FOOD LABELS 101

1. Look at the Serving Size:

Frequently, pre-­‐packed food products contain more than a single serving portion: the nutritional table will show you the breakdown per 1 serving only.

2. Check Calorie Count:

Average daily calorie intake is 1,800 - 2,000 kcal for women and 2,200 - 2,500 kcal for men. Even though counting calories is not something I would recommend, it is still important to have an approximate guideline on the number of calories you are consuming per day to avoid overeating. Always check the calories in each product, and remember to take into consideration the serving size. For example, if you choose a food with 700 calories per serving, keep in mind that is approximately one - third of your daily calorie intake.

3. Avoid Trans Fat:

Avoid any food that contains trans fats, which raise bad cholesterol levels and slow down metabolism. This means, stay away from foods that contain partially or fully hydrogenated oils.

4. Check Sodium Intake:

The maximum recommended daily intake of sodium is approximately 1 tsp (2,300mg). Therefore always check and keep track of the amount of sodium you are consuming per day. Consuming high amounts increases the risk of developing hypertension and high blood pressure. In addition increase water retention, which causes bloating. Sometimes, sodium is listed as salt in the nutritional facts table, so keep in mind: 1 gram salt = 400 mg sodium.

5. Avoid added sugars:

Sugar can be added and hidden under different names:

- Dextrose

- Fructose

- Galactose

- Glucose

- Lactose

- Levulose

- Maltose

- Sucrose

- Raw Cane Sugar

- Maltodextrins

- Maple Syrup

- Honey

- Corn Sugar

- Corn Sweetener

- High Fructose Corn Syrup

- Invert Sugar

- Isomalt

Keep in mind 4g of sugar = 1 tsp of sugar. The less sugar you eat per day the better. Always remember you must not exceed 3 - 5 tsp per day, which is equal to: 15g - 25g sugar.

6. Stick with a short ingredient list:

The shorter the ingredients list, the better. Also, if you cannot pronounce it, you should not eat it!

7. For bread, pick bread made of whole-grain flour:

In the ingredients list, the word ‘Whole-Grain’ must be found. If not, the product is not made from whole-grain flour. Enriched flour, fortified flour and unbleached flour do NOT mean the product is whole-grain.

Eat Clean, Look Lean!