In order to truly obtain the best nutrition for your family, you must be able to understand what you are buying at the grocery store! Here is a quick lesson on reading food labels for busy moms! The best way to know what you are putting in your family's bodies is to know what those nutrition labels mean.
So, grab a couple of boxes or cans of food and let's get started.
Step One- READING THE NUTRITION LABEL: SERVING SIZE & SERVINGS PER CONTAINER Before looking at anything else, look at the serving size and servings per container.
It may say it only contains 100 calories per serving, but there could be 3 servings in a container! Don't let them fool you into thinking something has less calories or fat than it really does by not understanding the serving size! PERCENT DAILY VALUE The percent of daily value (sometimes abbreviated DV) of calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium and vitamins is set by the Food and Drug Administration which means they have determined what the average person needs and how much this food items provides of that daily amount.
For example, the FDA has determined that 2,000 calories is what the average person needs, so an item that is 200 calories per serving is 10 percent DV.
This doesn't necessarily mean you need this exact amount, it's just an average! CALORIES AND PERCENT OF FAT CALORIES Directly under the portion size is the calories per serving.
The number of servings eaten determines the number of calories.
For example, if an item is 100 calories per serving and there are two servings in a box and you eat the whole box, then you have consumed 200 calories.
Also, the FDA recommends not consuming more than 30 percent of your calories from fat, so be sure to pay attention to the fat calories as well! FAT You will see several different types of fat listed on the label.
Saturated and trans fats are known as "bad fats" because they can contribute to high cholesterol and ultimately other health risks such as heart disease and strokes.
Unsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat are all considered "good fats" because they don't raise cholesterol levels.
These are the types of fats your body needs to work at its best.
Again, it is recommended that the average adult eat 30% or less of their daily calories from fat.
CARBOHYDRATES Carbohydrates are needed by the body to burn energy.
It is recommended that an average adult eat between 150-300 grams of carbohydrates a day ( or 45% to 65% of over all calories).
But, not all carbs are the same! While carbohydrates from foods such as white bread, pasta, candy or cookies raise your insulin levels quickly and gives you an almost instant energy boost (and subsequently, drops your insulin levels an hour or two later as you "crash"), carbohydrates from foods such as whole grain bread, whole grain pasta or brown rice are digested more slowly which allows you to maintain your energy longer and won't spike your insulin levels.
Maintaining insulin levels is important for good health.
Also, remember that fruits and vegetables count as carbohydrates as well! SUGAR Sugar on the nutrition label includes sugars from both natural sources (such as in fruits) and added sugars.
You must read the food ingredients to see where the sugar in a particular item comes from (look for words like high fructose corn syrup).
Of course, natural sugars are a far better choice than added sugars.
There is currently no DV guidelines for the amount of sugar a person should consume in one day although the standard recommendation is no more than 10 percent of your daily calories should come from added sugars in foods.
FIBER Fiber is another important nutrient in foods that often we do not get enough of on a daily basis.
Fiber aids in digestion by helping to clean out the colon.
Having enough fiber in your diet can also help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and may help lower cholesterol levels.
A food containing 5 grams of fiber or more is considered a high fiber food.
Men should consume at least 38 grams of fiber per day and women should consume at least 25 grams of fiber per day.
PROTEIN Protein is used to build cells and maintain muscle.
There is no recommended DV for protein on the nutrition label.
The amount needed is based on a person's weight and activity level.
Step Two-READING THE INGREDIENTS ON FOOD PACKAGING: Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight meaning the first ingredient makes up the biggest portion of the food.
1.
When buying breads or pasta look for the word WHOLE GRAIN as the first ingredient not ENRICHED FLOUR or BLEACHED FLOUR.
Whole grain as the first ingredient means you are getting more fiber and less processed, refined flour.
2.
Avoid foods with coconut oil, palm oil, hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oil.
All of these are "bad fats" that should not be a part of your diet.
(Often, trans fat will say zero on the nutrition label, but you will still see the words partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients.
That's because the amount is small enough per serving that it doesn't have to be reported on the nutrition label!) 3.
Avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup in it's ingredients.
This is just a fancy word for sugar! 4.
Good rule of thumb: The less ingredients you cannot pronounce in an item, the better.
Look for foods that contain things you know and are as close to how they are found in nature as possible! For example, buy peanut butter that has peanuts as it's only ingredient (like Smucker's Natural or Krema) and real fruit spread made with 100% fruit to make PB&J's for your family.
Step Three- READING THE FRONT OF THE BOX: Now that you know how to read the nutrition label and ingredients, it's time to understand all the lingo used on the front of the box to draw your attention! Words like "Fortified" and "Enriched" or "Low Fat" and "Reduced Fat".
What do they mean? Which ones should we believe? Here is a little cheat sheet to help! (This is not an exhaustive list, just some of the most commonly used.
) TERMMEANING Reduced Fat ..
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25% Less Fat Than the Regular Version Light..
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50% Less Fat Than the Regular Version Low Fat..
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Contains Less Than 3 Grams of Fat Per Serving Fortified, Enriched, or Added ..
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Nutrients like minerals and fiber are removed and vitamins added in processing Fruit Drink..
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Contains mostly sugar and small amount of juice 100% Juice..
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Contains 100 percent fruit juice 100% Organic..
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Contains 100 percent organic ingredients Organic..
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Contains 95-100 percent organic ingredients Made From Organic Ingredients..
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Contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients All-Natural..
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No current standard for this term from the FDA Made With..
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No current standard for this term from the FDA, but generally means only trace amounts of the ingredient are used The packaging can be misleading, so be sure to check the ingredients before purchasing.
You want to know what you are buying! SOURCES: U.
S.
Food and Drug Administration Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition website Updated November 2004 http://www.
cfsan.
fda.
gov/~dms/foodlab.
html How To Read Nutrition Labels by Leanna Skarmulis August 2004 psychologytoday.
webmd.
com/content/article/92/101750.
htm