You Can’t Judge a Food by Its Label

I get so frustrated when I grocery shop; especially when I am perusing the canned and frozen food isles. Food manufacturers must assume we are all stupid or at best unable to read and discern the nutritional content on the labels.

It’s criminal really. They are literally creating a society of diabetic, overweight and diseased Americans. They are baiting consumers by attracting them to foods using words like low fat, healthy grain or high fiber. The reality is that the FDA has minimal requirements in regards to mandating that the content matches the label promise.

If consumers don’t get wise, the consequences will continue to worsen.

Here are a few tips for savvy label reading:

1. Check the serving size. You may be shocked when you realize you have been eating double or even triple the fat and calories. Make sure you look for the number of servings per container. For instance, what looks like 1 serving of chips in a handy bag containing ½ air, is really enough for 2 to 2 ½ people. A small can of chicken serves 2 ½ people. A box of wheat thins serves 10 people which are about 6 crackers per serving. Do the math—scarf down a few extra servings a day and you have potentially consumed 400-500 extra calories and 20 grams of added fat.

2. Beware of sodium content. I wrote a few months ago about the dangers of consuming excessive amounts of salt. Next time you purchase soups, frozen dinners, canned vegetables and the like, you may want to consider low sodium varieties. You may spend a few more cents, but it will be worth the health benefits. Look for sodium content of 10% or less on labels. Consuming any more than that on a regular basis puts you at risk of increased blood pressure, hypertension and heart disease.

3. Look at the ingredients carefully. If the first 2 to 3 ingredients include white flour or sugar and it’s not a candy bar or a cookie—DON’T BUY IT! Many cereals, for instance, that claim to be whole grain or whole wheat may only have trace amounts.

Ingredients are listed in order from greatest amount to least amount so you know if flour is listed before a whole grain product, the package claim is bogus. The same is true for labels that claim they are low in sugar and fat. Sometimes it is just lower in comparison to other products but still not low enough to be a healthy choice.

4. Skip foods that have 150 ingredients. If you can’t pronounce it, don’t buy it. Go as natural as you can, which means shop the perimeter of the store. Fruits, vegetables, cheeses, yogurts, lean meats, 100% whole wheat breads, fish, etc. are foods found at the outer walls of the store. They have fewer ingredients and are considered “whole foods” as opposed to chemically processed varieties.

Don’t be gullible! If you are the shopper in the family, be thorough and wise. Don’t settle for foods because they are convenient. Ask questions, read carefully and spend extra time in the kitchen.

For Questions or Comments email: suzanne_mcginnis@bellsouth.net.