How to Figure Out a Food Label

Don’t be tricked by the front a package, because food can be made to look healthier than it really is. To get the facts on if it is really healthy or not, turn the package over. You should read the ingredients and the Nutrition Facts to know if something is good for you or not. Only then will you be able to make a healthy choice. Transaturated fats, lots of sodium, preservatives, and fake flavorings are in many of the foods that we eat, however, they are far from healthy for you.

Definitions of Terms from the FDA

The United States Food and Drug Administration has a few food label definitions that you should be aware of. Fats have a very high value in Calories, so you have to be careful, because fats are usually listed in volume of weight. There are nine Calories in each gram of fat.

Fat Free means that a product has less than half a gram of fat in each serving.
Low Fat means that a product has three or less grams of fat in each serving.
Reduced or Less Fat means that a product has twenty-five percent or more less fat in one serving than the original product.
Lite or Light has a number of meanings so you have to watch out. First is might have less Calories or fifty percent of the fat than the original product. Secondly, it could mean the product has fifty percent less sodium than the original version. Third, the product is lighter in color as opposed to a darker product.

The Tricky Terms of the Front Label

These terms are there to make you think that the food is healthy for you, but really it isn’t. Some may say: fortified or enriched, when really it has been altered somehow; fruit drinks, when there is really none or little fruit in them, so it is best to look for the words “100% juice”; and rye or multi-grains, which means there may not be as much grain as you think, so look for the words “whole grain” instead.

This is just the tip of the iceberg to knowing all of the tricky words they use. Just think about what it really says, and compare it to the label on the back if you aren’t sure.

The List of Ingredients

This is where you will find all of the hidden stuff that really isn’t so good for you. The ingredients are always listed in the order of how much is in the product, like the first ingredient on the list would be what is in the product the most, and the last ingredient would have the least amount that is in the product.

There is one thing that you should always remember to avoid making a bad food choice. If there are a ton of ingredients in one product and you can’t pronounce any or all them, then you should look for a better product.

An Easier Way to Find Out

Unless you know how to read the ingredients on a food label, then you will not know how to find the healthiest brands of food. This can also take you a lot time in the store, especially when you go through the first time. There is a book; however, that has an expansive list of good brands. This book is called The Last Diet Book Standing, and it was written by Kerry McLeod. This book covers a very wide variety of food and even desserts that you can find in most grocery stores that are better food brand choices to buy. You can get more information on this book at thelastdietbookstanding.com