Mis-leading nutrition labels and 3 Tips

Mis-leading nutrition labels is one of my pet peeves! (Kenny will tell you that I have many pet peeves, but I promise, this is a major one!) I feel that mis-leading labels could be one major contributor to today's obesity epidemic, and to those questioning why they can't lose weight when all they eat is processed low fat, organic foods. If you're like me, someone who reads every single ingredient on labels before placing an item in the cart, these labels guide your purchasing decisions (and can be a money saver!). If you're a label reader, you'll notice packaged foods that claim to be healthy, (i.e.: low fat, all organic, low sugar, high in protein, etc.) are easy to find. And just maybe you're someone who's quick to throw a low fat item in your cart, because it must be healthy if the front of the label says so? Keep reading, I'm going to teach you the top 3 things that I look for on nutrition labels.

Here's the deal. A study posted in March 2017 in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Diabetes found that certain nutrition claims are no guarantee you're choosing the most nutritious option. Companies are smart and don't tell you exactly what they mean by "low-sugar". Low-sugar in relation to what? One single nutrient does not give you the whole picture of what's exactly in that food item. Often when they take out an ingredient, they replace it with something else to give the product flavor and so that it doesn't taste like card board. For example, a "reduced-fat" peanut butter may have 25% less fat than a full-fat version, but it will have a high sugar content, and the calorie difference won't be enough to make a huge difference. Why would you eat a reduced fat peanut butter to eat one with sugar added instead anyway? Healthy fats are good for you, never eat sugar in place of healthy fat! Next time when deciding on the best food or drink, base it on the information provided in the ingredient list and on the Nutrition Facts panel—not the meaningless label on the front. Here are 3 things that determine my purchase: 1. First and foremost, is there ANY kind of sugar added? Meaning, on the ingredient list is sugar listed as an ingredient? Anything that even sounds the slightest bit like sugar, like high fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, coconut sugar, cane sugar etc. Any form of sugar, is an automatic no in my book. If you're not sure if a word means that it's sugar or not, Google it! There is enough natural sugars in other foods that we eat, it's not something that I need to add into my diet unless I'm treating myself. 2. How many ingredients are listed on the ingredient list? My rule of thumb is that if there's more than 8 then it's typically not the best option. More than 8 usually means a bunch of ingredients were added that are most likely not natural. If you can't pronounce a word, that's a big hint to it being over processed. 3. Is hydrogenated/partially hydrogenated oil listed as an ingredient? If it is, then it's an automatic no. Hydrogenated oils can affect heart health increasing “bad” (LDL) cholesterol and lowering “good” (HDL) cholesterol. Food manufacturers use them to save money, extend shelf life and to add texture. Clearly, they aren't watching out for your health. In Conclusion: Spend most of your time in the produce. Try adding as many vegetables and fruits as possible into your cart first. Processed items should be very minimal. Try to create things like sauces and dressings from scratch. Generally, the shorter the ingredient list, the better. Look out for ingredients that you don't recognize or can't pronounce the names of. Avoid items with sugar added! You should be consuming food, not chemicals. Fuel and energize the body with whole natural foods, don't break it down and destroy it by feeding it processed junk.

#Nutrition #labelreading