The truth in labeling:
Federal law governs the key words, health claims, and nutrition facts that appear on a food product label. This makes food labels a trustworthy and valuable resource for heart-healthy eating.
1: Serving size is based off of a 2,000 calorie diet. So you may need to adjust this according your personal needs.
2: Calories. Different people need a different amount. This will help you track your calorie intake.
3: % Daily value: the daily value om food labels are listed for people who should consume 2,000 calories a day. YOUR daily value may differ.
4:Total fat: Aim low here. Beware of entrees that have more than 10 grams of fat per serving, or other foods that have more than 3 grams of fat.
5: Saturated fat: Eat as little of this as possible. Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol.
6: Trans fat: Eat as little of this as possible. Trans fat raises blood cholesterol and lowers HDL.
7: Cholesterol: Too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease. Aim for 200 mg a day or less.
8: Sodium: Most of us consume far more sodium (salt) than we need--and prepared and processed foods can be the cause. If you want to reduce the risk or improve your High Blood Pressure (hypertension).
9: Dietary fiber: Aim for 25-30 grams of fiber each day, with most of this coming from whole grains.
10: Sugars: Compare the sugar grams with the total carbohydrate grams. If the numbers are close tot eh same, the product is high in sugar, and not the best choice.
Glossary of food packaging terms:
Cholesterol free: Means that it has less then 2 mg of cholesterol and 2 Gm of saturated fat per serving.
Extra lean: Less than 5 Gm of saturated fat, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving.
Fat Free: 3 Gm of fat or less per serving.
Lean: Less than 10 Gm of fat, 4 Gm of saturated fat and 95 MG of cholesterol per serving.
Light (lite): This term can mean several things-- Check the nutrition facts on the label to find out which:
*A third less calories, or no more than half the fat, of the original version of the product.
*No more than half the sodium compared to the original version of the product.
*A lighter color or texture-- this does not affect the nutrition of the product.
Low Cholesterol: Less than 20 mg of cholesterol and 2 gm of saturated fat per serving.
Low sodium: 140 mg or less of sodium per serving.
No added salt: No salt is added during processing-this does not guarantee the food product is sodium free.
Reduced sodium: 25% less sodium than the original version of the product.
Sodium- free: Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving.
Very low sodium: 35 mg or less of sodium per serving.
Unsalted: No salt added during processing--this does not guarantee the food product is sodium free.
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