How to read labelsToday let’s do a bit of food shopping together, and take a closer look at statements on labels!

Please keep in mind that time, energy, money and marketing is spent to make food products look appealing to you, the consumer. Remember that these companies have skilled health professionals and dietitians working for them to help create this appeal. So we must build our nutrition knowledge and read labels closely.

Here are some terms we should understand:

Reduced fat: this means that a product has 25% less fat than the same regular brand. So pick up the full fat version and notice the difference.
Light: this means that the product has 50% less fat than the same regular product. Interesting, right?

Low fat: this means a product has less than 3 grams of fat per serving. This does not account for the type of fat. Don’t forget to look at the serving size with all products, especially those marked low fat. You must determine if the serving size is realistic for you.

When you plan your meals and food shopping list try to focus on:
1) BALANCE: Nothing in excess is ever good
2) VARIETY: This is important for both your health and your mind. Avoiding boredom is an important aspect of maintaining lifestyle changes, long term.
3) EDUCATION: You will now be educated to make the right choices, you can’t be perfect but you can always make small improvements.
Try to remember these labeling statements as you go to on your next food shopping trip. Compare labels and keep your eyes peeled! Eating well requires understanding labels. Statements and claims are only ONE aspect of label reading. Food shopping can be a daunting task. Let us know if you have any questions about food shopping, or label reading that we can answer here!