Home
>
Nutrition
>
Reading Labels:Understanding Fiber, Fat, Carbohydrates, Etc

Reading Labels:Understanding Fiber, Fat, Carbohydrates, Etc

Since 1994, food manufacturers have required the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include food labels on all packaged food items. Labels can be a tremendous help in controlling our diets-but only if we understand them. Here is a primer to use as you browse the labels in your panty and at the grocery:

Serving Size. The serving size is listed at the top of the label. This is an important part of meal planning and also where many people go wrong. To get the total number of carbs, calories, etc., in an item, simply multiply the listed units by the number of servings. You may be surprised at how many items you assume are only 1 serving that are actually 2 or 3. The smaller the item, the more likely you are to make mistakes.

Calories. Calories are the units of energy within a food item. When you eat, your body converts calories into energy, uses what it can, and then stores the rest in the form of fat. On labels, you'll find separate numbers for calories and calories from fat. The fat calorie number refers to the number of calories derived from fat. The higher this number, the more fat in the product. For example, a can of diced tomatoes may have 30 calories (units of energy) and 0 calories from fat, making this a product your body can use efficiently. However, a prepackaged children's snack may have 130 calories with 40 calories from fat, making the processed food item a less efficient source of body fuel.

Daily Percent Values (% DV). These tell you what portion of the recommended amounts of an item (fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, etc.) are in a single serving in comparison to how much you need for a full day. You should take this number in account when selecting items from the grocery shelf. For example, it you are going to buy a bottle of pasta sauce, and Brand A provides 11% DV of fat and Brand B provides 40% DV of fat, the best choice is Brand A. Be sure to look at the numbers in the context of all the others on the label. If brand A turns out to be heavy on the sodium, you should continue to shop, taking a look at Brand C and Brand D.

Fat, Sugar, Fiber, Sodium and Carbohydrates. These are the sections of the label that seem to draw the most attention from dieters. However, everyone should consider them important. If you have dietary food restrictions, high blood pressure, or diabetes, these numbers could mean the difference between remaining in good health and heading towards the danger zone. If you are on a low carb diet, you can monitor your protein intake by paying attention to the carbohydrate and sugar content. Likewise, those on a low fat diet will want to know the fat and fiber content.

The FDA provides information on what specific label terms are supposed to mean.

"No fat" or "fat free" means that the item contains less than 1/2 gram of fat per serving, "Sugar free" means that the item contains less than 1/2 gram of sugar per serving, and "Good source of fiber" indicates 2.5 g to 4.9 g. per serving. A full list can be obtained from the FDA website. You'll note that there is no definition for "low carb," so be particularly wary when this phrase is used.

Gavin Dye is author and webmaster at http://www.kitchen-equipment-4u.com, your online resource for cooking equipment and healthy recipes

weekly home cleaning Highland Park ..

In The News:

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

Reading Labels:Understanding Fiber, Fat, Carbohydrates, Etc

Nutrition