Decoding Nutrition Labels

Nutrition Label - Whole Wheat Penne PastaThe example shown here is from a box of whole wheat penne pasta. The first thing to notice is the definition of Serving Size since all the other information is related to 1 serving. Here we see that 1 serving of this pasta is 3/4 cup. It also tells us that there should be approximately 8 servings in this box of pasta. All the other information is based upon 1 serving, so if you eat 1 serving of this pasta, you will consume 210 calories and 15 of those calories are from fat.

For a 1200 calorie meal plan, the recommended Carbohydrate intake is approximately 150 grams.  That 3/4 cup contains a lot of complex carbohydrates, since the Dietary Fiber and Sugar components are relatively small at 5 and 2 grams respectively. For a person who has an elevated amount of triglycerides in their blood, lowering their Carbohydrate intake will also improve their triglyceride level.

Shopping Healthy

You can’t eat what you don’t have in your refrigerator or pantry.  This obvious truth is the foundation for developing and using a meal plan that will help you attain your weight loss goal.  Since food shopping is so critical for your success, I have listed a few tips to help you when you head to the grocery:

  • Make A List & Stick To It – Shopping smart starts with planning. Before you go to the grocery, make a list of the foods you need to get. By sticking to the list you will avoid making poor food choices.
  • Don’t Shop Hungry – Another tip is to avoid going food shopping when you are hungry. You are more likely to impulsively buy high caloric, unhealthy “junk” foods then. So take your list after you’ve had a meal, and you’ll be more likely to make healthier food choices
  • Read Nutrition Labels – Comparing nutrition labels is most helpful in choosing between one or more similar products or among brands of the same food. If you have high blood pressure or heart failure, you should minimize your sodium intake, so you can use the information on the Nutrition Labels to choose foods with lower Sodium content. If you have a high level of cholesterol in your blood, use the information to choose those foods lower in Cholesterol, Saturated Fat and Trans Fat to lower your blood cholesterol as well as your risk for heart attack and stroke.

Since knowing how to read Nutrition Labels is so important to choosing the healthier foods, I’ll talk about that in the next post.

For Your Health – Dr. Bob