More than one-third of shoppers are looking for functional foods; that is, foods that will reduce the risk of one or more health conditions. Although the term functional food has been around for a long time, it's not always been clearly defined.

Functional foods can be fresh or processed foods that have a health benefit above and beyond just the nutrients found naturally in a food. Functional foods include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as products that have been fortified with additional nutrients. Examples include calcium-fortified orange juice, yogurt with extra omega-3 fatty acids, or cereals fortified with fiber.

Americans are buying into the functional-food trend. According to Information Resources Inc., the 10 best-selling food items in the U.S. in 2006 and 2007 included a healthy selection of functional foods. The No. 1 and No. 2 products, for example, were Campbell's Low Sodium soups and Birdseye's Steamfresh frozen vegetables.

The many functional foods on this top-10 list show that Americans are concerned about what they eat and are starting to think about how foods can prevent or treat health conditions.

Many food labels today draw a connection between some nutrient in the food and particular health conditions. Some of these associations include fighting osteoporosis by taking calcium; heart disease being worsened by saturated fat and cholesterol but helped by fiber; fruits and vegetables preventing cancer while fat encourages it; and sugar alcohols preventing cavities.

Functional foods can give you added health benefits, but the bottom line is still to read the Nutrition Facts Panel on the label. Just because your ice cream contains some extra fiber doesn't mean it's no longer also full of fat and sugar! Think about the foods you eat and what they are doing for or against you.