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.

---

The Portfolio Diet: The Solution to Heart Disease

What if there was a combination of foods that were... Read More

Blueberries and Their Role in Cholesterol Control

Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More

The Skinny on Oats, Oatmeal, Vitamins, Nutrition for Skin Care and Bath Products

Oats (botanical name Avena sativa)An oat is a grass that... Read More

Eating On the Go: Healthy Choices While You Travel

If you have a business trip tomorrow morning, you've probably... Read More

Feeling Tired? Cant Lose Weight? Tap Into Protein Power!

You're always hungry right? The last thing you have time... Read More

Eating For Success: Breakfast For The Busy Corporate

The first place that we cut corners when we are... Read More

Dietary Guideline USA

Are you sick and tired of the confusion about our... Read More

What is A Balanced Diet For Losing Weight and Good Health?

The total calories that you should be consuming depend on... Read More

A Diet Deficiency Today is a Clinical Event Tomorrow

For those of us that understand nutrition and it's importance... Read More

Calculating Your Calorie Needs

In order to eat fewer calories than you need, you... Read More

Post Workout Nutrition: Secrets to a Hard, Lean Body

As you've probably heard before, your post-workout meal may very... Read More

Ayurvedic Nutrition: Let Your Food Be Your Medicine

It is ironic how something as obvious as nutrition has... Read More

Cherries - The Next Wonder Fruit

Cherries?A Supercharged FruitThe little red fruit that has been enjoyed... Read More

Debunking the Myth About Bottled Water: Is It Really Safer for Your Kids?

When you actually sit down and think about it, bottled... Read More

Nutrition Is More Than The Nutrition Facts Box

Nutrition usually only comes up when people are finally deciding... Read More

Your bodys pH

So what's all the shake up about anyway?. To put... Read More

Healthy Eating Myths Shattered

Salt does Not Cause High Blood Pressure. Some things you... Read More

Good Fats Prevent Chronic Disease

Essential fatty acids are the number one recommendation for anyone... Read More

Beans - The Perfect Food?

Beans. Legumes. Pulses. Whatever you call this plant group, they... Read More

Is Vitamin E Beneficial Or Harmful? Cutting Through The Clutter Of Different Scientific Opinions

Numerous reports have recently appeared in both the lay and... Read More

Surprise! Many Fats, Even Some Saturated Fats Can Actually Be Good for You

I'll preface this article by saying that it will help... Read More

Set Your Fat Thermostat at a Healthy Level

Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy... Read More

Clues for Fibromyalgia Relief

Fibromyalgia is a chronic and potentially life-altering disorder with symptoms... Read More

Eating Instinctively

I start from the premise that eating instinctively means eating... Read More

Is Your Food Aging You?

Did you know that the food you eat could be... Read More

Understanding Glyconutrients

You say you don't know what glyconutrients are? You are... Read More

9 Tips to Stop Food Cravings and Help You With Your Diet

Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the... Read More

What is Organic Farming?

Organic farming is the production of food using all natural... Read More

Fructose Short-Circuits Glycolysis

First some terminology.Fructose ... a five carbon sugar that occurs... Read More

Eating Disorders Do Not Discriminate

Who suffers from Eating Disorders?Eating Disorder sufferers are male and... Read More

Chocolate Is Good For You!

Great news on the chocolate front! Chocolate is good for... Read More

Healthy Aging - The Clean-Meat Connection

It is shocking how many people are not taking advantage... Read More

The Worshipful Company of Bakers

Bread is one of the oldest known recipes to man.... Read More