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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: Judge stops Hermosa enforcement of short term rental ban easyreadernews.com Maui’s vacation rental conversion bill remains in limbo The Garden Island Newspaper A stormy season for short-term rentals on Nantucket Rhode Island Current No appeal of ruling for vacation rental program Anna Maria Islander Why People Are Turning Their Homes into Vacation Rentals Right Now The North Star Monthly Vacation Renters Waste $2 Billion in Food Each Year ScienceBlog.com Newman-Dailey Resort Properties Celebrates Summer Road Trips to Florida with its Extra Happy Late Summer Promotion for Stays in Destin Vacation Rentals The Manila Times Maui Panel Starts Deliberations On Short-Term Rental Phase-Out Honolulu Civil Beat Inside The ‘Out-Of-Control’ Debate Over Axing Maui Vacation Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat A novel idea for Maui’s housing crisis: Using vacation rental profits for residents’ down payments Maui Now Maui Council hears another 70 testifiers on vacation rental phase-out bill; still more to come Maui Now Capital One Travel Adds Vacation Rentals — And You Can Earn 5x Miles on Venture Cards Upgraded Points Maui Backs Off Rental Ban As Tourism Stalls Out Beat of Hawaii Maui vacation rental bill continues to draw passionate testimony from both sides Hawaii Public Radio Maui Gets $1.6B—Can Vacation Rentals Survive What’s Coming? Beat of Hawaii Honolulu Sees Doubling Of Vacation Rental Registrations Under New Rules Honolulu Civil Beat Plan To Convert Maui Vacation Rentals To Long-Term Housing Delayed Honolulu Civil Beat Study: Maui Should Be Cautious In Phasing Out Vacation Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Here’s Why Honolulu Doesn’t Enforce Law Against Short-Term Rental Companies Honolulu Civil Beat Honolulu Hasn't Fined Airbnb, Vrbo for Illegal Short-Term Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Owners claim Maui residents can’t afford converted vacation rentals, UH study says otherwise Honolulu Star-Advertiser Key amendments proposed for vacation rental phase-out bill ahead of Council committee hearing Maui Now Spain, Italy, France, Portugal Join Forces in Crackdown on Airbnb Rentals: The Domino Effect Begins Travel And Tour World Vacation Rental Study in Goleta Tells More About the Neighbors The Santa Barbara Independent Chase Travel Launches Vacation Home Rentals — What To Know Upgraded Points Board recommends new education programs, property management rules for vacation rentals The Palm Springs Post Maui Council To Take Up Bill Phasing Out Vacation Rentals This Summer Honolulu Civil Beat Emotions Are High As Maui Considers Phasing Out Short-Term Rentals Honolulu Civil Beat Opinion | Airbnb and Vrbo are going downhill like a hippo on a water slide The Washington Post Vacation Rentals of the Desert Accused of Owing Millions; Riverside DA Launches Investigation After Public Outcry NBC Palm Springs Vacation Rentals of the Desert Accused of Owing Property Owners, Renters Over $1 Million NBC Palm Springs Vrbo offers last minute deals on vacation rentals Short Term Rentals - News Couple who owns Manasota Key vacation rentals welcomes first renters since Hurricanes Helene, Milton FOX 13 Tampa Bay Supreme Court: cities cannot limit vacation rentals based on owner occupancy Idaho Public Television Community invited to briefing about proposed registration process for short-term vacation rentals Big Island Now Fire district wins vacation rental assessment lawsuit Anna Maria Islander City has no mercy for illegal vacation rental operators Hawaii News Now Uncertain Economy Contributes to Slow Summer Rental Bookings The Vineyard Gazette Santa Cruz County moves to rein in vacation rentals Lookout Santa Cruz Oahu officials encourage people to report illegal vacation rentals spectrumlocalnews.com How to tell if your Oʻahu vacation rental is legal Hawaii Public Radio With housing and economy at stake, Maui County weighs phase-out of 7,000 vacation rentals Hawaii Public Radio 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 Maui mayor's plan to phase out vacation rentals would increase housing but shrink the economy AP News Hawaiʻi County Council seeks more oversight with passage of vacation rental bill Hawaii Public Radio Housing panel looks at new rules for rent-setting algorithms, vacation rentals - Evanston RoundTable Housing panel looks at new rules for rent-setting algorithms, vacation rentals Evanston RoundTable Vacation rentals may face new taxes as WA lawmakers eye housing fix The Center Square Everything You Need to Check in Your Vacation Rental Before Unpacking a Single Bag Better Homes & Gardens The Short-Term Rental Hosts Spending Big to Trick Out Their Vacation Properties The Wall Street Journal Committee votes 5-0 against couple’s vacation rental request advancing Evanston RoundTable Resources for Vacation Rentals for Springs Protection Alachua County Aspiring vacation rental hosts in Mission Beach may have a shot at getting a coveted license San Diego Union-Tribune The Best Vacation Rental Travel Insurance for 2025 U.S. News & World Report Manatee County Commission votes to pursue regulation of short-term vacation rentals Sarasota Herald-Tribune What to Bring to Make Your Vacation Rental Kitchen Feel More Like Home The New York Times Combatting human trafficking: New training, reporting requirements for hotels, vacation rentals WRAL.com |
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