How to Choose Products Without Gluten, Lactose, or Sugar — Without Falling for Marketing Tricks

Food producers know that many people want to buy ‘healthy’ food, so that’s why you see signs like ‘Sugar-Free’, ‘Gluten-Free’, ‘Natural’, ‘100% Organic’, and many others on product packaging.

But these statements don’t always mean what you think they do. Marketing can be misleading, and even when labels are technically accurate, they might give a wrong impression about the product’s healthiness.

What to watch out for on ‘healthy’ food labels

Gluten-Free

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. It causes digestive problems for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. A ‘gluten-free’ label can be helpful if you have these conditions, but it doesn’t automatically make a product healthier. Many gluten-free substitutes use refined flours, starches, and added sugars to improve taste and texture.

For example, a gluten-free cookie is still a cookie with all the sugar and calories of a regular one – sometimes even more! Unless you have a specific medical need to avoid gluten, these products may not offer any health advantage.

Lactose-Free

Lactose is the sugar naturally found in milk. People who are lactose intolerant lack the enzyme needed to digest it properly. Lactose-free products have had this sugar removed or broken down, but they still contain all the other components of dairy.

A lactose-free label doesn’t mean a product is dairy-free or necessarily healthier. For instance, lactose-free ice cream still contains fat, calories, and often added sugars – it’s just easier to digest for those with lactose intolerance.

Sugar-Free

This can be especially tricky. ‘Sugar-free’ means the product doesn’t contain added regular sugar (sucrose), but it might still contain other sweeteners – both natural (like honey or fruit juice) and artificial (like aspartame or sucralose).

Also, many sugar-free products contain sugar alcohols (like sorbitol or maltitol), which can cause digestive issues for some people when consumed in large amounts. And from a calorie perspective, many sugar-free products aren’t significantly lower in calories than their sugar-containing versions.

How to make smarter choices

Read the entire ingredient list

Don’t just trust the front-of-package claims. Check the full ingredient list, which lists ingredients by weight (from most to least). If sugar appears in multiple forms (like ‘cane sugar,’ ‘brown rice syrup,’ ‘dextrose,’ ‘maltose,’ etc.), the product may contain significant amounts of added sugar despite not having ‘sugar’ as the first ingredient.

Check for hidden sources of problematic ingredients

Gluten can hide in ingredients like:

• Modified food starch (if not specified as corn or tapioca)
• Malt extract/flavoring
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (unless specified)
• Some soy sauces

Lactose might be present in:

• Whey
• Milk solids
• Casein
• Some medications and supplements

Sugar appears under many names:

• Anything ending in ‘-ose’ (dextrose, fructose, maltose, etc.)
• Syrups (corn syrup, rice syrup, maple syrup)
• Honey, molasses, agave nectar
• Fruit juice concentrates

Understand nutrition facts labels

Look at the total carbohydrates, added sugars, and serving sizes. Sometimes products appear healthier because they list a tiny, unrealistic serving size. Many ‘sugar-free’ products may be high in fat or salt to compensate for flavor.

Compare similar products

If you’re buying a specialty product (like gluten-free bread), compare several brands. Some may have cleaner ingredient lists than others.

Remember that whole, unprocessed foods are naturally free from additives and usually don’t need special labels. Fresh fruits, vegetables, plain meats, and many whole grains (like rice) are naturally gluten-free, while many plant-based foods are naturally lactose-free.

When specialty products make sense

Special dietary products serve a valuable purpose for those with genuine medical needs:

• Celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity – Gluten-free products are essential, not optional.
• Lactose intolerance – Lactose-free dairy allows you to get important nutrients like calcium without digestive distress.
• Diabetes – Sugar-free or reduced-sugar items can help manage blood sugar (though whole foods are often better choices).
• Food allergies – Products free from specific allergens are crucial for safety.

The bottom line

Special dietary claims like ‘gluten-free,’ ‘lactose-free,’ and ‘sugar-free’ are helpful indicators for people with specific medical needs. However, they don’t automatically make a product nutritionally superior or healthier overall.

The healthiest shopping strategy is to focus primarily on whole, minimally processed foods, and to carefully read labels when buying packaged products. This approach works regardless of your dietary restrictions and helps you avoid falling for marketing tricks that make processed foods seem healthier than they really are.