Today, it was said “that you have to have a P.H.D to be able to read food labels and decipher fact from marketing”. While this might seem exaggerated, misreading food labels can be what stands between you and your weight loss/health goal. Cracking the Food Label code does not have to be hard. Let me see if I can simplify it for you. Below is a typical food label and what I recommend that you look at when deciding on whether or not you are going to purchase a product.
Servings per Container: It is good to know how many servings are in a package to help you better visualize what 1 portion is of the product. When you see that there are more than 5-10 servings in a package you know that you will need to be more aware of your serving size. The foods that are adding to America’s waist line are the foods that it is the easiest for us to overeat. This is why carbohydrates often get blamed for Americans being overweight. It is not the carbohydrates themselves, it is the fact that it is easier to overeat on them.
Calories: It is always good to know how many calories you are consuming. However, be careful. Just because a food is low in calories does not mean it is healthy for you. Many low calorie foods do not contain any fiber and/or nutrition. As a result, every calorie you consume, you absorb. High fiber foods might appear to have more calories, but because of the fiber content you do not absorb all of the calories. Remember fiber is like nature’s vacuum, it cleans out excess.
Total Fat Calories: Remember that your fat calories should only account for 20- 30% of your total daily calories. If you take the fat calories and divide by 9 this should be the number that is next to the amount of total fat grams. Remember that 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories. As a result, usually the more fat grams in a product the more overall calories it has.
Total Fat Grams: Remember that 5 grams is 1 serving of fat. Your total daily fat grams should be between 35 to 65 grams per day for most calorie ranges. As a result, you need to take your daily fat recommendation and divide it by the amount of meals that you normally consume in a day. This should be the max amount of fat grams that you consume at one meal. Ex: 1500 calories diet = 50 grams fat divided by 3 meals/day= MAX 16 grams of fat per meal.
Total Fat Percentage%: The percent daily value is based on a 2000 calorie diet. Some people need to eat more than this, but a majority of people should eat less. The % Daily Value is a reference point and cannot be 100% used in deciding a healthy versus non healthy food. Usually if a product states that there is 5% or less of the % daily value of fat than the product is considered a low fat product. If it is 20% or more of the percent daily value of fat than the product is considered a high fat product.
Saturated Fat Grams: Saturated fat is the second worst type of fat there is when it comes to health. The saturated fat grams represent how much of the total fat in the product comes from saturated fat specifically. Any fat grams unaccounted for are most likely from mono- or poly- unsaturated fats. Too much consumption of saturated fat will encouraged the liver to make more total and LDL (bad) cholesterol. As a result, a diet high in saturated fat has been associated with heart disease. Remember saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature.
Saturated Fat Percentage%: It is recommended that you consume 10% or less of your total daily calories from saturated fat.
Trans Fat Grams: Trans Fat is the worst type of fat for you. It is recommended that you avoid all Trans Fat. Trans Fats are made when you change vegetable oil into a semi-solid fat. Trans Fat has also been shown to increase bad cholesterol and risk for heart disease. There are different types of Trans Fat. Some are man-made, such as partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils, and some others are found in animal products, such as meat, cheese, butter and dairy products that contain fat. Keep in mind that even if a product claims to be” Trans Fat free” this means that there could still be ½ gram of Trans Fat per product serving .
Cholesterol: It is recommended that most people consume less than 300 mg of cholesterol a day. If you have Diabetes or known heart disease it is recommended that you only consume 250 mg of cholesterol a day.
Sodium: It is recommended for most Americans to consume 2500 mg or less of sodium per day. If you have Diabetes or known heart disease it is recommended that you only consume 1500-2000mg of sodium per day. If you have high blood pressure, consuming too much sodium can make it worse. Eating less sodium (salt) is a good idea for everyone.
Total Carbohydrates grams: It is recommended for most women to eat 45-60 grams of Carbohydrate per meal and for men to eat 60-75 grams of Carbohydrate per meal. Carbohydrates should make up 45-55% of your total daily calories. Remember that 1 gram of Carbohydrate is 4 calories, which is also true of 1 gram of Protein.
Dietary Fiber grams: It is recommended that each product contain more than 4 grams fiber per serving. See my previous blog on the benefits of fiber to review why the higher the fiber a product the better.
Sugar Grams: Do NOT pay attention to the amount of sugar in the product. As long as you are paying attention to the total amount of carbohydrate you are seeing the big picture. Usually products that contain a lot sugar will be high in carbohydrates. If a product is high in sugar, most of the time it is considered a refined/simple Carbohydrate and should be eaten sparingly.
Protein: Remember that 7 grams of protein is 1 ounce. Your total daily protein grams should be between 63 to 105 grams per day for most calorie ranges. As a result, you need to take your daily protein recommendation and divide it by the amount of meals that you normally consume in a day. This should be the max amount of protein grams that you consume at one meal. Ex: 1500 calories diet = 75 grams protein divided by 3 meals/day= MAX 25 grams (3.5 ounces) of protein per meal. Remember that your recommended daily protein intake includes ALL dietary protein; animal and plant. It is recommended that Protein make up 20-30% of your total daily calories. Remember that 1 gram of Protein is 4 calories, which is also true of 1 gram of Carbohydrate.
Vitamins and Minerals %: As I have said before, the percent daily value is based on a 2000 calorie diet. Some people need to eat more than this, but a majority of people should eat less. The % Daily Value is a reference point and cannot be 100% used in deciding a healthy versus non healthy food. Usually if a product states that there is 5% or less of the % daily value of a nutrient than the product is considered low in that nutrient. If it is 20% or more of the percent daily value of a nutrient than the product is considered high in that nutrient.
Allergens: These are listed here for people who have food allergies. The most common allergens listed are peanuts, milk, wheat, gluten, soy and lactose.
Sugar Alcohols: This is not required to appear on the food label so you might not see it on a majority of the food labels you read. However, I recommended that you read the ingredients list carefully to see if the product does contain sugar alcohols. Sugar alcohols are a man made chemical. They are known to have a laxative effect and increase gas, bloating and stomach discomfort. Sugar Alcohols are any word in the ingredients list that ends in –TOL. Examples: maltitol, lactitol, sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol and erythritol. Isomalt, glycerol, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysate are also types of sugar alcohols. There are some sugar substitutes that use sugar alcohols as their sweetening agent. You have to read the ingredients list to find this.
Whole Wheat VS not Whole Wheat: To verify that a product is truly whole wheat, you want to make sure that the first ingredient listed says the word “WHOLE”. For example, it might say whole wheat bread or whole grain flour. If you see the words enriched or bleached or unbleached wheat flour, the product is not a whole wheat product. It should be your goal to make a majority of the grains you eat whole.
Decoding the food label is a learning process. Once mastered it can make achieving your weight loss and health goals extremely easy. Beware of all marketing. Remember that companies are trying to sell their product and will say anything to entice you. The food label is always the best place to find the most accurate information to help you make a healthy decision.
XOXO! The Dietnista
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