Spotlight on: Food Labels

How do you read food labels correctly to make the right food choices?

Whether you are a dedicated label reader or avoid them entirely, UVA dietitian Teller Stalfort, MPH, RD, has tips on how to decipher the nutrition facts and listed ingredients that are most important to your health.

What are the most important items to look for on the Nutrition Facts label?

Start at the top and work your way down. Serving size (the amount in one serving) is the most critical piece of information. This is the quantity of food on which the rest of the food label is based. Compare your portion (the amount you eat) to the serving size and make note of how many servings the package contains.

Many people aren’t aware that by eating (or drinking) the entire package, they have likely consumed several servings. For example, a 20-ounce soda bottle contains 2.5 servings, so if you drink the entire bottle thinking that you have only consumed 100 calories (listed on the label for the single, 8-ounce serving), you can quickly get into trouble.

Calories, and the remaining nutrients, are all listed in amounts per serving. To watch your waistline, pay special attention to the number of calories. To stave off heart disease, limit your saturated and trans fat intake, which will help keep your total fat intake in a moderate range. Keep your cholesterol and sodium intake low to keep your arteries healthy and flexible.

It’s not all about limitation – foods that are high in fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron can help you avoid chronic disease and keep your energy level up. And if you’re a diabetic, carbohydrates hold special interest for you – don’t just focus on the sugar content. Your goal is to assess the total carbohydrate content of the food (or beverage) and decide how this food or beverage fits into your meal plan.

What are the parameters for a “heart-healthy” pick?

In general, heart-healthy picks are those that contain (per serving):

• 100 or fewer calories
• 3g or less of total fat
• 1g or less saturated fat
• 0g trans fat
• 20mg or less of cholesterol
• 140mg or less of sodium
• 3g or more of fiber

What are some common traps – label items that often are misinterpreted?

In 2006, federal law required trans fats to be placed on the Nutrition Facts label due to their negative impact on cholesterol levels. Since then, savvy consumers have noticed that 0g may be listed on the food label for trans fats but their source, partially hydrogenated oils, may be listed in the ingredient list. This is because the FDA allows a 0g amount to appear on the label if the product contains less than half a gram per serving. This is concerning to many people who are trying to consume as little trans fat as possible because if you consume more than one serving of a food that contains just shy of the allowable amount, you can, in fact, get close – or exceed – the recommended daily limit of 2g or less for those following a 2,000 calorie daily diet. The solution: choose products that list 0g of trans fat and do not contain partially hydrogenated oil.

Many, in an effort to eat healthier, choose fat-free or sugar-free items in hopes that they are following their doctor’s advice to eat a heart-healthy diet. We applaud efforts to change, but remind everyone that these health claims do not mean calorie-free or sodium-free and should not be consumed freely. Chowing down on sugar-free ice cream or fat-free crackers without keeping up with how many calories or grams of sodium you’ve consumed can quickly sidetrack your attempts at improved heart health.

Using the food label – looking at all the nutrients and calories together – can guide you toward choosing healthier foods in appropriate amounts.

Can you explain the %DV information?

The Percent Daily Values (%DVs) are based on the Daily Value recommendations for a 2,000 calorie daily diet and are listed for most nutrients on the food label. The exceptions include trans fat, protein and sugar because no reference values have been set for these nutrients. The %DV is best used as a reference point to help you compare one food to another and whether a serving is high or low in a particular nutrient. A general rule of thumb: 5% or less is considered low and 20% or more high. So a food that has a %DV of 4% for sodium and 20% for fiber would be a good choice for a breakfast cereal; same would go for a yogurt that has 5% for total fat and 20% for calcium. Remember, the %DV are per serving – don’t let portions get away from you.

Are there ingredients commonly used that you should look out for?

Added sugars contribute little but empty calories, so be watchful for the following in the ingredient list: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey and maple syrup.

Avoid foods that list partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient, as they are sources of harmful trans fat that can raise your total and bad LDL cholesterol and contribute to cholesterol build-up and hardening of the arteries.