Spring 2008 - Memorial Hospital of South Bend

Read
theLabel
Back in 1990, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act launched the modern food label. The federal
government wanted to improve food labels so that consumers could make healthier food choices. The
new labels were introduced in 1994.
And now, 10-plus years later, many people still don’t know what they mean. That’s too bad, because
there is a lot of important and helpful information on food labels. Here’s what to look for.
PULSE › Memorial Health System › 574-647-6800
SERVING SIZE
All the information on a label is
per serving. Be sure to compare
the serving size with the amount
you are eating. If a package has
two servings in it and you eat the
whole thing, you are getting twice
the calories, fat and sodium listed
on a per-serving basis.
CALORIES
How many daily calories you need
depends on your weight and
activity level. The range is usually
2,000 to 2,500 per day. If you are
trying to lose weight, of course,
you want fewer calories.
CALORIES FROM FAT
Your goal is for no more than
30 percent of your calories to
come from fat. More than that is
bad news for your heart.
TOTAL FAT/SATURATED FAT
Not all fats are created equal.
Saturated fats are the bad kind.
They raise cholesterol and the risk
of heart disease. Keep total fat
low, and saturated fat even lower.
CHOLESTEROL
Too much cholesterol can lead to
heart disease. Try to keep total
daily cholesterol to less than
200 milligrams (mg) a day, lower
still if your doctor recommends it.
SODIUM
Too much sodium increases blood
pressure, so watch out. Processed
foods are loaded with sodium.
TOTAL CARBOHYDRATE
The Atkins diet has many people
focusing here. Don’t. You need
carbohydrates and the fiber they
contain for energy and for disease
prevention. Twenty to 35 grams of
fiber a day is recommended.
SUGARS
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate. So
total carbs is the more important
number. However, watch for added
sugars in processed foods, soda
and sweets. They add “empty”
calories that have no nutritional
value but pile on the pounds.
PROTEIN
Americans are big meat- and
milk-consumers, so we usually
get more protein than we actually
need. Try to limit animal-based
proteins, which are high in fat and
cholesterol. Instead, buy low-fat
milk products and add protein
from beans, grains and cereals.
VITAMINS AND MINERALS
The goal is to reach 100 percent
of each, every day. Food is the
best source of these nutrients,
but many people need a daily
multivitamin to help.
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