What food labels want you to know
Categories: Nutrition & Supplements
Ah, the food label. There it is, smack dab on your food packages, containers, boxes, and bags, calling your name, begging for your attention, eager for you to read it over and make an informed decision about the nutritional contents that lie within. Seems easy enough. Yet in reality, reading food labels can be quite confusing.
WebMD makes food-label reading a bit more manageable. In this article, experts offer tips on interpreting serving sizes and making sense of these commonly-used label words: calories, calories from fat, nutrients, ingredients, and % daily value. A neat little chart also helps explain label claims. If a label claims a product is fat-free or sugar-free, for example, this means it contains less than 0.5 grams of fat or sugar.
For your own personal lesson in label reading, take a stroll over here.
WebMD makes food-label reading a bit more manageable. In this article, experts offer tips on interpreting serving sizes and making sense of these commonly-used label words: calories, calories from fat, nutrients, ingredients, and % daily value. A neat little chart also helps explain label claims. If a label claims a product is fat-free or sugar-free, for example, this means it contains less than 0.5 grams of fat or sugar.
For your own personal lesson in label reading, take a stroll over here.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
comfy old dog 2-13-2008 @ 10:49AM
Soooo! nothing is perfect, awww well, eat what you want, try some moderation, get some exercise and enjoy life.
Reply
Vishaal 1-18-2008 @ 3:05PM
I still struggle with serving sizes because I refuse to use a measuring cup and make my life seem too structured in terms of food. Some cereals state: serving size 3/4 of a cup...That's annoying.
Reply
amy 2-06-2008 @ 8:56AM
The serving size is just a tool to use to keep track of the nutritional value. This is on the packaging for people who HAVE to keep track due to dietary restrictions.
Sean 4-10-2008 @ 10:51AM
If you refuse to be structured by serving sizes as labeled on the packing (and I think everyone does), don't worry about it so much. Use that "serving size" as described on the packaging as a point of reference, not a rule for consumption. If you REALLY want to know the nutritional values of the breakfast cereal you're eating, measure it ONCE. You may be eating a full cup instead of 3/4 cup or something - but now you know the nutritional content per THEIR serving, and that YOUR serving is approximately 1/3 bigger than the serving suggested on the packaging.