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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: 11 Extraordinary Vacation Rentals You'll NEVER Regret Booking House Beautiful No More Vacation Rentals In Maui. Here's How The Mayor's Plan To Strip The Island of Short-Term Rental Will Affect The Economy Yahoo Finance Community invited to briefing about proposed registration process for short-term vacation rentals Big Island Now Plan To Convert Maui Vacation Rentals To Long-Term Housing Delayed Honolulu Civil Beat Resources for Vacation Rentals for Springs Protection Alachua County Maui mayor’s plan to phase out vacation rentals would increase housing but shrink the economy NBC News Design Within Reach just turned this iconic Palm Desert house into a shoppable vacation home Fast Company Coast rental is Mississippi’s most desired rental on Airbnb. Here’s why Biloxi Sun Herald Study: Maui Should Phase Out Vacation Rentals With Caution Honolulu Civil Beat Maui Council To Take Up Bill Phasing Out Vacation Rentals This Summer Honolulu Civil Beat Couple who owns Manasota Key vacation rentals welcomes first renters since Hurricanes Helene, Milton FOX 13 Tampa Bay Capital One Travel Adds Vacation Rentals — And You Can Earn 5x Miles on Venture Cards Upgraded Points Pinellas County to begin enforcing new vacation rental rules Tampa Bay Times Santa Cruz County moves to rein in vacation rentals Lookout Santa Cruz Cape Coral council member advocating for more lodging options in the city Gulf Coast News and Weather - Southwest Florida News Why brands are turning to vacation rentals for product sampling New Hope Network Hoping To End Vacation Rental Rancor Nantucket Current What’s next for vacation rentals in South Lake Tahoe? City places 45-day hold after Measure T ruling KUNR iTrip Orlando in Davenport Visit Florida Dear Annie: Is it wrong to ask friends to help pay for my anniversary vacation home rental? SILive.com The Best Vacation Rental Travel Insurance for 2025 U.S. News & World Report Vacation rentals may face new taxes as WA lawmakers eye housing fix Queen Anne & Magnolia News The 9 Most Remarkable Airbnb Treehouses You’ll Ever Stay At Outside Magazine Vacation rentals rebound on Anna Maria Island as tourism picks up after 2024 hurricanes Bay News 9 Cocoa Beach hikes fees to operate vacation rentals Florida Today It's Not Your Imagination: Palm Coast Homes Used as Vacation Rentals Increase by 70% in 2 Years, to Over 500 FlaglerLive Is it too late to book your Cape vacation? Summer rentals are off to a strong start. The Boston Globe Judge strikes down South Lake Tahoe vacation rental limits San Francisco Chronicle Vrbo Just Released Its Top Vacation Homes for 2025—and We're Ready to Book Our Next Trip veranda.com Gulf Shores Rentals Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism Vrbo reveals its 2025 vacation rentals of the year Short Term Rentals - News This luxury vacation homes startup is gaining popularity. Some California cities call it a nightmare San Francisco Chronicle North County Report: More Vacation Rentals, More Problems Voice of San Diego Maui mayor's plan to phase out vacation rentals would increase housing but shrink the economy The Independent Jersey Shore summer rentals: Here's the good news and bad news for landlords, renters Asbury Park Press Manatee County Commission votes to pursue regulation of short-term vacation rentals Sarasota Herald-Tribune With 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay days away, Airbnb prices have dropped. Here's why Green Bay Press-Gazette Honolulu fails to collect millions in short-term rental fines Hawaii News Now Norfolk City Council approves amendment to ban short-term vacation rentals in West Freemason 13newsnow.com Palm Springs eases vacation rental rules in effort to aid Los Angeles area wildfire evacuees The Palm Springs Post Groups file suit against Gallatin County over vacation rental ban Missoula Current San Diego needs more money to enforce vacation rentals so it’s raising licensing fees San Diego Union-Tribune Capitalizing on the $147 Billion Vacation Rental Market GlobeNewswire Indian Rocks Beach votes to weaken vacation rental rules ABC Action News Tampa Bay Why Hawaii Vacation Rentals Plummeted To 52% Beat of Hawaii New vacation rental company launched in Lincoln County newportnewstimes.com Vacation rental boom inflates housing prices in WA mountain town Cascade PBS News Why rich Americans are ditching their fancy hotels on vacation Business Insider Indian Rocks Beach to fight vacation rental lawsuit Tampa Bay Times Flamingo hotel operator is now offering luxury vacation rentals complete with concierge service The Press Democrat |
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