Posted by Heather Jones on Wed, Jun 10, 2009
You've seen those labels on the backs of your food products—but do you really know how to use them? If you're like most people, you probably quickly glance at the calories and fat, and call it a day. But the Nutrition Facts label has so much more to offer. Aside from calories and fat, be sure to check out:
Serving sizes
The most critical part of the label, or Nutrition Facts Panel, is 'serving size.' Make that the first thing you look at so you know exactly what is in the package. Unfortunately, the serving size often doesn't match what most people typically consider a serving. For example, if you purchase an individually packaged muffin, the Nutrition Facts label may give calorie, fat and other nutritional information for half of the muffin—not the whole muffin, as you might assume. It's tricky, and it happens more often than you think. Check the serving size to make sure you know how to portion out your food. If you have two servings or more, remember to multiply all the nutrition info by that number to get the right amount of fat, calories and more that your'e consuming.
For extra help, check out the 'Servings Per Container' information. Take a container of ice cream as an example. If it lists "Servings Per Container: 4," and you polish off the entire container during your favorite sitcom, you should multiply the calories (and everything else) by four.
Percent daily value
On the right side of the panel is a column of numbers that most people overlook. These numbers, called the '% Daily Value,' are important because they allow you to gauge if a food will help you meet your nutrition goals for the day. It basically gives you targets to aim for when it comes to fat (both total fat and saturated fat), cholesterol, sodium, carbs and fiber based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. If you strive to keep your diet within these parameters, you'll be on the road to great health.
As a general rule, foods that supply five percent or less of a nutrient are considered low in that nutrient, while percentages of 20 or more are considered high. To follow a healthy diet, aim to keep your total fat intake to 30 percent or less. And try to avoid trans fat (a new addition to the Nutrition Facts label; it's not listed in the Percent Daily Value column as saturated fat is) altogether. Studies have linked the harmful fat to an increased risk for heart disease and other illnesses.
When you grab a product from the store shelf, be sure to flip it over and scan the label. It's the only way to make sure that the foods you put in your cart are worth putting in your body!
For more information on eating healthfully and losing weight, check out TheBestLife.com.
Posted by Heather Jones on Thu, May 07, 2009
Low-carb, no-carb, low-calorie, low-fat—there are as many puzzling food terms on the products at your grocery store as there are foods! But do you know what they really mean? Test your grocery store nutrition knowledge with this quick eight-question quiz.
QUESTIONS
1. A food item labeled "low-fat" must have less than how much fat per serving?
A. 1 g
B. 2 g
C. 3 g
D. 4 g
2. A food item labeled "light" must fit which of the following criteria?
A. It has one-third of the calories of the regular alternative.
B. It has 50 percent less fat than the regular alternative.
C. One or more of the above
D. None of the above
3. True or False: "Low-carb" foods must have less than 3 carbohydrates per serving.
A. True
B. False
4. Meat with less than 2 g of saturated fat, 5 g of overall fat and no more than 95 mg of cholesterol can be labeled:
A. Lean
B. Extra Lean
C. Fat-Free
D. Low Cholesterol
5. True or False: "Fat-free" foods can contain 1 g of fat.
A. True
B. False
6. "Reduced fat" foods must have how much less fat than the regular alternative?
A. 25 percent
B. 50 percent
C. 75 percent
D. 99 percent
7. "Fresh" poultry has never:
A. Been below 26 degrees Fahenheit.
B. Been handled by human hands.
C. Been taken out of fresh water.
D. Seen daylight.
8. True or False: "Calorie-free" foods can have up to 10 calories per serving.
A. True
B. False
ANSWERS
1. Answer C
Any food that claims to be low-fat must have less than 3 g of fat per serving.
2. Answer C
A food item labeled light must have one-third of the calories or 50 percent less fat than the regular alternative.
3. Answer B
Believe it or not, the FDA has not yet issued any guidelines on "low-carb" labeling.
4. Answer B
The extra-lean label also applies to poultry and seafood.
5. Answer B
Foods labeled fat-free must have less than 0.5 g of fat per serving.
6. Answer A
Foods with a reduced-fat label must have at least 25 percent less fat than the original version.
7. Answer A
By definition, fresh poultry has never been stored below 26 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Answer B
A calorie-free food can have up to five calories per serving.