8 min read
Healthy foods at Aldi: what to buy and what to skip
A category-by-category guide to healthy foods at Aldi, plus what its Simply Nature, liveGfree and Never Any! brand lines mean on the label.
Food Label & Ingredient Guides
Practical, research-aware guides to reading food labels, understanding ingredients and additives, comparing food scanner apps, and choosing healthier grocery products.
9 min readCanola oil vs olive oil: what the label and the research say
Canola oil vs olive oil, compared on USDA fat profiles, the seed oil debate, FDA qualified health claims and how oils are named on packaged food labels.
10 min readBest app for clean eating: 5 food scanners compared by what they flag
Clean eating has no official definition, so the best app is the one whose rules match yours. Five food scanners compared by what they flag and how.
9 min readNo added sugar vs sugar free: what each label claim really means
No added sugar vs sugar free, explained: what each FDA claim means, the natural sugar and sugar alcohol traps, and what to check on the Nutrition Facts panel.
9 min readOlive app alternatives: 3 food scanners for US grocery shoppers
Want a food label scanner without Olive's subscription? Compare Yuka, Fig and Open Food Facts on price, platforms, family profiles and what each one checks.
9 min readFood dyes list: every synthetic color on US labels and where the FDA phase-out stands
Every synthetic food dye on US labels, from Red 40 to Citrus Red No. 2, with EU codes, how to spot them on an ingredient list, and the FDA phase-out status as of October 2026.
9 min readProcessed vs ultra-processed foods: the difference, with label examples
Processed vs ultra-processed foods explained: why canned beans and cheese are not the problem, what makes a food ultra-processed, and a 3-step label test with side-by-side examples.
8 min readGluten-free label meaning: the FDA rule behind the claim
What a gluten-free label legally guarantees under the FDA rule, what it does not cover, how oats qualify, and how to read a label that makes no claim.
1 min readHealthiest Smoothies: 6 Bottled Smoothies Ranked
We compared six popular bottled smoothies sold at major US stores and ranked them by fruit purees, vegetables, added sugar, protein, and additives.