Sorting through the Food Labels

1. Keep fat intake moderate.  Fat turns to fat deposits in the body, and the wrong kinds of fat clog arteries.  Plus a little fat carries a lot of calories.  Select mostly healthy fats (plant-based): avocado, nuts, nut butters, olive oil and canola oils.

Read the label and focus on the Saturated Fat.  Saturated Fat < 10% of daily value.

2. Select Whole Grains.  Be adventurous and select a variety of whole grains besides bread, pasta and rice: kasha, quinoa, bulgar, spelt, couscous, polenta, oats etc.  Aim to reach 25-35g fiber per day.

Read the label: The first word on the ingredient list should say “whole”.  Beware of products that whole grain appears lowers on the ingredient list.  Do not be fooled by wheat flour or enriched flour on the label, it’s not whole grain!

3.  Keep your Sodium intake low.  An average intake is 4000-5000mg of sodium per day.  Lowering your sodium intake to 2400mg or less will decrease your risk of cardiovascular events.

Read the labels and add up your sodium intake for one day...is it above 2400mg?

4.  Select natural food choices vs. processed foods.  Many chemicals found in food have been shown to cause problems later; don’t run the risk of finding out about harmful chemicals.

Read the Label:  Items to look for to avoid: Partially hydrogenated oil, high fructose corn syrup, as well as considering limiting sugar substitutes: Nutrasweet and Equal (aspartame), Sweet-n-low (saccharin) or Splenda (sucralose).

5.  Watch the Sugar.  Keep the sugar off the food label or low on it! 

4g of sugar = 1teaspoon of sugar.