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The
Link - Tips
Label Reading
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Food labels
provide a wealth of nutrition
information and facts about the foods
you eat. From the amount of calories,
fiber, fat and carbohydrate grams, to the
food’s ingredients, the food label is your
key to the nutrition the food provides,
and in making healthy food choices.
Reading a food label can help you increase
the healthy nutrients that you want to eat,
like fiber and calcium, and limit the ingredients
that can be unhealthy, like fat,
saturated and trans fat, cholesterol, and
sodium. Also, reading the food label can
help you compare products and choose
the healthiest for your dollar. Here are
some label reading tips to help get you
started:
1. Always check the Serving Size first. If
you eat more or less than the amount
stated on the label, then adjust the
calorie and nutrient value accordingly.
2. Calories listed are for one serving of
product.
3. % Daily Value (DV) tells you how
much of a day’s worth of fat, sodium,
etc., the food provides for a 2,000
calorie diet. Our advice: If a food has
20% or more of the DV, it is “high” in
that nutrient. “Low” means no more
than 5%.
4. Check the Grams of Total Fat.
Remember, it is important to decrease
total fats. Foods that contain less than
3 grams of fat per 100 calories are
considered low fat.
5. Avoid foods that have Trans Fat.
They could raise your LDL
cholesterol.
6. The American Heart Association
(AHA) recommends 300 mg/day or
less of cholesterol for those with
heart disease or any of the risk
factors.
7. The AHA recommends limiting
sodium to less than 2,300 mg or less
daily.
8. Total carbohydrates include fiber &
sugar.
9. Look for high fiber products. Aim for
20-35 grams per day.
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