Gluten-free. Non-GMO. No high fructose corn syrup. These days, it can feel as if you need a PhD in nutrition to navigate the supermarket. And those terms don’t necessarily mean that the food is actually good for you. Here’s how to decipher some of the most common claims:

If the label says "gluten-free", that doesn’t make a product healthier. Almost 40 percent of people think that gluten-free foods are helpful for everyone, not just those with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance. But that’s an erroneous assumption.

Because gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye – adds texture to foods, manufacturers often load up gluten-free products with extra sugar and fat to compensate, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, a dietitian in Chicago. In addition, many gluten-free products are made with rice flour, which Consumer Reports’ tests found may contain worrisome levels of arsenic.

Consumer Reports’ advice: Unless you have celiac disease or another diagnosed gluten intolerance, consider skipping the gluten-free aisle entirely.

If the label says "Non-GMO Project Verified", you can trust it. Ninety-two percent of consumers think that foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) should be labeled, according to a recent randomized survey of 1,000 adults by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, and 40 percent look for non-GMO labels when they shop.