Reading Nutrition Claims and Food Labels
Cathy Fitzgerald, registered dietitian with MFit, the University of Michigan Health System’s health promotion division, offers the following tips for reading nutrition claims and food labels:
- Look for the claim, “May reduce the risk of heart disease.” This means that there is enough scientific evidence for the FDA to back up this claim.
- Nutrient content claims.Claims like “high”, “low”, or “reduced” are regulated by the government. For example, foods that claim to be low fat must have 3 grams of fat or less.
- Foods with fiber. Look for products that say “high in fiber” or “excellent source of fiber”, both of which mean that the product has at least five grams of fiber per serving. The “good source” of fiber claim means that the product has at least 2.5 grams.
- Omega-3 fats. There is a great deal of research about the benefits of Omega-3 fats including potential heart benefits. They can be found in salmon, tuna, and trout, and they are sometimes added to eggs.
- Sterols and stanols. Plant sterols and stanols have been shown to lower cholesterol and are added to products like margarine and salad dressing. These can be difficult to find, because they are often not labeled clearly. She suggests reviewing labels to find products that contain sterols and stanols.
- Other things to look for are trans fats and saturated fats. Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol. Look for partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients list. Saturated fats are known to cause high blood cholesterol. Foods that are high in saturated fat include read meat, butter, and cheese made from whole milk. Choose lean cuts of meat, such as loin or round cuts, and low or non-fat dairy products.
I think that these are pretty good tips for healthier grocery shopping. Most of the food that I buy is unprocessed, so this really doesn’t apply. However, I do look for the high fiber, omega-3, low sodium, and low fat claims on many of the foods that I buy each week.
Reference: University of Michigan
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Don’t know where you live but if you can find a local farmer and get free range eggs they are higher in the Omegas and a whole lot fresher. Same goes for beef, if you can find true local grass fed beef, it’s higher in Omega 3s and lower in fat.
Thanks for the comment. Great advice. I hadn’t thought about going local. I’m sure I can find a free range chicken farmer around here (North Alabama) somewhere. I have heard of grass fed beef, but I have only found an online retailer and they were very expensive. I may have to look local, though.
You make an important point. Good nutrition starts at the grocery store!!
T