Check (And Understand) The Label!

Words by Katherine C. Eustaquio
Published in Action & Fitness Magazine December 2009 issue

The trick to eating healthy is to know what you’re eating. Fresh goods are, generally, healthier. But what about food that comes in packages? Here’s the layman’s guide to checking—and understanding—food labels.

Things to look for:

SERVING SIZE
This is the basis for all the percentage listed on the nutrition facts. They are relatively small and standard so it’s easier to compute how much calories, fats, and vitamins and minerals you are getting with each serving.

CALORIES and CALORIES FROM FAT
The two key figures that can maintain or destroy your figure. If the Calories from Fat make up more than 30% of the total amount of calories…raise the red flag, you’re consuming too much fat.

TOTAL FATS
Not all fats are evil, thus the breakdown. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are considered good fats because they lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Keep a close watch on the amount of saturated and trans fats because they are closely linked the artery-clogging diseases and inflammation.

CHOLESTEROL
Twenty percent of the cholesterol in your body comes from the food you eat. So be highly vigilant its value in food labels because too much of it can effectively increase the risk of developing heart diseases and certain cancers. Products that claim to be low in cholesterol usually have 20 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams of saturated fat or less.

SODIUM
If you are watching your salt intake, keep an eye on the sodium level in food labels. Sodium comes with many names—sodium chloride, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), baking powder, disodium phosphate, and sodium nitrate to name a few. Foods that claim to be “low in sodium” have 140 milligrams of sodium or less.

TOTAL CARBOHYDRATES
There are many kinds of carbohydrates but they all provide you with the energy needed to last the day. High-fiber complex carbs (vegetables, fruits, whole grains) aid in weight loss and disease protection while simple carbs (bread, pasta, pastries) affect the blood sugar level and can lead to obesity and diabetes.

DIETARY FIBER
Want to look three years younger? Eat more fiber! Getting more than 25 grams of fiber every day keeps the digestive tract clean, flushes out the toxins, and helps the body absorb the nutrients faster.

SUGARS
We all know where it comes from and where it leads. A good rule to follow is to control your cravings for food with more than 4grams per serving.

PROTEIN
Protein helps you look younger and live longer that most nutrition experts recommend getting 15-20% of your daily calories from it.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS
This portion of the label gives you an idea of how much of the healthy stuff—like calcium, Vitamins A and C, and iron—you’re getting. So zoom in on those that are high on the good stuff.

PERCENT DAILY VALUES
This chart shows suggested daily requirements based on the 2,000 calorie diet. A number of daily calorie needs varies from person to person. If you’re not sure about your daily nutritional needs, you can check the calorie counters online. Rule of thumb: Anything below 5% is low and anything above 20% is high.

INGREDIENTS
Tip: the lesser the ingredients listed on the back, the healthier it is. Don’t be fooled by those that claim to be “sugar-free”, “fat-free”, or “healthy.” Read what’s on the ingredient list and decide for yourself if it’s really a healthy choice. If the first few items are saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, or sugar, you might want to look for something else.