You go to the grocery store knowing you are shopping for
foods that are nutritious and healthy. Your primary goal
when selecting your grocery choices is to continue your
weight loss and maintenance success. You check the labels
and the numbers reflect that it is a healthy choice.....but
is it? Being an advocate for your own health means knowing
how to read the labels and to determine what the
information means for your body and food plan.
The first thing to remember in learning the language of
labels is that you want to make your calories count. Your
goal is to obtain the most nutrition for your nutrition
calories. Essentially, you are spending your calories for
the most nutrition possible.
The food labels were created to provide consumers with
nutritional information to assist in making decisions about
which food choice is right for them. Sounds simple right?
It is when you know how to make the information work for
you. There is a wealth of information on the labels for
you once you know how to make sense of it all.
Let's look at the food label for a certain product we are
considering to purchase. Know your nutrition facts when it
comes to food labels. At first glance, it looks fine.
Only 250 calories for this one item, right? Not so fast!
There are three items to consider before placing this
particular item in your shopping cart.
1. Check the serving and calories.
2. What's in it for you?
3. Does it fit your nutrition goal?
1. CHECK THE SERVING AND CALORIES. Only 250 calories for
this item from your daily caloric intake? Look at the
serving size on this item and how many servings it
contains. In our example, there are 2 servings at 250
calories PER EACH serving. In this item, there are a total
of 500 calories and not 250 as it may first appear.
2. WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU? Next, look at the rest of the
nutritional facts such as how much total fat, total
carbohydrates, sugars, fiber and protein are contained in
this product. Back to our example, there are 12 grams of
fat, 31 grams of carbohydrates, zero grams of fiber, 5
grams of sugars and 5 grams of protein PER SERVING which is
2 servings for the entire item. Since the item has 2
servings total, if you eat the entire package, you would
double the calories, fat, carbs, sugars, fiber and protein
for the day.
Also, check the saturated fat, sodium and other nutritional
information such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Iron
that are contained in this item.
For our translation of this food label, our nutrition
information is for the entire package:
Total Calories: 500 calories, Total Fat: 24 grams, Total
Carbohydrates: 62 grams, Total Sugars: 10 grams, Total
Protein: 10 grams, Total Saturated Fat: 6 grams, Total
Trans Fat: 6 grams, Total Cholesterol: 60 mg., Total
Sodium: 940 grams, Total Dietary Fiber: 0 grams.
Remember, it is more than just calories; it is the big
picture of all nutrients that count too.
3. DOES IT FIT YOUR NUTRITION GOAL? Now that you have
deciphered exactly what's in this product, you get to
decide if it fits your nutrition program. Compare the
calories on the label and the nutrients you'll be getting
to decide if this food is worth eating? Can you eat only
one serving or would you want to eat the entire package?
Put all the information together and decide if this is a
smart choice that promotes your nutritional program of
health. Do you put it in your shopping cart and take home
or do you leave it on the shelf?
Other tips to remember would be to determine the number of
calories derived from fat, protein and carbohydrates as
follows:
Each gram of fat: 9 calories
Each gram of carbohydrate: 4 calories
Each gram of protein: 4 calories
Multiply the number of grams contained in a product by
these calories per gram and you'll see how the total
caloric breakdown shakes out.
A common pitfall, especially with small packages, is to
assume there is only one serving because the package is
small. As an example, if you were to eat a bag of pretzels
from a vending machine, you might find it contains 2.5
servings. You would need to multiply the numbers by 2.5 to
see what's really in that small bag.
The FDA regulates the use of phrases and terms on product
packaging. Here's what they really mean:
Sugar free: Less than .5 grams of sugar per serving.
Calorie Free = Less than 5 calories per serving.
Low Calorie = 40 calories or less per serving.
Light or Lite = 1/3 fewer calories or 50% less fat than the
referenced food.
Fat Free = Less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving.
Low Fat = 3 grams or less of fat per serving.
High Fiber = 5 grams or more of fiber per serving.
By translating the label language information, you know
exactly what it all means and can make the smart choices
for yourself on your journey to health. Knowledge is power
and now, YOU have got it!
----------------------------------------------------
Cathy Wilson is a weight loss life coach. Cathy lost 147
pounds six years ago. Her passion is helping clients
achieve their weight loss and life goals. Cathy works with
clients to create a weight loss life plan that is
customized to each client. Cathy is a member of the
International Coaching Federation, International
Association of Coaches, and Obesity Action Coalition.
Visit Cathy's website:
http://www.LoseWeightFindLife.com
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