Nutrition Information |
|
||
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.
Look For
MORE RESOURCES: Don't Take Away Homeowner's Rights Nantucket Current Wandery Capital Disrupting Group & Family Vacations with their Large Luxury Short-Term Rentals USA TODAY Announcing the First Round of Speakers for Skift Short-Term Rental Summit Announcing the First Round of Speakers ... Skift Travel News Google Clarifies Vacation Rental Structured Data Search Engine Journal $822 night rental in Central MA town named a Vrbo Vacation Rental of the Year. Check it out The Gardner News 34 Gorgeous Beach House Rentals Around the World | Condé Nast Traveler Condé Nast Traveler Vacation rental bill is headed to uncertainty Honolulu Star-Advertiser Florida vacation rental murder highlights danger of 'massive, unregulated' industry: lawyer Fox News UPDATE: Short-Term Vacation Rental rules up for potential changes resolution pulled from Hamilton County ... Local 3 News Vacation Rentals: How to Make Your Stay Sustainable The New York Times FlipKey: What You Need to Know NerdWallet This Is When You Should Book Your Summer Holiday Vacation Rental, According to Vrbo Travel + Leisure Rules limiting short-term rentals in effect May Times Colonist Hawaii looks to phase-out short term rentals. What would that mean? Los Angeles Times Green Won't Issue Vacation Rental Moratorium For Maui Honolulu Civil Beat Plan to quadruple property taxes on short-term rentals in Colorado fails in late-night Capitol committee vote The Colorado Sun As vacation rentals eat up housing in South Florida, controlling them might become harder | Opinion Miami Herald 5 Desired Features for Vacation Rentals Real Estate A Statewide Ban On Vacation Rentals? The Idea Is Gaining Steam After The Maui Fires Honolulu Civil Beat County Commission Delays Vote On STVRs In Residential Districts The Chattanoogan These Are the Top 10 Vacation Rentals on Vrbo for 2024 Travel + Leisure Big Island Lawmakers Attempt To Rein In Short-Term Vacation Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Senator wants uniform standards for short-term vacation rentals, but it seems to be a tough sell • Florida Phoenix Florida Phoenix Vacation rentals bill blasted: Commissioners get an earful over proposed TAR regulations Hawaii Tribune-Herald Ask Amy: Family friends poach vacation rental Chicago Tribune Hawaii Legislature Mulls Ban on Vacation Rentals Fodor's Travel Future of vacation rentals bill uncertain despite passage WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm This year's version of a short-term vacation rental bill now goes to the full House • Florida Phoenix Florida Phoenix 4 Perfect Vrbo Vacation Rentals at the Delaware Beaches Delaware Today Lawmakers passed bill to shift control of vacation rentals to state Tallahassee Democrat Florida's Vacation Rental Bill awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis' review. St. Augustine Record Deadly Fort Lauderdale shooting spotlights concerns over vacation rentals bill - NBC 6 South Florida Deadly Fort Lauderdale shooting spotlights concerns over vacation rentals bill NBC 6 South Florida State lawmakers advancing short-term vacation rental measure News 13 Orlando 10 Best Vacation Rentals in Dallas of 2024 TravelAwaits The latest version of a vacation rental bill gets its first hearing in Tallahassee • Florida Phoenix Florida Phoenix Green Bay area vacation rentals ask $10,000 a night for 2025 NFL draft Green Bay Press Gazette Lawmakers pass state regulations on short-term vacation rentals; how will it play out? Florida Politics Hawaii Wildfires Vacation Rentals | Nation/World | bdtonline.com Bluefield Daily Telegraph Bill Allowing Hawaiʻi Counties To Phase Out Vacation Rentals Gets Senate Hearing Big Island Video News This affluent Bay Area county may put hard limit on vacation rentals for first time San Francisco Chronicle Vrbo's Vacation Rentals of the Year 2024: A Full List of the Properties Good Housekeeping 100+ Best Summer Vacation Rentals to Book Now Condé Nast Traveler Marin County passes new rules limiting vacation rentals San Francisco Chronicle Bills could force short-term vacation rentals into long-term housing for Maui residents KITV Honolulu Short-term vacation rental bill passes in FL Senate, but regulations on the issue remain unsettled • Florida Phoenix Florida Phoenix Bill would regulate short-term vacation rentals, give state more power WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm Hawaii governor wants 3000 vacation rentals converted to housing for Maui wildfire survivors The Associated Press Court Says Nantucket Can’t Ignore Zoning Laws on Vacation Rentals The Provincetown Independent Stay Expands Property Offering via Booking.com GlobeNewswire Some Florida mayors are getting testy about a contentious vacation rental bill • Florida Phoenix Florida Phoenix Michigan home ranked among top US vacation rentals of 2024 WDIV ClickOnDetroit Pledging big bucks, Green seeks vacation rentals for evacuees — and broader housing relief Hawaii News Now The effort to get the FL governor to veto short-term vacation rental bill accelerates • Florida Phoenix Florida Phoenix vacation rentals East County Magazine Eastham Raises Fee for Vacation Rentals to $350 The Provincetown Independent Going on vacation? Florida Senate takes up legislation impacting short-term vacation rentals FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX |
RELATED ARTICLES
Whats The Truth About Fat? When I hear the word fat I usually think of a roll of it hanging over a persons belt, or that guy Milty, from the movie Van Wilder, doing a belly flop off of the top diving platform with the words, "save the swim team", written across his backside. Sometimes, however, the picture of a big, juicy, double quarter pounder with cheese will slip its way into my mind. 9 Tips to Stop Food Cravings and Help You With Your Diet Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the perfect diet all the time and have our struggles with food, same as everyone else. Cranberry Juice To The Rescue Cranberry juice was first made by American settlers in 1683. It is a love it or hate it beverage. The Importance of Protein Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the body so it is an essential part of your diet and can influence your strength but probably not your energy. Your muscles are built with protein and in fact protein is made up of 20 amino acids. Understanding Amino Acids and their Importance in Diet The importance of protein in a healthy diet is well known to nutritional scientists, and widely understood by the general population. Indeed, every bodily system is directly or indirectly supported by protein. The Power of Capsulized Foods For most people, the concept of capsulized food? usually conjures up images of space travelers ingesting meals condensed into a compact pill. However, in modern-day reality, things are quite different. Fattening Foods: Not So Fattening After All? Have you seen those "fat free" foods in supermarkets? Have you possibly delighted in them guiltlessly thinking that they are healthy for you? There's a good chance that you have because we usually follow what the media and the world around us says. In this day in age, along with other health fads, many people believe that fat makes you fat. Protective Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Omega-3 appear to reduce the risk of heart attack. A 20-year project at the University of Leyden in the Netherlands, comparing the eating habits of more than 800 men at risk of heart disease, found that men who ate more than an ounce of fish a day had a 50 percent lower rate of heart attacks. MSG: If Its Safe, Why Do They Disguise It On Labels? Monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, was thought of as a "miracle food enhancer" when it was first introduced to the public over five decades ago.More than just a seasoning like salt and pepper, MSG could actually enhance the flavors of foods, making processed meats and frozen dinners taste fresher and smell better, salad dressings more tasty, and canned foods less tinny. The Sugar-Coated Truth It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the birth of Christ. As early as 500 B. Studies Prove Magnesium Boosts Memory & Learning Ability According to the National Institute of Health, Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions, including maintenance of normal muscle and nerve function, strong bones and steady heart rhythm. It is also involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Good Fats and Bad Fats -- Whats The Difference? As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high in fat. And if you've done research on the different types of fats, you probably heard the two big buzz words surrounding fats today--"good fats" and "bad fats. The Benefits of Iodine Initially discovered as a new element in 1811 by Barnard Courtois, knowledge of this substance has come to include the host of benefits it brings to the body as an essential nutrient. For many years, getting enough iodine in the diet naturally was difficult in many geographic regions and remains so for an unfortunately high percentage of the world's population in the developing nations. You Are What You Eat You really are what you eat. You are also very much affected by the lifestyle you live. The Benefits Of Drinking Herbal Teas Herbal teas have long been known to have medicinal benefits as well as being tasty to drink! Some of my favorite teas are chamomile tea, jasmine tea and ginger tea. Each of these has a distinctive taste as well as health benefit. Nutrition Is Not Common Sense I'd like to explain an important concept that most online trainers (even the "gurus") don't "get".. The Sneak Attack of Trans- Fats If you are like most people, you are probably confused about trans fats. What are they? Which foods have them? What is the health risk?The truth is, trans fats are everywhere. Where Does Your Drinking Water Come From? Have you ever thought about where your drinking water comes from? Most of us never give this question a thought. Yet, the sources of our water tell us a lot about its quality. Olive Oil, the Healthy Choice Olive oil is a healthy choice over other fats such as butter, palm and coconut oils because olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that does not increase levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.Dr. Soy Phytoestrogens and the Art of Propaganda In this newsletter we will discuss the current controversy about soy phytoestrogens. The established literature to date is replete with studies that find soy phytoestrogens beneficial to disease prevention including prevention of breast cancer. |
home | site map |
© 2005 |