Logos such as the American Heart Association's heart check mark are supposed to help consumers quickly identify healthful choices. While in theory those marks make it easier to find products that meet certain nutritional standards, the different labeling used by manufacturers and grocery chains makes it hard to comparison shop.

Things might get simpler this spring when many companies begin to adopt Smart Choices, a program developed by a coalition of scientists, public-health officials, and food-industry representatives. The program's symbol will include a check mark to indicate that a product meets specific nutritional criteria for foods in that category and will list the calories per serving and the number of servings in a package. And with our review of breakfast cereals, Consumer Reports began adding nutrient Ratings to some of our articles on packaged foods to take with you when you go to the grocery store.