Some studies have shown that only 60% or so of Americans read the Nutrition Facts panel on food packaging and only 50% read ingredient lists. Reading food labels and ingredients lists and understanding how to interpret the information is key to making healthy food choices, and something Americans obviously need to do a better job of, given that roughly 35% of the U.S. adult population is estimated to be obese.
Try finding an ingredients list on a package. It's always on the back, side, or bottom. It's never on the front. Shouldn't it be? That's what you're buying. Not their marketing claims of "all natural" or "heart healthy", which often mean very little and lack government oversight. This is by design. The food companies don't want you thinking about what chemicals are in your food or how much fat, salt, and sugar they are loaded with. They spend millions of dollars lobbying against your best interest and information that could help you be healthier.
The Nutrition Facts panel, which was designed and is required by the FDA, informs consumers about serving sizes and provides per serving information on calories, a variety of fats, sodium, cholesterol, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. It also shows the serving size's percentage of said nutrient that is recommended for daily intake. Always check serving sizes to see if they are reasonable compared to what you are actually going to eat. 100 calories or 5g of fat may seem fair, but if you are going to eat seven servings, it's not a realistic measure and is misleading.
There are some issues you need to be aware of. First, these percentages only relate to a 2,000 calorie diet. You need to figure out your RDA's based on your own healthy calorie intake, not the average person's intake. Furthermore, the RDA percentage is often mistaken for a breakdown of the content of the food's nutrients. It is not. A product may show a 10% number for fat, but it could be over 60% or more of the food's nutritional value (or lack there of).
There are a few things to consider when reading food labels and ingredient lists. First, ingredients are listed in size order from largest to smallest. Sugar listed first can be significantly different than if it's listed last. Also, the fewer the ingredients, usually is better, but not always. You still have to read the list to see what's there and assess each ingredient.
With the growth in usage of processed foods, due to convenience and lower costs, there are so many chemicals in our food today, often ones the average person knows nothing about. It pays to do your homework about every ingredient you ingest. If you're in a bind, a good rule of thumb is if you don't know what it is, can't pronounce it, and you or your spouse wouldn't buy it separately to make a home-cooked meal, it's probably best to avoid.
I recommend completely disregarding marketing claims on the front of the package. Go directly to the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient lists. If you are going to use label marketing claims (which have so many loopholes, they're virtually useless), I suggest using them as a starting point for further investigation. It also helps to know what claims are regulated and which aren't as well as what they actually mean. They are often misleading. Did you know there can be fat in a no-fat product? These marketing claims are not what they seem. If you're going to eat processed foods, make them as clean as possible. To do that, you have to read your food ingredient labels.
Try finding an ingredients list on a package. It's always on the back, side, or bottom. It's never on the front. Shouldn't it be? That's what you're buying. Not their marketing claims of "all natural" or "heart healthy", which often mean very little and lack government oversight. This is by design. The food companies don't want you thinking about what chemicals are in your food or how much fat, salt, and sugar they are loaded with. They spend millions of dollars lobbying against your best interest and information that could help you be healthier.
The Nutrition Facts panel, which was designed and is required by the FDA, informs consumers about serving sizes and provides per serving information on calories, a variety of fats, sodium, cholesterol, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. It also shows the serving size's percentage of said nutrient that is recommended for daily intake. Always check serving sizes to see if they are reasonable compared to what you are actually going to eat. 100 calories or 5g of fat may seem fair, but if you are going to eat seven servings, it's not a realistic measure and is misleading.
There are some issues you need to be aware of. First, these percentages only relate to a 2,000 calorie diet. You need to figure out your RDA's based on your own healthy calorie intake, not the average person's intake. Furthermore, the RDA percentage is often mistaken for a breakdown of the content of the food's nutrients. It is not. A product may show a 10% number for fat, but it could be over 60% or more of the food's nutritional value (or lack there of).
There are a few things to consider when reading food labels and ingredient lists. First, ingredients are listed in size order from largest to smallest. Sugar listed first can be significantly different than if it's listed last. Also, the fewer the ingredients, usually is better, but not always. You still have to read the list to see what's there and assess each ingredient.
With the growth in usage of processed foods, due to convenience and lower costs, there are so many chemicals in our food today, often ones the average person knows nothing about. It pays to do your homework about every ingredient you ingest. If you're in a bind, a good rule of thumb is if you don't know what it is, can't pronounce it, and you or your spouse wouldn't buy it separately to make a home-cooked meal, it's probably best to avoid.
I recommend completely disregarding marketing claims on the front of the package. Go directly to the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredient lists. If you are going to use label marketing claims (which have so many loopholes, they're virtually useless), I suggest using them as a starting point for further investigation. It also helps to know what claims are regulated and which aren't as well as what they actually mean. They are often misleading. Did you know there can be fat in a no-fat product? These marketing claims are not what they seem. If you're going to eat processed foods, make them as clean as possible. To do that, you have to read your food ingredient labels.
About the Author:
You can learn more at my website Food Labels or my blog at dangerous food additives
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