Like those low-carb fudge brownies, some of the foods and diet claims that surfaced this year seemed too good to be true — as turned out to be the case. With some of these trends, the key to healthy eating involved a healthy degree of skepticism.

Whole grains masquerading in junk foods: Whole grains made a major return to our plates in 2005. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended we increase our servings of whole-grain foods to at least three 1-ounce servings. Whole grains contain fiber, vitamins B and E, the mineral selenium, and hundreds of plant chemicals with anti-oxidant traits. But the whole-grain labeling is tricky — a food that contains 51 percent of a whole-grain ingredient or more by weight can be called a whole-grain food. Beware of the low-fiber, sugar- and fat-laden breakfast cereals or cookies with the "whole grain" seal on the front of the package. Turn the package over to read the Nutrition Facts panel; look for fiber content (a good source of fiber has 2.5 grams of fiber, an excellent choice has 5 grams of fiber), and check out the sugar and fat content before assuming it is a healthful choice.

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Marketing of dairy foods as a weight-loss diet: Consuming three servings of low-fat dairy can help you meet your needs for calcium and potassium, nutrients that protect bones and keep your blood pressure in check. But the marketing of dairy for weight loss has outpaced the science. The theoretical basis for the calcium-weight loss claim is valid — high intake of calcium may reduce fat storage and increase fat breakdown, but calcium intake accounts for a small part of the variation in body weight. More research is needed to substantiate the calcium-weight loss claims. Until the science is more conclusive, go ahead and eat three servings of low-fat dairy, but don't wash the milk down with a plate of brownies and expect the pounds to fall off.

Customers talk healthy but eat large: Although some restaurants experimented with smaller portions and healthier selections, others learned that size matters. Ruby Tuesday, stung by declining sales after putting calorie counts on menus and quietly shrinking portions last year, rolled out the Ultimate Colossal Burger, with 1 pound of meat and almost 1,800 calories on a triple-decker bun. Burger King introduced the Triple Whopper in December as part of a "King Kong" promotion, with 1,280 calories and a day and a half's worth of saturated fat in one gigantic gorilla-size gulp. It joined the Enormous Omelet Sandwich, which delivers 760 calories and nearly a day's allotment of saturated fat before sunrise.

Reduced-calorie kids' foods with artificial sweeteners: Packages for fruit punches, cookies, chocolate syrup and even milk advertise their low-cal status in large print on the front of the label. Sounds great, right? But read the fine print on the ingredient list and you may find artificial sweeteners — something most parents probably don't suspect is in the food. Although nutritionists say research backs the safety of artificial sweeteners and that such products may be appropriate for children with diabetes and those who need to lose weight, they also counsel that they're not meant to be the main source of sweeteners in children's diets.

— Elizabeth Lee and Chris Rosenbloom