Have you ever looked at the labeling on your favorite food and thought, “How do I know if this is healthy for me or not?”
Rest assured you are not alone. Nutrition Facts labels have been required for products since 1994 and have been updated as recently as 2006; however, many people choose either not to read them or read them incorrectly.
There is a wealth of information provided on food packaging, therefore learning to read this information correctly is essential when trying to make healthy food choices.
First, one must look at the serving size listed for a particular product. This is always listed at the top of the Nutrition Fact sheet, and all of the information that follows is based on one serving of the product.
Serving size is always a standard unit of measure (cups, ounces, teaspoons, etc). Now look at the servings per container. This lets you know how many servings are actually contained in the package. All information on the Nutrition Facts must be adjusted depending on how much you actually eat.
The next area on the Nutrition Facts label concerns the nutritional make of the product. Here you will find information regarding fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber and protein. These nutrients are always measured in grams or milligrams. Typically, products lower in fat, cholesterol and sodium and higher in fiber are more healthy choices.
There is also information regarding specific vitamins and minerals listed at the bottom of the fact sheet. For more information regarding food label reading and other healthy eating topics, visit www.heartassociation.org.
If you have additional questions, contact Lelia Smith, RN, BSN, Self Regional Coordinator of Business and Health Education, at (864) 725-4662 or lsmith2@selfregional.org
