What to Look For on Food Labels

Food labels were designed both to inform and to protect the consumer.  The FDA closely monitors the contents and claims about foods so you can be assured you are getting what the label says you are!  However, you do have to be an informed consumer and know what to look for.  Here are a few tips so you aren’t mislead:

1.  Read the ingredient panel to clarify the label claims. When a juice carton says “contains 100% real juice” it means simply that there is juice in the product (read: ‘contains’); not that you are getting only juice.  In other words, there can be water, sugar, and other additives as well in addition to the juice. So look at the ingredients to see exactly what you are getting.  This is not illegal, but it’s certainly misleading.

Another example of this is “wheat bread”.  Remember that bread is made from flour which comes from wheat (in most cases).  That means that white bread can still be called “wheat bread” on the label, because it is made with wheat flour.  This is not the same as “whole wheat” which is probably what most people are looking for if they are reading the label.  A better source of fiber, iron, and B vitamins, there are whole wheat breads–but you must look on the ingredient label for “whole wheat flour” to be the first ingredient.

2.  Look at the portion size on the label. When you look at how many calories, or grams of fat, or milligrams of sodium are in a food you are eating, that is according to the manufacturer’s portion size–not yours!  So check out what they call a portion size.  At one time a serving of Triscuit crackers was listed as three.  No one I know eats three Triscuits and calls it quits.  Another great example of this is when my husband told me he had a Snickers Candy Bar for a snack that afternoon but it was only 170 calories.  Well, last I checked those candy bars had 280 calories so I couldn’t figure out where he found a low-calorie Snickers Bar.   The next day at the check-out line in the grocery store it hit me:  I reached for the King Sized Snickers Bar and checked the label and there is was … “calories per serving: 170″.  Uh oh.  Guess how many servings were in the bar?  Three.  So my darling husband unknowingly contributed 530 calories to his intake that afternoon.  Of course he ate the entire package since he thought there were only 170 calories in it.  Not helpful when you’re trying to lose weight.

3.  The Daily Values. When checking to see the nutritional value of a food, you look at the daily value of nutrients provided.  This is based on an average 2000 calorie intake.  At the 100% level, your needs are met!  For vitamins and minerals (generally just a few are listed–vitamin A, vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron–because these were considered to be lacking in the diets of many Americans the last time the labels were revised)  and fiber, you want to find a food that has 20% of the daily value for it to be a good source.  Milk is a good source of calcium, spinach is a good source of vitamin A, whole grain cereal is a good source of fiber, etc.  What you don’t want are foods that provide high amounts of your daily value for cholesterol, sodium, and fat!  These are levels that you would be better off keeping below 100% because the amount recommended is more of an upper limit than a need.

Food labels were designed to help the consumer find out what they’re getting when they choose and compare different varieties at the supermarket.  Knowing how to read the labels will help you know what you’re getting and help you get what you want.

Written by Laurie Beebe

About The Author: Laurie Beebe has been a registered dietitian for 25 years and is certified in adult weight management. Laurie currently serves as a diet coach and life coach at www.mycoachlaurie.com

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