Marketplace tests 5 popular foods with healthy-sounding claims that may be too good to be true

Their packaging promises big healthy benefits — high fibre, high protein, real fruit and more — but a CBC Marketplace investigation reveals what's really inside five popular foods whose labels may make them seem healthier than they are. 

"A 'health halo' is basically the perception that a food is better than it says it is, with very little evidence to back that up," said Toronto registered dietitian Stefania Palmeri.

"When I see products like this it is frustrating as a dietitian because I can see how consumers fall prey to that."

While most of the labels meet government labelling requirements, Palmeri and childhood obesity expert and endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig agree the following products don't deliver on packaging promises. They question if Canada's labelling rules do enough to protect consumers against potentially misleading labels.

The most misleading, say these nutrition experts, is the bold "high protein" claim on the front of Kellogg's Vector meal replacement — found in the cereal aisle.

In bold lettering, the box claims "high protein" with "13 g of protein." But a close look at the nutritional information on the side panel shows the product has less than half of that — 5.7 grams per serving. 

Consumers only get the full protein claimed on the package if they add 200 millilitres of skim milk — meaning the majority of the protein doesn't come from Vector itself. 

Palmeri calls that "marketing manipulation."

"Calling cereal 'high in protein' but only when served with milk is silly," Palmeri said. "Almost like advertising bread as high in protein but only if combined with peanut butter."

Vector has a tiny disclaimer that says skim milk needs to be added to achieve the protein claim. 

Because it calls itself a meal replacement, not a cereal, Health Canada's labelling rules allow it.

The product's marketing often targets active people who want to boost their protein intake, like Swimming Canada athlete Kate Hulford, who eats Vector as a snack without milk because she's lactose intolerant. 

She was surprised when Marketplace revealed to her she wasn't getting the full 13 grams of protein per serving advertised on the front of the box.

"It's misleading," Hulford told Marketplace. "Especially if you're focusing on athletes who want to get high protein."