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: Vacation Rentals Ordinances to take effect in parts of Monterey County on Monday - King City Rustler Vacation rentals still allowed in Anna Maria The Anna Maria Island Sun Newspaper Floridians cleaning up from Hurricane Milton are hampered by a widespread fuel shortage The Daily Gazette Biggest vacation rental gotchas to avoid this holiday season The Seattle Times Short-term rental listings in Butler County like AirBNB, VRBO increase 77% in past year Hamilton Journal News Tripadvisor Shutters Vacation Rental Direct Bookings in Favor of Third-Party Providers Skift Travel News Wildly Wacky Colorado 'Wonder Haus' Is Listed for $2.25 Million—After Appearing on Netflix's 'World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals' Beaumont Enterprise The evolution of the vacation rental industry London Daily News Florida Gov. 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My $1,988 Spring Break Rental Was Canceled at the Last Minute. The New York Times Florida Gov. DeSantis vetoes vacation rental bill that gave state more authority Tallahassee Democrat Maui County’s vacation rentals at 49.3% occupancy in June, down double-digits from last year Maui Now DeSantis vetoes short-term vacation rental bill Florida Phoenix Vacation Rentals: How to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint The New York Times Gov. DeSantis vetoes vacation rental bill News 13 Orlando Vacasa Lost 9% of Its Vacation Rentals in the Last Year, Doesn’t See Profitability in 2024 Skift Travel News Mount Hood estate seen in Netflix’s ‘The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals’ is for sale OregonLive Want a Bargain on Your Beach House Rental? These Are the Cheapest—and Priciest—Months Realtor.com News Green Bay area Airbnb NFL draft prices have started to moderate. Why that's a good thing Green Bay Press Gazette It's Time to Plan Your Summer Vacation—Here Are 100+ Top Rentals Around the World Condé Nast Traveler Letter: Vacation rental vs. low to middle-class housing | Opinion Newport News Times Honolulu Has Been Fighting Over Illegal Vacation Rentals Since The 1970s Honolulu Civil Beat Newsom signs consumer protection bills on vacation rentals, overdraft fees and credit scores Capital Public Radio News Vacation Rentals and Luxury Trips: Travel Startups Raise $106 Million Skift Travel News 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 Indian Rocks Beach prepares for legal fight after rejecting vacation rental compromise ABC Action News Tampa Bay Can you still get a rental this summer on Cape Cod? Yes, but here's what you should know. Cape Cod Times Costa Rica’s Rising Star: A Blend of Tourism and Relocation Opportunities Travel And Tour World West Michigan beachfront town works to ban short-term vacation rentals Detroit Free Press Amid housing crisis, Maui commission votes to phase out thousands of short-term rentals Hawaii News Now Buckingham Vacation Rentals Visit Lake Tahoe Maui Council Budgets $300,000 To Study Impacts Of Eliminating 7,000 Vacation Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Vacation Rental Prices Come Down From Pandemic High The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News Challenges For Hotels, Gains For Short-Term Rentals – 3 Charts Skift Travel News Short-Term Dwelling and Vacation Rental Licensing Boulder County (.gov) Vacation rental crackdown may lower condo prices in Maui County University of Hawaii System Hawaii’s vacation rentals total nearly 6% of housing supply Hawaii Tribune-Herald New era of policing vacation rentals in Santa Cruz County pushes complaints, violations into public view Lookout Santa Cruz Hidden cost of vacation rentals skyrockets property taxes for hundreds of local homeowners ActionNewsJax.com How to Avoid Paying Vacation Rental Fees The New York Times Counties differ in approach to regulating vacation rentals West Hawaii Today Maui County weighs phasing out vacation rentals West Hawaii Today Amid housing crisis, Maui commission considers phasing out thousands of vacation rentals Hawaii News Now Park District forced to end vacation rentals at historic Belle Baldwin house Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Indian Rocks Beach poised to battle in court after scrapping proposed changes to vacation rentals WTSP.com A Statewide Ban On Vacation Rentals? The Idea Is Gaining Steam After The Maui Fires Honolulu Civil Beat Maps of vacation rentals in San Diego are fueling a fiery debate about the city's housing crisis — here's why Yahoo Finance Best Mattress for Vacation Rentals (2024) Mattress Clarity Vacation rental bill divided lawmakers. Now it's drawing calls for DeSantis to veto it Tallahassee Democrat The Little-Known Vacation Rental Near Cocolalla Lake In Idaho That’ll Be Your New Favorite Destination Only In Your State Governor signs measure giving counties authority to convert vacation rentals into housing Hawaii News Now |
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