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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: Maui County’s vacation rentals at 49.3% occupancy in June, down double-digits from last year Maui Now Maui Planning Commission to take action on phasing out thousands of vacation rentals Hawaii News Now Vacation rentals post statewide occupancy drop Honolulu Star-Advertiser Amid housing crisis, Maui commission votes to phase out thousands of short-term rentals Hawaii News Now Astoria weighs licenses for vacation rentals Daily Astorian Cowboy Country: Rustic Airbnbs for the Cowboy in You TravelAwaits Maui takes step toward crackdown on short-term rentals Travel Weekly Business Report: June vacation rentals Hawaii News Now The 8 Best Vrbo Vacation Rentals Next to USA National Parks Hotels Above Par Astoria weighs licenses for vacation rentals The Bulletin Vacation Rentals and Luxury Trips: Travel Startups Raise $106 Million Skift Travel News 10 Vacation Rental Companies to Try If You’re Over Airbnb Hotels Above Par 7,000 West Maui vacation rentals may turn into long-term housing; Planning Commission deliberates Hawaii News Now Maui Moves Closer To Phasing Out Thousands Of Short-Term Rentals To Deal With Housing Crisis Honolulu Civil Beat Hidden cost of vacation rentals skyrockets property taxes for hundreds of local homeowners ActionNewsJax.com Global Short Term Vacation Rentals Business Report GlobeNewswire Five Perfect Parisian Rentals for Your Olympics Vacation Elite Traveler A treehouse retreat is Kentucky’s most wish-listed Airbnb stay. Take a look inside Lexington Herald Leader How to Avoid Paying Vacation Rental Fees The New York Times The Rise Of Vacation Rentals: How Technology And Preferences Are Shaping The Market Travel And Tour World San Diego’s short-term rental rules a year later: Is the city cracking down on scofflaws? The San Diego Union-Tribune How B2B startup Inhaven is reworking vacation rentals Digital Commerce 360 Vacation rentals to become a $100bn industry this year TravelDailyNews International Emerald Coast by Owner (ECBYO) Unveils New Website With Expanded Coverage and Enhanced Features StreetInsider.com Prominent Hawaii economist apologizes for obscene gesture during short-term rentals hearing Hawaii News Now DeSantis vetoes short-term vacation rental bill Florida Phoenix Vacation Home Openings This Time of Year on Oregon Coast? Yes, Even in Pacific City Oregon Coast Beach Connection Gov. DeSantis vetoes vacation rental bill News 13 Orlando Florida Gov. DeSantis vetoes vacation rental bill that gave state more authority Tallahassee Democrat Maui County’s Move Against Vacation Rentals Likely To Bog Down In Court Honolulu Civil Beat A new vacation rental problem travelers need to know about The Seattle Times Maui Council Budgets $300,000 To Study Impacts Of Eliminating 7,000 Vacation Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat FL lawmakers pass state regulations on short-term vacation rentals; how will it play out? Florida Phoenix Global Vacation Rental Market to Hit $100 Billion This Year eTurboNews | eTN Vacation Rentals: How to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint The New York Times It's Time to Plan Your Summer Vacation—Here Are 100+ Top Rentals Around the World Condé Nast Traveler Tybee officially passes ban on vacation rentals. Here's what that means for the island WJCL News Savannah Vacation Rental Prices Come Down From Pandemic High The Vineyard Gazette - Martha's Vineyard News Florida’s Vacation Rental Bill awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis' review. St. Augustine Record Counties differ in approach to regulating vacation rentals Hawaii Tribune-Herald Buckingham Vacation Rentals Visit Lake Tahoe Hawaii lawmakers take aim at vacation rentals after Lahaina wildfire amplifies Maui housing crisis The Associated Press Galveston Central Appraisal district begins treating vacation rentals as businesses Galveston County Daily News Vrbo's Top Vacation Rentals for 2024 Include Homes in Cabo, the Caribbean, and Sedona Travel + Leisure Editorial: New limits on Marin vacation rentals make sense Marin Independent Journal A Statewide Ban On Vacation Rentals? The Idea Is Gaining Steam After The Maui Fires Honolulu Civil Beat Governor signs measure giving counties authority to convert vacation rentals into housing Hawaii News Now Maui Mayor Richard Bissen announces bill to phase out vacation rentals in apartment districts Maui Now Short-Term Dwelling and Vacation Rental Licensing Boulder County (.gov) 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 Hawaii governor pledges to sign vacation rental regulation bill Courthouse News Service Short-term vacation rental bill barely passes Florida House Florida Phoenix Vacation rental bill divided lawmakers. Now it's drawing calls for DeSantis to veto it Tallahassee Democrat Letter: Vacation rental vs. low to middle-class housing The News Guard Ask Amy: Family friends poach vacation rental Chicago Tribune The effort to get the FL governor to veto short-term vacation rental bill accelerates Florida Phoenix Investors Have Limited Availability For Vacation Rental Startups Crunchbase News Hamilton County will again take up prohibition on new vacation rentals Chattanooga Times Free Press Green Won’t Issue Vacation Rental Moratorium For Maui Honolulu Civil Beat |
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