If you really want to know how nutritious your breakfast cereal or microwaveable dinner is, then check out the food label. But you'd better read carefully, or you could wind up consuming more calories and fat than you think.
The serving size is listed directly under the nutrition facts on the food packaging. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the serving size is the first place to look because it influences all the nutrient amounts listed below it.
Food labels are broken into two parts: what you should limit (total fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates and protein) and what you should get enough of (vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron).
What's that about the fat?
Consumers often get stumped by labeling data on fat content.?It can get very confusing when trying to figure out the percentage of calories you get from fat. It's just confusing to figure out how much fat you're getting overall. Just try to keep your fat grams down. Less than 30 percent of your total calories should come from fat.
Just what is the difference between fat-free, reduced fat and low-fat? According to the FDA:
Fat-free is less than one-half gram of fat per serving.
Lowfat is 3 grams of fat or less per serving.
Reduced fat is 25 percent less of the specific nutrient or calories than the usual product.
Light is one-third fewer calories or one-half the fat of the usual food.
Even if you do understand the difference, you could fall into the fat-free trap.?For one thing, it's a proven fact that people eat more than they should of fat-free foods just because these items are fat-free. For another, a lot of fat-free foods have a lot of added sugar.
Read the ingredient list,?cautioning against choosing products that substitute sugar for fat.
You don't want a lot of sugar in your diet.
There is something else you should know about fats and food labels. Manufacturers list total fat and the percentage of saturated fats, but they are not required to list trans-fatty acids, which can be almost as bad as saturated fats.Clinical studies have shown that saturated fats and trans fatty acids both tend to increase total blood cholesterol and may increase an individual's risk for heart disease.
What do the claims mean?
Below is a list of some other common claims seen on food packaging and what these claims mean, according to the FDA regulations:
Calorie-free: fewer than five calories per serving (which is specified on packaging)
Low sodium: less than 140 mg of salt per serving
Low calorie: less than 40 calories per serving
Low cholesterol: less than 20 mg of cholesterol and 2 grams of fat per serving
Reduced: 25 percent less of the specified nutrient or calories than the usual product
Good source of: provides at least 10 percent of the daily value of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving
High fiber: five or more grams of fiber per serving
Lean: (meat, poultry, seafood): 10 grams of fat or less, 4and one-half grams of saturated fat and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per 3-and-one-half-ounce serving
Light: one-third fewer calories or one-half the fat of the usual food
