Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Spring 2002)
TOPIC: Food for thought: Check the label
 
by chryss cada

Claudia Baker carries a calculator through the grocery store aisles not because she’s watching her money, but because she’s watching her calcium intake.

"Over the holidays I noticed what a toll osteoporosis had taken on the older women in my family," said the 45-year-old administrative assistant. "My New Year’s resolution is to make sure I’m getting enough calcium."

During the busy after-work rush at Wild Oats Market, Baker is one of only a few people who turn food packages over to read the nutrition label before putting them in their cart.

"I would say that a lot of people don’t read nutrition labels on food," said Diane Moeller, a dietitian at Health Bridge. "Many people don’t know how to interpret what the label is telling them."

It has been a decade since the Food and Drug Administration redesigned nutrition labels, yet many consumers have yet to decipher it.

What information to look for on a nutrition label depends on the type of food, Moeller says, For example, if you're looking at bread, it's useful to look for the fiber content. If you're buying dairy products, you would want to check how much protein and calcium you're getting.

Nutrition labels work in conjunction with ingredient labels, and you'll need to look at both, Moeller says, Again, it matters what food product you're looking at. In bread, for example, look for whole grains, Watch for ingredients to avoid, such as partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Just the facts, please
Reading the nutrition labels can seem like a daunting process. Here are some things to consider:
 
Serving size
Don't assume the serving is the entire package. Items such as snack-sized bags of chips may contain more than one serving.

Saturated fat
This is the type linked to heart disease. Try to keep your daily intake below 15-20 grams.

Fiber
Look for products high in fiber. Cereals ideally should have at least 5 grams per serving or more.

Calories from fat
Fats contribute 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and proteins only contain 4 calories per gram. One teaspoon of fat or oil has 45 calories.

 
Cholesterol
Present only in foods made from animal products. Saturated fat is more of a factor in heart disease than cholesterol.

Calcium
Determine calcium milligrams by adding a zero to the percentage (80 mg, in example above). Note: The reference on labels is 1,000/mg/day and your needs may be different.

The "Percentage Daily Value" number gives you a general idea of a food’s nutrient contribution to a 2,000-calorie (which is about average) reference diet. For example, in a glance you can tell roughly how much of your daily calcium need will be met or how much of your daily allowance for fat will be used up if you eat one serving of the product.

"You can’t plan your diet on labels alone," Moeller says. "But they can provide you with information to head you in the right direction."