The nutrition facts label and the ingredients list on packages of foods and beverages are useful tools to help you make choices about the foods you purchase, but don’t fall for the hype on the front of the package. Some claims can be misleading. Always check the nutrition facts labels located on the side or back of the package.
Here are a few of the top thing you will learn from reading the label.
1. The serving size and number of servings in the package. This is important, because the calories, fat grams, etc., are based on the serving size. For instance a small bag of peanuts might actually contain TWO servings. A pizza that looks like it’s enough for only four people might actually contain five or six servings.
2. Calories. This is the number of calories per serving. If the label says a serving is one-half cup and the package contains two servings, you will get twice that amount of calories if you eat the whole thing.
3. Calories from Fat. If a serving of potato chips is 130 calories, with 80 calories from fat, it may not be a wise choice. Most of the foods you choose should have no more than one-third of their calories from fat.
4. % Daily Value. This column shows the percentage of a particular nutrient that one serving of the food would provide for a person eating 2,000 calories per day. For instance, if the Total Fat listed is 7 grams, that particular food provides 11 percent of the day’s recommended fat allowance.
5. Sodium: For most people, the daily recommended sodium intake is 2,300 milligrams; people who are age 51 or older or at risk for high blood pressure should have no more than 1,500 grams. It is easy to get too much sodium without even recognizing it, so this is a really important number.
6. Dietary fiber: Aim for 25 to 35 grams of fiber per day. Insoluble fiber helps with digestive processes and soluble fiber decreases “bad” cholesterol. Most Americans only get about half the fiber they need.
7. Sugars: Some sugars occur naturally in fruit, vegetables, dairy products and other foods. Others are added. Check the ingredients list to see whether sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or other sweeteners are near the beginning of the list. This indicates that there’s a lot of added sugar in a food and may not be the best choice.
There is also much more helpful information that will also be include on the label. Be sure to check the label of the item you are buying.
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