Wednesday, August 22, 2007 1:03 AM CDT
Read your food: Labels may make it sound ‘healthy,’ but is it?
by COURTNEY KLEMM, Staff Writer
Your shopping cart is stocked with light sour cream, fat-free ranch dressing, bread with “more fiber” and chips with zero net carbohydrates.
That sounds healthy, but what does it all mean?
Buyer beware when it comes to reading labels and claims on products, said Kristina Adams, registered dietitian and health educator for the Carle Weight Management Center.
“If it says ‘light’ or ‘reduced,’ that means it has at least 25 percent less than the original, which could be many things — calories, fat, sugar. If it doesn’t say, most of the time, it means calories,” Adams said. “Some do have specific numbers to go with claims though.”
The first thing you should notice is the serving size on a label, said Laura Sechrest, director of food and nutrition for St. Mary’s Hospital.
“The most important thing is checking what the serving size is so you have it in perspective about how much you’re going to eat,” she said. “Then you should look at what is the total calorie amount for that serving size.
“For instance, looking at an individual-sized bag of chips, you may assume it’s a single serving so you look at the calories on the back, and it’s 130. So you think it’s not so bad, but the amount (of calories) could actually be 2½ times that.”
And in addition to checking the serving size and calorie amount per serving, a consumer should also look at the percent daily value, Sechrest said.
With daily values, 5 percent or less is “low”; try to aim for that amount with things such as total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, she said. Twenty percent or more is considered “high” and should be aimed for with vitamins, minerals and fiber.
As far as other claims go, there are several things you should know about the language on labels or packages.
Calorie-free products have fewer than five calories per serving, while those labeled low-calorie contain 40 calories or less per serving, Adams said. Low-fat, on the other hand, means the serving size contains three grams of fat or less, and fat-free foods have less than half of a gram of fat per serving.
Other popular label claims include:
Sodium
-- Low sodium is equal to 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving.
-- Sodium-free is equal to less than 5 milligrams.
Cholesterol
-- Low cholesterol equals 20 milligrams or less per serving.
-- Cholesterol-free equals less than 2 milligrams.
Sugar
-- Low in sugar equals at least 25 percent less sugar per serving than the regular version.
-- Sugar-free equals less than 0.5 gram per serving.
Fiber
-- Good source of fiber is equal to 2.5 grams to 4.9 grams of fiber per serving.
-- High fiber is equal to 5 grams or more of fiber per serving
Sechrest noted that carbohydrates sometimes are given a bad reputation, but she said healthy diets need carbs, as long as they are in “beneficial form,” such as products with high fiber and fruits and vegetables with “deep color.”
Those looking to cut calories out of their diet for weight loss purposes can look for light or calorie-free products, Adams said. If you want to change the type of food you consume for health reasons, it differs based on the condition.
However, once ingredients begin to be substituted, the food product can vary in not only taste but the amount of substituted ingredients you also might want to avoid. For example, fat-free products might contain more salt or sugar than the regular version, she said.
“Ultimately, I tell my patients to go for the light or reduced versions of food,” she said. “You get an even balance of everything, you decrease your calorie intake across the board, and you are still getting a good product.”
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