Decoding nutrition labels for a healthier diet

BY KATHY HAGOOD

        It should be easy to shop for food that nourishes us properly and helps us maintain a healthy weight. After all the Food and Drug Administration requires food products to be labeled with nutritional information.
        However most of us haven’t learned how to decipher nutritional labels so we don’t get as much benefit from the information as we could.
        “Nutrition labels can be confusing for the average person,” said Kerri Napoleon, a registered dietician with YMCA of Florida’s First Coast.
        One of the biggest misconceptions is the size of a serving. Many people assume what they consider a portion in real life to be one serving. Actually it may be two, three, four or more servings according to the standard serving size designated on a label.
        “Portion distortion” leads many of us to believe that we are taking in fewer calories, fat, salt and sugar than we actually are.
        “Average portion sizes have dramatically increased over the years in this country, and it’s become a major cause of obesity,” Jodi Brindisi, a registered dietician with Baptist Medical Center.
        So a good first step is to look at the actual size of the serving on the label, she and other dieticians recommend. Everything listed on the label is based on that standard serving size.
        The serving typically is listed in grams as well as in terms such as “½ cup” or “two tablespoons.” Those of us who aren’t familiar with such measurements would do well to measure out food a few times to learn what such servings sizes look like.
        Depending on the specific product, it may take some calculation to understand what a serving actually is.
        For example, one 34-gram serving of Oreos Sandwich Cookies, which provides 160 calories, equals three cookies. So if you eat nine cookies, three servings, you’re taking in 480 calories, about one fourth of the 2,000 calories needed by the average woman every day and one fifth the calories needed by the average man.
        And nine Oreo cookies also amounts to three times the amount of fat and saturated fat listed on the nutrition label.
        “There’s nothing wrong with eating a few Oreos as a treat. Every food can fit into a healthy diet if you take portion size into account,” Brindisi said.
        Of course if a particular food is a trigger for over eating, it may be best not to keep it at home.
        “We all have triggers. Some of us can’t just eat a handful of potato chips. Some of us can’t stop with a few Oreos,” Brindisi said. “For me it’s ice cream, so I choose to just occasionally enjoy a small cup of it when I’m out.”
        When looking at the amount of calories in each serving, it’s important to keep in mind your own individual calorie needs based on your particular age, height, weight and activity level, said Melissa Stewart, a registered dietician with the Mayo Clinic.
        “If you look at the footnote on the label it’s based on a 2,000-calorie diet, what an average woman needs each day to maintain a healthy weight,” Stewart said.
        Of course we’re not all average, so it’s good for each of us to know our actual calorie needs. Stewart recommends visiting http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598 to use the Mayo Clinic’s calculator to determine the calories you need to maintain your current weight.
        If you’re trying lose weight, you’ll want to cut and/or work off an average of 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week or 1,000 calories a day to lose two pounds.
        Speaking of fat, another section of the nutrition label addresses the percent daily value of fat, cholesterol and sodium, each of which if consumed in excess can lead to dangerous health conditions.
        “And if you already have a health condition such as heart disease or high blood pressure, you will need to consume less than your average healthy adult,” Stewart said.
        For example, people with heart disease or elevated cholesterol levels will likely be directed by their physician to keep their cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat intake lower than 100 percent of the percent daily value, and those with high blood pressure to keep their sodium intake to a minimum.
        But even healthy adults should pay careful attention to the daily limits to avoid developing such conditions in the future. Some foods are particularly high in salt and/or fat and should only be eaten occasionally in limited quantities.
        “In general there really aren’t any forbidden foods, it’s just how you incorporate them into a balanced diet,” Brindisi said.
        Foods containing healthy fats, including olive oil and unsaturated fats in foods such as salmon, avocado and nuts, should be sought out. The Mayo Clinic recommends 20 to 35 percent of a person’s daily caloric intake should be from healthy fats.
        Healthy fats are important for good nutrition, to keep meals satisfying and to help keep hunger pangs at bay.
        While healthy fats aren’t typically listed on labels, they are included in the amount of “total fat,” so if saturated and trans fats are lower than the total fat, that’s a good indication the product contains healthy fats. A look at the ingredients listed can help determine if healthy fats, such as olive oil, are in the product.
        Many products boast they are “low fat” or “reduced fat,” but an inspection of the nutrition label will help consumers sort out if a product is really healthier, Napoleon pointed out.  For example, reduced fat peanut butter may have 10 less calories per serving, but it includes greater amounts of unhealthy fat and sugars.
        “When it comes to peanut butter, regular peanut butter is actually healthier,” Napoleon said.
        While carbohydrates sometimes get a bad rap, the Mayo Clinic recommends 45 to 65 percent of total daily calorie intake be in the form of carbohydrates. Healthy complex carbohydrates include whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
        The amount of sugars listed under carbohydrates is especially important to check. Healthier products typically contain less than 5 grams of sugars, Napoleon said. A look at the ingredient list will help you determine what types of sugars or sweeteners are being used.
        Protein is listed in grams on the nutrition label. Ten to 30 percent of a person’s recommended daily caloric intake should be in proteins, the Mayo Clinic suggests.
        “Protein helps our body rebuild itself and keeps us sated,” Stewart said.
        Fiber is listed on nutrition labels because it’s important in lowering cholesterol in the blood and keeping the digestive system regular.
        “A food containing 3 to 4 grams of fiber is good and 6 to 8 grams or more is excellent,” Napoleon said.
        Recommended daily values of fiber for women are between 21 and 25 grams and 30 and 38 grams for men, according to the Mayo Clinic. Those on weight-loss programs can benefit from eating even more fiber.
        Not all vitamins are required to be listed on the nutrition label, but information about critical nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron are. Manufacturers may list additional beneficial nutrients in the product such as vitamin E, folic acid, etc.
        “I tell my patients to look at the percentages of A, C, calcium and iron. Five percent or less is low, 20 percent or more is high, which is more desirable,” Stewart said.
        If a food has little or no vitamins or beneficial elements such as fiber you may want to limit how much you eat of it.
        And while studying the nutrition label don’t forget to take a hard look at the ingredient list. Ingredients listed on the label are in order based on the amount of each ingredient, so if the first, second or third ingredient is sugar that means there’s a lot of sugar in the product.
        Highly processed foods tend to contain many ingredients, especially ingredients not normally associated with natural foods, Brindisi said.
        “Compare labels of products in similar categories. Some will contain fewer ingredients. Those will tend to be healthier choices,” she said.
        For additional information on the FDA’s Nutrition Facts Label, visit http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/ucm078889.htm#see1