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Nutrition Information |
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The 9 Most Common Mistakes to Avoid When Reading a Food Label
Nutrients Fat, Sugar, Sodium and Carbohydrate The sections on a food label shows the name of a nutrient and the amount of that nutrient provided by one serving of food. You may need to know this information, especially if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or are eating a diet that restricts certain nutrients such as sodium or carbohydrates. Food labels also include information about how much sugar and protein is in the food. If you are following a low-sugar diet or you're monitoring your protein intake, it's easy to spot how much of those nutrients are contained in one serving. Vitamins, Minerals and Other Information The light purple part of the label lists nutrients, vitamins and minerals in the food and their percent daily values. Try to average 100% DV every day for vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and fiber. Do the opposite with fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. Try to eat less than 100% DV of these. Common Mistakes to Avoid When Reading a Food Label Until you become accustomed to reading food labels, it's easy to become confused. Avoid these common mistakes when reading labels: -A label may say that the food is reduced fat or reduced sodium. That means that the amount of fat or sodium has been reduced by 25% from the original product. It doesn't mean, however, that the food is low in fat or sodium. For example, if a can of soup originally had 1,000 milligrams of sodium, the reduced sodium product would still be a high-sodium food. -Don't confuse the % DV for fat with the percentage of calories from fat. If the % DV is 15% that doesn't mean that 15% of the calories comes from fat. Rather, it means that you're using up 15% of all the fat you need for a day with one serving (based on a meal plan of 2,000 calories per day). -Don't make the mistake of assuming that the amount of sugar on a label means that the sugar has been added. For example, milk naturally has sugar, which is called lactose. But that doesn't mean you should stop drinking milk because milk is full of other important nutrients including calcium. Reading Label Lingo In addition to requiring that packaged foods contain a Nutrition Facts label, the FDA also regulates the use of phrases and terms used on the product packaging. Here's a list of common phrases you may see on your food packaging and what they actually mean. No fat or fat free - Contains less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving Lower or reduced fat: Contains at least 25 percent less per serving than the reference food. (An example might be reduced fat cream cheese, which would have at least 25 percent less fat than original cream cheese.) Low fat - Contains less than 3 grams of fat per serving. Lite - Contains 1/3 the calories or 1/2 the fat per serving of the original version or a similar product. No calories or calorie free - Contains less than 5 calories per serving. Low calories - Contains 1/3 the calories of the original version or a similar product. Sugar free - Contains less than 1/2 gram of sugar per serving. Reduced sugar - at least 25% less sugar per serving than the reference food. No preservatives - Contains no preservatives (chemical or natural). No preservatives added - Contains no added chemicals to preserve the product. Some of these products may contain natural preservatives. Low sodium - Contains less than 140 mgs of sodium per serving. No salt or salt free - Contains less than 5 mgs of sodium per serving. High fiber - 5 g or more per serving (Foods making high-fiber claims must meet the definition for low fat, or the level of total fat must appear next to the high-fiber claim). Good source of fiber - 2.5 g to 4.9 g. per serving. More or added fiber - Contains at least 2.5 g more per serving than the reference food. With a little practice, you will be able to put your new found knowledge about food labeling to work. Reassess your diet and decide what needs to be changed. Start by eliminating the foods that don't measure-up to your nutritional wants and needs, and replacing them with more nutritional substitutes. And while you're at it, visit the FDA website and learn about the new labeling requirements, including those for "trans" fat. Like saturated fats, trans fats can raise levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and increase your risk of heart disease. The "Nutrition Facts" panel on food packaging must provide this information beginning January 1, 2006, but most manufacturers will start providing it sooner. The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program. Emily Clark is editor at Lifestyle Health News and Medical Health News where you can find the most up-to-date advice and information on many medical, health and lifestyle topics.
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MORE RESOURCES: Hawaii vacation rentals do better in 2024 Travel Weekly Sedona leaders say vacation rentals are driving a housing shortage emergency ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix ‘An attack on local control’: Bill aims to curb KY cities’ oversight of Airbnb, VRBO Lexington Herald Leader Why Hawaii Vacation Rentals Plummeted To 52% Beat of Hawaii Supervisors address development of short-term vacation rental ordinance Calaveras Enterprise Manatee County Commission votes to pursue regulation of short-term vacation rentals Sarasota Herald-Tribune The boom in short-term rentals in the Poconos means there’s ‘a little less of that neighborly vibe’ The Morning Call The 7 Most Important Features in a Vacation Rental TravelAwaits 6 Romantic Year-Round Airbnbs in Massachusetts Only In Your State North County Report: More Vacation Rentals, More Problems Voice of San Diego Flamingo hotel operator is now offering luxury vacation rentals complete with concierge service The Santa Rosa Press Democrat Why rich Americans are ditching their fancy hotels on vacation Business Insider Northern Michigan communities try to balance vacation rentals with year-round housing need UpNorthLive.com 5 Romantic Airbnbs in Oklahoma, Ideal for a Getaway All Year Long Only In Your State Tripadvisor Shutters Vacation Rental Direct Bookings in Favor of Third-Party Providers Skift Travel News Indian Rocks Beach votes to weaken vacation rental rules ABC Action News Tampa Bay It's Not Your Imagination: Palm Coast Homes Used as Vacation Rentals Increase by 70% in 2 Years, to Over 500 FlaglerLive.com Capital One Travel Adds Vacation Rentals — And You Can Earn 5x Miles on Venture Cards Upgraded Points NOLA Short-Term Rental Hosts Are Raking It In Ahead of Super Bowl Realtor.com News Vacasa founder Breon launches new vacation rental startup Fairly Short Term Rentalz Gulf Shores Rentals Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism Letters to the Editor: This is what happens in a beach town when vacation rentals take over Los Angeles Times Citing housing crisis, Santa Cruz County supervisors take aim at vacation rentals Lookout Santa Cruz Newsom signs consumer protection bills on vacation rentals, overdraft fees and credit scores Capital Public Radio News 6 Romantic Airbnbs in Wisconsin, Ideal for a Getaway All Year Long Only In Your State Maui lawmakers discuss rebuilding 'nonconforming' structures in Lahaina, vacation rentals KITV Honolulu Hawaii County Council’s vacation rentals bill shelved Honolulu Star-Advertiser DeSantis vetoes short-term vacation rental bill Florida Phoenix Disrupting the Vacation Rental Market: Solana Spanish GlobeNewswire Short-Term Rental Headwinds: U.S. Supply Growth Is Slowing Skift Travel News Orange Beach Rentals Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism Cocoa Beach cracks down on misleading vacation rental ads amid resident complaints WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando Florida Gov. DeSantis vetoes vacation rental bill that gave state more authority Tallahassee Democrat Italy cracks down on self check-ins for short-term vacation rentals FRANCE 24 English West Michigan beachfront town works to ban short-term vacation rentals Detroit Free Press Maui County weighs phasing out vacation rentals Hawaii Tribune-Herald Hawaii’s vacation rentals total nearly 6% of housing supply Hawaii Tribune-Herald Honolulu Has Been Fighting Over Illegal Vacation Rentals Since The 1970s Honolulu Civil Beat Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis talks about Anna Maria Island vacation rental conundrum Sarasota Herald-Tribune Lee Cataluna: Phasing Out 7,000 Vacation Rentals On Maui Would Be A Sea Change - Honolulu Civil Beat Lee Cataluna: Phasing Out 7,000 Vacation Rentals On Maui Would Be A Sea Change Honolulu Civil Beat Buckingham Vacation Rentals Visit Lake Tahoe Board to consider proposal to boost vacation rental compliance through enhanced outreach The Palm Springs Post News List City of Sarasota Beachfront Rentals Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism Lincoln County extends moratorium on new vacation rental licenses KLCC FM Public Radio Palm Coast sets down local rules over short-term rental units through Airbnb, other owners Daytona Beach News-Journal Want a Bargain on Your Beach House Rental? These Are the Cheapest—and Priciest—Months Realtor.com News Best Mattress for Vacation Rentals (2025) Mattress Clarity I'm a full-time traveler. I use these 5 questions to spot red flags in any vacation rental listing. Business Insider 8 Frank Lloyd Wright Locations You Can Rent for Vacation Midwest Living Indian Rocks Beach prepares for legal fight after rejecting vacation rental compromise ABC Action News Tampa Bay Maui Council Budgets $300,000 To Study Impacts Of Eliminating 7,000 Vacation Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Whitefish makes headway on shutting down illegal vacation rentals whitefishpilot.com Explore Top-Rated Vacation Rentals in Fort Morgan, AL Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism Draft short-term vacation rental policy heats up debate of South Maui Community Plan update Maui Now Maui County’s vacation rentals at 49.3% occupancy in June, down double-digits from last year Maui Now Maui County’s Move Against Vacation Rentals Likely To Bog Down In Court Honolulu Civil Beat The Surprising Positive Benefits of Short-Term Vacation Rentals Palm Springs Life Gov. DeSantis vetoes vacation rental bill News 13 Orlando |
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