Decoding Food Labeling

Expert Tells What Common Terms, Such As "Organic" And "Zero Trans Fat," Really Mean

(CBS) 

"Zero Grams Trans Fat:

The Food and Drug Administration allows food manufacturers to claim zero grams of trans fat as long as the product has less than half -a-gram per serving. These amounts of trans fat may seem insignificant, but they add up to more than what people should consume in a day.

Always read ingredient lists: Often, trans fats are being replaced with unhealthy saturated fats such as palm and coconut oils.

If you have any doubts about ingredients, it's probably not a food that's healthy to begin with.

Typically, foods that have trans fat, even thought they may be limited, are often high in calories and low in nutrients.

"Heart Healthy" is a label often seen on products that are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium; have zero grams trans fat; contain three grams of fat or less per serving; and have at least 0.6 grams of soluble fiber.

Bottom Line: If you are at risk for heart disease, choose foods with these labels. But remember: The best "heart healthy" foods are those found in the produce aisle! And they don't have such labels.

"Low Sodium"

"Low Sodium" means the product contains 2400 mg of sodium or less per serving

Excess salt in the diet can lead to elevated blood pressure or stroke. It's recommended that adults consume no more than 1300 mg of sodium per day. However, most Americans consume closer to 4000 mg/day.

Foods that are highest in sodium include packaged foods (such as chips and breakfast cereals), frozen foods (frozen dinners), and processed meats (bacon, deli meat, sausages, etc)

Bottom Line: Choose whole foods over packaged or processed foods, and add seasonings such as herbs and spices to add flavor. It's best to buy low-sodium versions of food and add salt during cooking to control the amount you use.

"Whole Grains"

Foods made from the entire grain seed, usually called the kernel, which consists of the bran, germ, and endosperm. If the kernel has been cracked, crushed, or flaked, it must retain nearly the same relative proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the original grain in order to be called whole grain.

Whole Wheat:

One type of whole grain. Whole wheat means the entire grain seed (wheat) is used vs. white flour, in which only the endosperm is used. The bran and the germ contain nutrients that are stripped away in the refining process.

[sharednotion]

I''m in favor of laws requiring thorough, accurate, and clear informational labeling on food. However, with all due respect to the new federal food pyramid guide, and expert advise from nutritionists & dieticians, wouldn''t most of us be better off following a simpler (tho technically less ideal)formula: Remember the "four food groups" many of us learned growing up? Milk (and other dairy products), Bread (grains in general), Meat (and fish & poultry, & other sources of protein such as peanuts, nuts, & soybeans), and Fruits & Vegetables? If everyone in America ate a good mixture of these, kept portion sizes & calorie intake under control, avoided sugar and cut down salt, and exercised a great deal more, wouldn''t our nation be a far healthier place, EVEN IF most of us never memorize all the detailed nuances that we hear preached at us by professional nutritionists when they are interviewed on television? I am NOT questioning their expertise; but HUMAN NATURE is not condusive to expecting an entire national population to think & act like computers, applying highly complex nutritional formulas in day-to-day life.

[richstew1]

This is an excellent and much misunderstood subject. The absolute best resource on this topic is Eating Between the Lines : a supermarket shoppers guide to the truth behind food labeling, Kimberly Lord Stewart. St Martins Press 2007. This book takes you on a journey through the grocery store aisle by aisle but the twist is engaging and interesting narratives before each section. A must for those interested in this labeling topic,

[richstew1]

This is an excellent and much misunderstood subject. The absolute best resource on this topic is Eating Between the Lines : a supermarket shoppers guide to the truth behind food labeling, Kimberly Lord Stewart. St Martins Press 2007. This book takes you on a journey through the grocery store aisle by aisle but the twist is engaging and interesting narratives before each section. A must for those interested in this labeling topic,

[richstew1]

This is an excellent and much misunderstood subject. The absolute best resource on this topic is Eating Between the Lines : a supermarket shoppers guide to the truth behind food labeling, Kimberly Lord Stewart. St Martins Press 2007. This book takes you on a journey through the grocery store aisle by aisle but the twist is engaging and interesting narratives before each section. A must for those interested in this labeling topic,

[richstew1]

This is an excellent and much misunderstood subject. The absolute best resource on this topic is Eating Between the Lines : a supermarket shoppers guide to the truth behind food labeling, Kimberly Lord Stewart. St Martins Press 2007. This book takes you on a journey through the grocery store aisle by aisle but the twist is engaging and interesting narratives before each section. A must for those interested in this labeling topic,

[richstew1]

This is an excellent and much misunderstood subject. The absolute best resource on this topic is Eating Between the Lines : a supermarket shoppers guide to the truth behind food labeling, Kimberly Lord Stewart. St Martins Press 2007. This book takes you on a journey through the grocery store aisle by aisle but the twist is engaging and interesting narratives before each section. A must for those interested in this labeling topic,