Reading Food Labels

As you begin your 'healthy eating' journey, it is extremely important that you know what you are eating. Therefore it is very important that you understand how to read food labels.

1) Check the serving size! What is the serving size? For example a cereal may have a serving size of 1 oz., or a snack bar may have a serving size of 1/2. So look at how much you are going to eat and then calculate the calories, fat content, etc.

2) Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats are usually listed by weight (in grams) (1 gram = 0.0022 lbs) Calculate how many grams you might be eating (1 oz = 30 grams).

3) The calorie count of the 3 main food groups are:

i) Carbohydrates: 1 gram = 4 calories
ii) Protein: 1 gram = 4 calories
iii) Fats: 1 gram = 9 calories

For example 1 cup of Cheerios has 3.5 grams of Protein, 22.2 grams of Carbohydrates and 1.7 grams of Fat, for a total of 110 calories. If you add 1 cup of Non-fat Milk, it has 8.4 grams of Protein, 11.9 grams of Carbohydrates and 0.4 grams of Fat, for a total of 86 calories. Total 1 cup Cheerios + 1 cup of non-fat milk = 196 calories.

4) Watch for the salt (sodium) which is usually high in packaged food. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 2.4 grams (2400 milligrams). Higher intake of sodium can lead to water retention and high blood pressure.

4) Watch for the sugar content.

5) Watch for the fat content, especially the saturated fat.

6) The labels may list fats and sugars in different ways, so watch out!

Here are some examples:
Fats may be called lecithin, hydrogenated vegetable shortening, oil, lard, triglycerides, etc.
Sugars may be called sucrose, corn syrup, fructose, lactose, maltose, etc.

So next time you are at the grocery/supermarket - READ THE LABELS CAREFULLY!

TIP: Avoid buying food in bulk! The more food you have stored, the more you tend to eat. People in most other countries shop several times per week for their food, buying only what they will be eating in the next 1-2 days.