|
| How To Read Labels |
 |
|
 |
|
HOW
TO REALLY READ A LABEL
By JJ Virgin, CNS,
CHFI
Low
Fat, Sugar Free, No Added Sugars, Low Calorie, Low Cholesterol... what do these
terms really mean and what should you be looking out for when you navigate the
grocery store aisles? Read on and learn how to make sense of all of the
government approved “lingo” to ensure that you are choosing the best foods for
your health!
First remember your best bet is to go with “whole foods”
that means unprocessed or the least processed choices available-stick to the
outer aisles of the supermarket to find these items.
Here are some other
things you need to know before you go shopping...
- Items on labels are listed
by weight from the most to the least.
- Sugar has a lot of
different names! The absolute worst one is High Fructose Corn Syrup but ALL
sugarcane contribute to heart disease, accelerated aging, diabetes and obesity -
don’t kid yourself because it is“natural” or “raw”!
- What the label lists as the
portion size may not = your reality-be sure to read the fine print! Portion
sizes are based on a standardized reference that is often less than what we
choose here in our “super-sized” world.
- There are good fats and bad
fats-be on the look out for partially hydrogenated oils and avoid these at all
costs! Stick with extra virgin olive oil, canola oil, avocados, cold water fish
and raw nuts and seeds as your principle sources of fat.
- Natural doesn’t necessarily
= healthy!
ALLOWABLE CLAIMS - you may see these referred to on labels:
- Eating enough calcium may
help prevent osteoporosis.
- Limiting the amount of
sodium you eat may help prevent hypertension.
- Limiting the amount of
saturated fat and cholesterol you eat may help prevent heart disease.
- Eating fruits, vegetables
and grain products that contain dietary fiber may help prevent heart disease.
- Limiting the amount of
total fat you eat may help reduce your risk for cancer.
- Eating fiber-containing
grain products, fruits and vegetables may help prevent cancer.
- Eating fruits and
vegetables that are low in fat and good sources of dietary fiber, vitamin A or
vitamin C may help prevent cancer.
Not all foods are required to have
labeling information on them-the exceptions are fresh supermarket food such as
raw fruits, vegetables and fish, meat and poultry products(unless they are
processed) and restaurant foods. Remember it is your responsibility to know your
numbers (i.e. sugars, fats, calories). Ignorance is NOT an excuse for unhealthy
choices! |
 | WHAT THE WORDS
MEAN:
Dietary Fiber
Remember we should be getting 25-35
grams of fiber a day in our diet and currently we get only 1/3-1/2 of this
amount. Use the guidelines below to help you increase your numbers into the
optimal range.
High fiber: 5 grams of fiber or more per serving
A good
source of fiber: 2.5 g – 4.9 g of fiber per serving
Fat
Ideally
no more than 1/3 of your total fat or roughly 10% of your daily calories should
come from saturated fat.
Fat Free: less than 0.5 grams of fat per
serving
Low Fat: 3 grams of fat or less per serving
Lean: less than 10
grams of fat, 4.5 grams of sat fat and no more than 95 mg of cholesterol per
serving
Extra-lean: less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat and 95
mg of cholesterol per serving
Low in saturated fat: 1 gram of sat fat or less
per serving and not more than 15% of calories from saturated fatty
acids
Reduced or less fat: at least 25% less fat per serving than the
higher-fat version
Cholesterol
Goal is 300 mg or less of
cholesterol per day.
Low cholesterol: 20 mg or cholesterol or less and 2
grams of saturated fat or less per serving
Reduced cholesterol: at least 25%
less cholesterol than the higher-cholesterol version and 2 grams of less of
saturated fat per serving
Cholesterol free: less than 2 mg of cholesterol or
2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving
Sugar
Sugar free:
less than ½ gram of sugar per serving
Low Sugar: may not be used as a
claim
Reduced Sugar: at least 25% less sugar per serving when compared with a
similar food
No added sugars, without added sugar, no sugar added: no amount
of sugar or any other ingredient that contains sugars that functionally
substitute for added sugars is added during processing or packaging, the product
contains no ingredients that contain added sugars such as jam, jelly or
concentrated fruit juice
Calories
Calorie Free: fewer than 5
calories per serving
Low Calorie: 40 calories or less per serving
Light or
“Lite”: 1/3 less calories or no more than ½ the fat of the higher-calorie,
higher-fat version
Reduced Calorie: at least 25% fewer calories per serving
when compared with a similar food
Sodium
Goal is 2400 mg or
less of sodium per day
Light in Sodium: no more than ½ the sodium of the
higher-sodium version
Sodium Free: less than 5 mg of sodium per serving and
no sodium chloride (NaCl) in ingredients
Very Low Sodium: 35mg of sodium or
less per serving
Low Sodium: 140 mg or less per serving
Reduced or less
sodium: 25% less sodium per serving than the higher sodium
version
Also... a couple of more terms to be aware of:
- Free has the least amount
- Very low and low have a
little more
- Reduced or less always
means that the food has 25% less of that nutrient than the reference version of
that food
- Good source of means that
it contains 10-19% of the Daily Value (DV) per serving
- High, rich in, excellent
source of means that it contains 20% or more of the DV per serving.
- More, fortified, enriched,
added means that it contains at lest 10%more of the DV for protein, vitamins,
minerals or fiber per serving.
- Fresh means that it has not
been frozen, heat processed or similarly processed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Sök |
|
|
|
|
|
Storsäljare |
|
|
|
| Det finns inga recensioner. |
|
|
|
|
Språk |
|
|
|
Valutor |
|
|
|
Information |
|
|
Go Daddy |
|
