Written by Serah Roer
Saturday, 24 July 2010 09:02
Label reading is so confusing! What do you do to ensure your getting a healthy product?
Step One: Speed read the front label, but do not believe anything you read. Remember, Food manufacturers use this prime real estate to entice shoppers to buy their products.
Step Two: Go to the ingredients list! This is where they tell you what’s in the food. They list ingredients in order from most to least. NOTE: Avoid added sugars that appear as the first 3=5 ingredients to ensure that the product isn’t primarily made of sugar.
Step Three: Quick-scan the Nutrition Facts label! Here you will want to evaluate fat and sodium amounts in relation to the number of calories per serving. The fat percentage to number of calories should be no more than 20%, and the level of salt intake should stay under 2300 mgs. To give you an idea of how much salt that is, think 1 tsp = 2300mgs. Use a 1:1 ratio for mgs of salt against number of calories. Fat example: calories =in 100 cals – % of fat should be no higher than 20% Salt example: calories = in 100 mgs -salt should be no higher than 100mgs
