By Kay Leaman, Health Architect, Certified Nutrition Advisor, HealthyDay HealthyLife
Ah, the joy of reading a label; it can truly make us wonder what all the names we can’t pronounce are and if they’re safe. Learning to use the information contained on a label for our benefit can cut our shopping time and improve our health.
Let’s start with the label itself. It is broken up into six categories.
- Servings – The label is based on a serving, so knowing how many servings are in the container is important. Here is an example of a popular soda drink: Serving size 12 oz., calories 150, sodium 55, carbohydrates 40, protein 0, servings per container 6. If you plan to consume 24 oz., multiply the above numbers by 2.
Tool Chest: Total carbohydrates divided by 4 = total teaspoons of sugar. In this scenario, you would be consuming 20 tsp. of sugar. A single serving of a tasty yogurt has 6.25 tsp. of sugar.
- Calories – Important if you are watching how many you eat.
- Carbohydrates – There are good and bad carbohydrates.
Tool Chest: Focus on carbs from nature and cut back on the carbs from factories.
- Fats – Choose olive or avocado oil and cut back on processed oils. Do your due diligence on olive oil, as many of them are mixed with other oils and currently don’t need to note it on the label. Also consider using real butter versus fake butter (better known as Vaseline). Natural will always be a better choice.
- Protein – Needs to be a quality protein to count toward daily intake.
- Nutrients – Tool Chest: The percentage listed is the recommended dietary allowance. This amount is the minimum the body needs to prevent a deficiency disease such as scurvy. It is not the optimal amount the body needs to function at its best.
Now, for some ingredients. Ingredients are listed in order of percentage from most to least. This category is an ongoing struggle due to the lack of strict guidelines. The corn industry has invested millions of dollars in defense of High Fructose Corn Syrup. With their help, this ingredient is now disguised under these syrup names as well: corn, maize, glucose, tapioca, fruit, crystalline, isoglucose, dahlia or invert sugar. And there are others.
Sugar has more than 65 different names, and often there are several sugars in a product. Rather than trying to remember them, use the carbohydrate equation above and then determine if you are willing to consume that amount.
Dyes are next on the list. These are chemical substances used to enhance the appearance of foods. They are normally reds, blues and yellows. They can be found in candy, sports drinks, frosting and baked goods, popsicles, condiments, cereal, sauces, preserved fruits, ice cream, packaged soups, snacks and canned peas. I buy my pickles from the international aisle. They are the only ones I’ve found that don’t have yellow dye added.
BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are antioxidants, synthetic preservatives made from petroleum and used in the food and manufacturing industries. They are found in food and cosmetics. They are prohibited in the EU and listed as known carcinogens. Canada Chemical Management states they are harmful to the environment. They are potential endocrine disruptors. I have found them listed just below the ingredients.
Tool Chest: A great place to start when reading ingredients is to pick a couple of labels of what you need and compare the number of ingredients. The longer list goes back on the shelf. Next, look for dyes and preservatives. After that, look for the hidden names for High Fructose Corn Syrup.
Changing out your “go-to” brands can be daunting, so pick a couple of things each time you go to the store and take some time to find your new healthier brand. I have found healthier options in the international aisle for some products. Many canned goods have sugar, but there are labels that don’t.
Every choice we make can affect our health. This journey can be frustrating at times, but it’s important to remember that little changes can make a big difference. Be patient and kind to yourself and enjoy the wonder of labels.
Here’s to Health! succeed.hdhl@gmail.com
