Weight Loss Tip: Read & Understand Food Labels
When you really need to lose weight, it helps tremendously to actually
read the labels of food you're buying and eating. Even better than
reading those labels though, is understanding what they mean.
Many food items these days carry labels boasting how healthy they are
for you: "Low Fat", "Reduced Calorie", and other claims are written
all over the packaging... but do you really know what those claims
mean? You might actually be surprised.
These labels - or claims - are regulated by the FDA. What they
actually mean however, isn't always exactly what they say. For
instance, something marked "Cholesterol Free" might actually have
Cholesterol in it. Takie a look at some of the FDA guidelines and
you'll see what I mean:
* Fat-Free: Less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving, with no added fat
or oil
* Low fat: 3 grams or less of fat per serving
* Less fat: 25% or less fat than the comparison food
* Saturated Fat Free: Less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 0.5
grams of trans-fatty acids per serving
* Cholesterol-Free: Less than 2 mg cholesterol per serving, and 2
grams or less saturated fat per serving
* Low Cholesterol: 20 mg or less cholesterol per serving and 2 grams
or less saturated fat per serving
* Reduced Calorie: At least 25% fewer calories per serving than the
comparison food
* Low Calorie: 40 calories or less per serving
* Extra Lean: Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and
95 mg of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood
* Lean: Less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg
of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood
* Light (fat): 50% or less of the fat than in the comparison food (ex:
50% less fat than our regular cheese)
* Light (calories): 1/3 fewer calories than the comparison food
* High-Fiber: 5 grams or more fiber per serving
* Sugar-Free: Less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving
* Sodium-Free or Salt-Free: Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving
* Low Sodium: 140 mg or less per serving
* Very Low Sodium: 35 mg or less per serving
(Source: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flg-6a.html)
As you can see, reading the labels becomes very important with most of
the claims made. If someone where to buy a product labeled "Reduced
Fat", they generally think they're eating healthy. But if the product
is normally extremely high in fat, the "reduced" version only has to
have 25% less than the regular one in order to put that claim on their
package. And 25% less than something that's pretty high to begin with
is usually higher than you want for optimal health and weight loss.
The same problems occur with food items labeled "free". Cholesterol
free, sugar free, calorie free, etc. - these are a bit misleading.
When you buy a cholesterol free product, you're not getting zero
cholesterol. You're only getting a small amount, but the point is
you're not getting "zero", which is what the label implies.
So when you're working hard to lose weight, be sure to read the
labels... even on those items that say sugar free, calorie free, or
fat free. And if they actually do have a little bit of sugar, calories
or fat, be sure to factor that in to your overall daily intake. Doing
this one little thing can make a big difference in how fast you lose
weight, as well as how much you lose.
Need more help with your weight loss efforts?HREF="http://www.electronicperceptions.com/adv/dcb/">Click here for an
excellent, safe, and all natural solution.
© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Kathy is a professional published
writer who covers a variety of popular topics such as health, fitness,
decorating, and gardening. Find more articles by Kathy atHREF="http://www.electronicperceptions.com/new/category/free-content/">http://www.electronicperceptions.com/new/category/free-content
When you really need to lose weight, it helps tremendously to actually
read the labels of food you're buying and eating. Even better than
reading those labels though, is understanding what they mean.
Many food items these days carry labels boasting how healthy they are
for you: "Low Fat", "Reduced Calorie", and other claims are written
all over the packaging... but do you really know what those claims
mean? You might actually be surprised.
These labels - or claims - are regulated by the FDA. What they
actually mean however, isn't always exactly what they say. For
instance, something marked "Cholesterol Free" might actually have
Cholesterol in it. Takie a look at some of the FDA guidelines and
you'll see what I mean:
* Fat-Free: Less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving, with no added fat
or oil
* Low fat: 3 grams or less of fat per serving
* Less fat: 25% or less fat than the comparison food
* Saturated Fat Free: Less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 0.5
grams of trans-fatty acids per serving
* Cholesterol-Free: Less than 2 mg cholesterol per serving, and 2
grams or less saturated fat per serving
* Low Cholesterol: 20 mg or less cholesterol per serving and 2 grams
or less saturated fat per serving
* Reduced Calorie: At least 25% fewer calories per serving than the
comparison food
* Low Calorie: 40 calories or less per serving
* Extra Lean: Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and
95 mg of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood
* Lean: Less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg
of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood
* Light (fat): 50% or less of the fat than in the comparison food (ex:
50% less fat than our regular cheese)
* Light (calories): 1/3 fewer calories than the comparison food
* High-Fiber: 5 grams or more fiber per serving
* Sugar-Free: Less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving
* Sodium-Free or Salt-Free: Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving
* Low Sodium: 140 mg or less per serving
* Very Low Sodium: 35 mg or less per serving
(Source: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flg-6a.html)
As you can see, reading the labels becomes very important with most of
the claims made. If someone where to buy a product labeled "Reduced
Fat", they generally think they're eating healthy. But if the product
is normally extremely high in fat, the "reduced" version only has to
have 25% less than the regular one in order to put that claim on their
package. And 25% less than something that's pretty high to begin with
is usually higher than you want for optimal health and weight loss.
The same problems occur with food items labeled "free". Cholesterol
free, sugar free, calorie free, etc. - these are a bit misleading.
When you buy a cholesterol free product, you're not getting zero
cholesterol. You're only getting a small amount, but the point is
you're not getting "zero", which is what the label implies.
So when you're working hard to lose weight, be sure to read the
labels... even on those items that say sugar free, calorie free, or
fat free. And if they actually do have a little bit of sugar, calories
or fat, be sure to factor that in to your overall daily intake. Doing
this one little thing can make a big difference in how fast you lose
weight, as well as how much you lose.
Need more help with your weight loss efforts?
excellent, safe, and all natural solution.
© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Kathy is a professional published
writer who covers a variety of popular topics such as health, fitness,
decorating, and gardening. Find more articles by Kathy at
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