Reading Food Labels Part 3

The design on food products is made to interest you and make you want to try it. Anything catchy that may improve your interest in the product will be considered on a label. First order of business is the name of the product. If the food has a name like ‘Cheez’ or ‘cheese product’ these are not considered real cheese but processed cheese. American Cheese, cheez whiz, and velveeta are all examples of cheese products.  Real cheese may make up less than half of the final product while preservatives/additives are included. The processing gives it a longer shelf life, makes it easier to mass produce and helps it keep its shape better than natural cheese.

When you go to the freezer section you may also notice ‘Frozen Dairy Dessert’ in place of Ice Cream on many labels. To be considered ice cream it must contain at least 10% milk fat. When fat is removed to make things ‘low fat’ this is one area it is taken from. Remember, though, that low fat may now have lots more carbohydrates in the form of sugar. Fats are known to cause satiety earlier than carbohydrates. Either way, whichever one you pick, eat it in moderation please.

Naturally flavored does not mean the company put the fruit in the product. Nature Valley Yogurt chewy granola bar makes that claim on the front of the box. When you look at the ingredient list, you will see ‘strawberry powder’ listed. That is your natural flavoring.

Some labels will list ‘No High Fructose Corn Syrup’ but that does not mean the amount of sugar is different or that corn syrup is not used. They just do not use high fructose corn syrup. You will still need to read the label. Some eggs boast that the eggs are ‘From Grain Fed Chickens.’ Chickens are omnivores and eat bugs and grass. To give the chickens only grain is really limiting the nutrients you may get from those eggs. ‘Gluten Free’ and ‘No Added Sugar’ are showing up on more and more products. When you see them first think about if you should be having gluten or added sugar in the product. I recently saw a mustard at the store that stated ‘No Sugar Added’ and I was surprised since most mustards do not have extra sugar when you look at the ingredients. Similarly Tito’s handmade vodka advertises on the bottle that it is ‘Gluten Free’. All vodka is gluten free unless some flavoring is added that contains gluten. So sometimes you have to think about what should and should not be in the product normally. 

Natural and healthy are relative terms which are not currently regulated. You need to still look at the nutritional information to see what they contain. Many foods brag about the fortification with nutrients. This just means that the company added these minerals or vitamins to the product at some point. This does not mean your body will absorb them or utilize them because they are artificially added to the product. We do not know what it really does but it is a commonly made claim on breads, cereals, and many other items. That said, a few other examples follow:

If a food claims to be:

Calorie free, it contains less than 5 calories per serving

Sugar free, it contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving

Fat Free, it contains less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving

Low Fat, it contains 3 grams of fat or less per serving

Reduced or less fat, it contains at least 25% less fat than the regular product

Low in saturated fat, it contains 1 gram of saturated fat or less per serving

Cholesterol Free, it contains less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol & 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving

Low Cholesterol, it contains 20 or less milligrams of cholesterol & 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving

Reduced Cholesterol, it contains at least 25% less cholesterol than the regular product & 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving

Sodium free or low sodium, it contains less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving & no sodium chloride in ingredients

Very low sodium, it contains 35 milligrams or less of sodium per serving

Low sodium, it contains 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving

Less or reduced sodium, it contains at least 25% less sodium than the regular product

High Fiber, it contains 5 grams or more of fiber per serving

Good source of fiber, it contains 2.5 to 4.9 grams of fiber per serving

If a food is ‘free’ it may still contain some of the nutrient. When you eat more than one serving size of the food, these calories can slowly add up too. Low fat does not mean low calorie. In many products, the fat is replaced with carbohydrates, mainly sugar, so that there are usually as many calories in the product and some times more. You need to read the labels to compare.

‘Reduced or less’ just compares the original product to the current product you are holding. This does not mean it is good for you. It just means it contains less of the nutrient. If you are trying to eat low sodium this may be helpful but if the product still contains a lot of sodium even in the reduced version, you are better off not eating any of them.

Fiber tends to be one of those things we don’t get enough of. If you review the Nutrition Fact list for a 2,000 calorie a day intake, 25gm of fiber is encouraged. This should be broken up by foods that are ‘good sources of fiber’ so that you get between 7 to 13 grams of fiber in each meal if you eat 3 meals a day. Good sources of fiber include beans, legumes, nuts, and whole grains along with whole fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Some examples of foods that are poor sources of dietary fiber are refined foods such as baked goods made from white flours and processed and canned fruits and vegetables.

Labels can be very deceiving so before you assume the product in your hand is good for you, please look at the Nutrition Facts and ingredients and think about what this food should really have in it normally. This does not mean you have to spend hours looking at labels and make you afraid to shop for food. The goal is to start eating the healthier foods available that are nutrient rich and less processed.