» Deciphering Nutrition Labels

Food label reading can seem overwhelming, but don’t let that stand in your way.  Learning to read and comprehend food labels can help you make better, healthier food choices every day.  When you understand nutritional facts, you can make informed decisions and learn to trade-off foods (for example, if you want one high fat snack today, then you can find other foods with less fat).  Just remember that when it comes to nutrition, ignorance is not bliss – it’s fat.

Let’s break down the label……
Serving Size = amount for one serving
Number of servings = how many single servings are in the entire container

For example, according to the label on the left, if you eat the amount listed for one serving (1/2 cup), then you are taking in 90 calories, 3 grams of fat, 300 mg of sodium, etc.  If you double your intake, then you would double all of the numbers.

Here are some general guidelines when reading the labels:

• Try to choose foods which contain 5% or less of the Daily Value (DV) for:  Fat, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium.
• Limit your total fat to < 3 grams of fat per 100 calories with < 1 gram of saturated fat and 0 grams of trans fat.
• Try to choose foods which contain at least 10% (20% is better) of the Daily Value (DV) for:  Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium and Zinc.

Even when you have a “splurge” food, you should aim to get in a little nutritional value.  That means that when you find yourself reaching for an ice cream treat, choose one that provides 20% of your calcium for the day.  This won’t replace a low fat yogurt or glass of milk, but at least you’re getting some positive nutritional benefit.

Remember, the ingredient list tells us what is in the product in descending order by weight.  Therefore, those in the largest amounts are listed first. Try to choose products which do not contain sugar or any type of sugar (sucrose, honey, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice, etc.) as one of the top 3 ingredients and avoid all partially hydrogenated oils.

Using these quick tips will hopefully save you time at the grocery store and discouragement when you step on the scale.

Written by Sabrina Zaslov MS, RD, CDE. Sabrina Zaslov MS, RD, CDE is the register dietician for LWI Peak Performance and Lifewellness Institute. Sabrina has run numerous marathons and has a strong interest in sports nutrition.  For more information or questions check out www.lwipeakperformance.com