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Subject: |
Breaking Through the Label Clutter |
| Date: |
2009-09-28
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Breaking Through the
Label Clutter
By Cheryl Tallman
www.FreshBaby.com
A key to healthy eating is knowing just what you are eating. In our
modern day of processed food convenience, this often means that reading
the box, bag and carton labels on foods is a crucial piece of
knowledge. It's hard to understand labels and claims and some of it can
be downright misleading. Here are a few tips to help you quickly assess
a food label.
What's first on the list? Ingredients
are listed by quantity, with the highest quantity ingredient first.
When shopping, read what the number one ingredient is on the label. For
example on your son's favorite cereal is the first ingredient wheat or
sugar?
Whole Grains are better. The
more "whole" the ingredients, the longer it will take your body to
digest it. Plus, a lot of the nutrients are in the whole part of the
grain kernel. Does your son's box of cereal have a claim on it for
"Whole Grains?"
Less sugar is better. Sugar is
mentioned on the nutrition facts label in "grams" per serving. 1 gram
of sugar equals 1/4 teaspoon, or 4 grams = 1 teaspoon. According to a
NY Times article about sugar content in breakfast cereals, many popular
brands contain 16 grams of sugar per serving (4 teaspoons) or more.
Avoid HFCS and Trans Fats: Try
to find healthier alternatives to products that contain high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS) and hydrogenated oils. Both of these ingredients are
linked to unhealthy eating.
Can you pronounce everything on the
label? The less preservatives, colors and additives the better.
If there are several ingredients you can't even pronounce, put the
product back on the shelf and find another option.
About the author: Cheryl Tallman
is the co-founder of Fresh Baby, creators of the award-winning So Easy
Baby Food Kit. Visit Cheryl online at www.FreshBaby.com for more delicious tips. Permission granted for use on
DrLaura.com.
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