Tuesday January 18, 2011

Learning what’s in your food can help you make better nutritional choices. Here are a few pointers to help you understand what to look for when reading a nutrition label.

1. The serving size is the amount you would eat to get the nutritional levels shown on the rest of the food label.

2. Calories are a unit of energy. Eating too many calories can lead to weight gain. To maintain or lose weight, be mindful of the calories in the serving of food.

3. Learn your individual recommendations for certain nutrients. Food labels can help you determine if you are meeting those needs. In general, limit your fat, cholesterol and sodium and try increasing vitamins, fiber, calcium and iron.

4. The footnote on the bottom of the label is a reminder that the Percent Daily Value is based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Some people need more and some people need less than 2,000 calories, but this is a good reference point.

Reading a nutrition label is an important aspect of your nutritional health. Learn your own nutritional needs and you’ll be more apt to understand how well the foods you eat stack up to what is recommended for optimal health.

Credit for pic

Do you read labels? If you are into losing weight, maintaining weight or just trying to be healthy or healthier, this is a must! What it says on the front of the package does not always represent what the ingredients & nutritional stats say on the side or the back of the package. Tami wrote a great post about this the other day & you can read it HERE.

I am a MAJOR label reader! Drives my hubby crazier than crazy! He really is not a fan of shopping with me in "my stores". I will pick up everything & read the label - even if I have bought it before or bought it many times over!

The real reason I wanted to write this post is to tell you to double check the stats on food you usually buy or even every so often buy. I have found changes on the stats of things I buy consistently that I was not happy with AFTER I bought the item so now I check them a lot, no matter how many times I have bought the item! Something to pay attention to!!

So, while I am here, I will chat a bit further on this!!! 

1. Portion Size: A big thing people miss is that even though they think the portion is just the package they bought, the portion per package or container may be 2 or 2.5 or 3! Check the portion size!

2. Fats of ALL Kinds: I think it is no surprise that you want to check out the fat & especially the saturated fat. There are many that do not agree that saturated fat is bad for you so this is going to be an individual choice. Now, there is a big thing about coconut oil & that it is actually a good saturated fat. I have read a lot on this & it seems to get high praise all around but just keep in mind to do your own research AND talk with your doctor before you go doing any major changes with saturated fat, especially if you have had heart & artery clogging issues or other health issues.

Also, you don't want trans fats (EVIL) or as minimal as possible! You will see partially hydrogenated oils on labels. Shortening & margarine also have them. Most health experts will say to choose butter over margarine if you are going to use one of them due to the trans fats in margarine. Read more here at this Mayo Clinic article.

3. Triglycerides in the "bad range" can increase the risk of heart disease!From Mayo Clinic - "Although it's unclear how, high triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls (atherosclerosis) — which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease." "Having a high level of triglycerides, a type of fat (lipid) in your blood, can increase your risk of heart disease." You want to really watch this & they are elevated by hydrogenated oils. Check the label for that!

4. Sugars - really want to watch this too.... many people forget to look here & see how much sugar is actually in their foods. This may surprise you big time! As Americans, we are ingesting way too much sugar in our diet! "One hundred and fifty-six pounds. That's how much added sugar Americans consume each year on a per capita basis, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Imagine it: 31 five-pound bags for each of us."  

Sugar is not just in the packet or bowl though. It is in our foods everywhere so you must read the label! Yes, it is in cakes, cookies, and candy of course BUT it is also in SODA, JUICES, bread, cereals, condiments, granola bars, "healthy bars AND SO MUCH MORE! READ!!!!!!  

"Only about 29 pounds of it comes as traditional sugar, or sucrose, according to The Sugar Association, a trade group of sugar manufacturers. The rest comes from foods."

5. Ingredients - If you went to the link for Tami's post, you will see why I put this here. Just because the title of the food on the package sounds healthy, IT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS HEALTHY! Read what is in there! The list of ingredients goes from the most in there to the least so if what you really want to be in there is last on the list - well, you get it, it may not be the item for you!

6. Sodium - if you have trouble with this always check the sodium level. Per Mayo Clinic - "If you're a healthy adult, limit your daily sodium intake to between 1,500 and 2,300 milligrams, while aiming for the lower end. Your daily requirements may vary if you have certain health conditions, such as high blood pressure. Avoid adding salt during cooking or at the table."

7. Cholesterol: "It's important to keep your cholesterol levels within healthy limits. And if you have other risk factors for developing heart disease, you need to be even more careful — especially with your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol level." Again from Mayo, a very informative article on total cholesterol, the good (HDL), the bad (LDL & triglycerides) & all the in between! Plenty of charts to see the numbers!

8. Fiber: "There are two basic types: soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool and can help prevent constipation. Vegetables, wheat bran and other whole grains are good sources of insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber may help improve your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Oats, dried beans and some fruits, such as apples and oranges, are good sources of soluble fiber."