Trying to eat right can be overwhelming. Nutrition facts and information are readily available, but they are not always easy to understand. Sometimes what seems like a healthy choice, isn’t. Food labels, while informative, can be confusing, and sometimes deceptive. It’s important that you take the time to study the nutritional content of your food. Trying to decipher the entire food label can be intimidating and time consuming. Instead of trying to make decisions based on the entire food label, start small. Write down the 10 foods/ingredients that you eat the most, and check the following sections on their labels:
Total Fat – You don’t have to completely avoid fats. Keep in mind that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated are the healthiest fats, and one gram of fat provides 9 calories. Protein and carbohydrates provide 4 calories for every gram.
Sodium – The recommendation for sodium is that daily intake should not exceed 2,300mg for lower-risk populations, or 1,500mg for higher-risk individuals.
Sugars – Sugar is sneaky. You will notice on food labels that the percentage of the daily recommended intake of each nutrient is listed along with the amount of the nutrient. The only one that doesn’t show it’s percentage is sugar (the power of the food industry on display). Daily intake recommendations for sugar vary from 25 to 35 grams. It’s very easy to exceed the daily recommended intake of sugar in one meal if you’re not paying attention:
Sugar has many different names. If you don’t recognize an ingredient, take some time to look it up. Other names for sugar:
Anhydrous Dextrose, Lactose, Brown Sugar, Malt Syrup, Confectioner’s Powdered Sugar, Maltose, Corn Syrup, Maple Syrup, Corn Syrup Solids, Molasses, Dextrin, Nectars(peach, etc..), Fructose, Pancake Syrup, Sucrose, High-Fructose Corn Syrup, Raw Sugar, Honey, Cane Juice, White Granulate Sugar, Evaporated Corn Sweetener, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Crystal Dextrose, Glucose, Liquid Fructose, Sugar Cane Juice, Cane Nectar, Invert Sugar(and more)
Ingredients – Ingredients are listed in descending order based on the amount included. The first ingredients listed are contained in the highest quantity.
Cholesterol is also included on the list of nutrients on food labels and it has been in the news lately. There have been new findings about cholesterol. This is an informative look:
http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/ss/slideshow-cholesterol-overview?ecd=soc_fb_042915_ss_understandingcholesterol
Finding healthy snacks for kids can also be challenging:
http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/healthy-snack-ideas-for-kids/
You don’t have to turn to sugar to get an afternoon energy boost:
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20580068,00.html
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