By Cliff Walsh
Some studies have shown that only 60% or so of Americans read the Nutrition Facts panel on food packaging and only 50% read ingredient lists. Reading food labels and ingredients lists and understanding how to interpret the information is key to making healthy food choices, and something Americans obviously need to do a better job of, given that roughly 35% of the U.S. adult population is estimated to be obese.
Food companies don't make it easy to find out what's in their food. They uses the smallest type possible. They don't want you to know how unhealthy their product is or what unpronounceable chemicals you're eating. The powerful food lobby spends a great deal of money keeping transparency to a minimum and your focus on the front of the package where they make marketing claims that often lack oversight or don't mean what you think they mean.
The nutrition information of food packaging was created by the FDA, which mandates that food producers put it on their processed foods. This information helps consumers understand what they're eating by providing per serving data of fat, carbohydrates, and protein, as well as fiber, cholesterol and salt/sodium. You may have noticed the percentile information next to each macronutrient or vitamin. It is based off of the government's recommended daily amount. It tells you that the food's serving size represents X% of cholesterol or whatever nutrient you are looking at.
There are some issues you need to be aware of. First, these percentages only relate to a 2,000 calorie diet. You need to figure out your RDA's based on your own healthy calorie intake, not the average person's intake. Furthermore, the RDA percentage is often mistaken for a breakdown of the content of the food's nutrients. It is not. A product may show a 10% number for fat, but it could be over 60% or more of the food's nutritional value (or lack there of).
When looking at the actual ingredients list, the number of ingredients is often a good clue if an item is clean or not, although it' not a fool-proof method. You certainly want to eat as close to whole foods as possible, but if there are ten ingredients and they are all organic with no chemicals, it's cleaner than something with three ingredients that have preservatives or a sweetener. The ingredients are also listed in size order. The greatest quantity is listed first down to the smallest.
If I don't know a chemical or ingredient in a packaged food, I think about two things. Do I need to a PHD in chemistry to make this myself? Would I add this to my meal if I made it myself? You will probably want to avoid any ingredient you don't know, and certainly if you wouldn't add it to a home-cooked meal. Not too many people would go food shopping for TBHQ, high fructose corn syrup, or food dye yellow #5 to throw into their next pasta dish or hamburger.
The marketing claims on the front of a packaged food are typically worthless. Although some of them are straightforward and have oversight, like USDA Organic or Non-GMO Verified, most others have significant issues. They are either meaningless like the "all natural" food claim, which can be filled with chemicals and additives or their is no oversight. If you want to eat healthy, it pays to forget these claims or understand their shortcomings, and read your food labels.
Food companies don't make it easy to find out what's in their food. They uses the smallest type possible. They don't want you to know how unhealthy their product is or what unpronounceable chemicals you're eating. The powerful food lobby spends a great deal of money keeping transparency to a minimum and your focus on the front of the package where they make marketing claims that often lack oversight or don't mean what you think they mean.
The nutrition information of food packaging was created by the FDA, which mandates that food producers put it on their processed foods. This information helps consumers understand what they're eating by providing per serving data of fat, carbohydrates, and protein, as well as fiber, cholesterol and salt/sodium. You may have noticed the percentile information next to each macronutrient or vitamin. It is based off of the government's recommended daily amount. It tells you that the food's serving size represents X% of cholesterol or whatever nutrient you are looking at.
There are some issues you need to be aware of. First, these percentages only relate to a 2,000 calorie diet. You need to figure out your RDA's based on your own healthy calorie intake, not the average person's intake. Furthermore, the RDA percentage is often mistaken for a breakdown of the content of the food's nutrients. It is not. A product may show a 10% number for fat, but it could be over 60% or more of the food's nutritional value (or lack there of).
When looking at the actual ingredients list, the number of ingredients is often a good clue if an item is clean or not, although it' not a fool-proof method. You certainly want to eat as close to whole foods as possible, but if there are ten ingredients and they are all organic with no chemicals, it's cleaner than something with three ingredients that have preservatives or a sweetener. The ingredients are also listed in size order. The greatest quantity is listed first down to the smallest.
If I don't know a chemical or ingredient in a packaged food, I think about two things. Do I need to a PHD in chemistry to make this myself? Would I add this to my meal if I made it myself? You will probably want to avoid any ingredient you don't know, and certainly if you wouldn't add it to a home-cooked meal. Not too many people would go food shopping for TBHQ, high fructose corn syrup, or food dye yellow #5 to throw into their next pasta dish or hamburger.
The marketing claims on the front of a packaged food are typically worthless. Although some of them are straightforward and have oversight, like USDA Organic or Non-GMO Verified, most others have significant issues. They are either meaningless like the "all natural" food claim, which can be filled with chemicals and additives or their is no oversight. If you want to eat healthy, it pays to forget these claims or understand their shortcomings, and read your food labels.
About the Author:
You can learn more at my website Food Labels or my blog at dangerous food additives
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