!
But the difference between advertising the latest fashion trend and marketing at, say, the grocery store, are vastly different.

As a consumer, I like to distinguish between facts and Facts.

A fact would be buying flare jeans because billboards and magazines have me believing they are a necessity this fall.
A Fact would be the population density of Omaha, Nebraska.

We trust those Capital F Facts. They’ve been proven by numbers; math and science can back up those claims.

Those Facts are “indisputable.”
Or so we thought.

Marketing At The Grocery Store

When you go the the grocery store, in what area do you find yourself spending the most time?

Maybe it’s the international aisle.
Maybe you prefer the frozen foods section for their lower price point on organic fruits and vegetables (hi, see you there!).
Or maybe, like my boyfriend, you hover around the sushi station, waiting for your free sample of the beloved Spicy Tuna Roll.
To each his own.

Whatever section you love the most, they all have something in common: Nutrition Facts labels. (Albeit, the perimeters of the store (ie where you find whole, unpackaged foods)) won’t have these labels, but I’ll touch back on this later).

The nutrition label is backed by the FDA, why would I question that?
Those are a Fact. Surely, each calorie count and sodium percentage has been closely calculated by a factory of nutrient gnomes who don’t make mistakes.

Well, upon inspection, I’ve found that the FDA actually allows manufacturers a pretty wide margin of error.

I’m talking a 20% margin-of-error. So, less of a margin, more of a vortex-of-error.

Suddenly, your very Factual 300 calorie package of almonds just became 360 (or maybe 240). WHO KNOWS???

What To Do

With any constant instream of information, we’ve got to learn to filter.
Learn to be a sleuth.
Put on your wide-brim hat and detective trench coat, and do some homework.

Tactic #1: Find What You Care About

Do you look for organic-approved?
Do your canned goods need to be BPA-free?
Have you ever wondered about the daily vitamin percentages in your favorite bag of chips?
Whatever it is, simply looking at the Nutrition Fact label with a curious mind is the first step.

Tactic #2: Use That Info

Next, you may want to learn how to internalize that information. And luckily, reading labels isn’t hard – you’ve just got to know what you’re looking for. (For a more in depth look at how to read food labels, click here).
For some, it’s ingredients.
For others, it’s protein.
Maybe you’re anemic and like to know the iron amount in what you’re buying.
Personally, I will always check for added sugars in packaged goods.
Why Sugar?
Most people have no idea how much sugar they are consuming on the day-to-day. And, I’m not talking about the natural goods found in your favorite fruit or veggie, I’m referring to the grade-A white, refined sugar and high-fructose corn syrup that’s added to almost all packaged goods.
For example, let’s look at an all-time childhood favorite: Fruit Loops. Fun, colorful, classic, and reliable, Fruit Loops. Obviously sweet, yes, but would you believe that sugar is the first ingredient listed on the Nutrition Fact label? (For those wondering, ingredients are listed by weight, with the ingredient with the highest weight listed first) (ahem, SUGAR).
So, WHOA, I was eating a whopping 12.9 grams of sugar with each cup of my (daily!) cereal.
Yikes.

While added sugars aren’t going to be totally avoidable, and I’m not suggesting you go *ALL HANDS ON DECK SUGAR-FREE FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY* I’m simply asking you be conscious of how much sugar is in your diet.

Sugar is now being viewed as the #1 culprit for several diseases. If an attempt in decreasing our sugar intake could lower our risk for heart disease, diabetes, and several cancers, why not give that part of the Nutrition Label an extra glance?
What I’m trying to say:
what’s seemingly written in black and white may be a little more gray than we think (remember that 20% margin-of-error).
Don’t get too hung up on the numbers staring you in the face on the back of your favorite cereal. Instead, just be aware that those numbers are there.
Then maybe you’ll decide to take action, and choose the cereal with more fiber and less sugar. Or maybe you’ll ditch both altogether and decide rolled oats are more your speed.
Whatever consumer action you take, being consciously aware of what you’re buying is the first step.
What you do next, that’s up to you.

Tactic #3: Shop The Perimeters

The absolute easiest way to avoid the ever-flowing “fact” stream in grocery stores, is to shop around the perimeters.
Notice how you’ve never seen an apple with imposing words and percentages stuck to it’s flesh.
Similarly, fresh meats, cheeses, and eggs stand boldly naked, as well.
Start experimenting with buying the majority of your grocery haul in these arenas. You’ll be surprised at how delicious (and cheap!) your grocery bill will be once you shy away from the inner aisles.

Shopping Consciously

When I assess food labels with the same grain of salt as I do when considering the fashion-necessity of flare jeans, it makes my shopping experience more empowering.
I suddenly feel like I have the power and freedom to buy whatever seems factual to me.
I’ve filtered the information, did my investigations, and came to a conclusion.

And as with any and all the information we encounter daily, we have this same power to take a Fact and turn it into a fact if what is offered doesn’t seem “indisputable” to us.
What was written in stone may actually be finely etched, easily altered by a gentle swipe.
View the Facts and facts you perceive with a conscious interest.
Find what resonates with you and believe in that.