In part-1, we talked about serving size, the number of servings per container, the total calories per serving and different kinds of fats and how to interpret them on the nutrition facts label. We will continue our way down the list and talk about the remaining parts on the label and interpret them accordingly.

1) Cholesterol-

The next number is the amount of dietary cholesterol per serving in your food product. Now, this is a kind of fat that the body needs in small amounts. Remember, dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol is not the same. While blood cholesterol is made by your liver to help your body digest the fat and repair cells dietary cholesterol is cholesterol present in foods of animal origin, not plant based foods.

Dietary cholesterol does not raise your blood cholesterol as much as saturated and trans fats, but it does stimulate the liver into increasing its production of cholesterol. Therefore, the recommendations are to maintain the dietary cholesterol to less than 300 milligrams a day for healthy people and less than 200 milligrams a day for people who have heart disease and high blood cholesterol.

Some common sources include egg yolks, shrimp, lobster, red meat and organ meats like liver, kidney and brains. The yolk of one large egg contains as much as 214 milligrams of dietary cholesterol and doctors recommend that healthy people consume no more than four egg yolks a week.

6) Sodium-

Be on the lookout for Sodium. Reading the food label for the sodium value is important as excess salt intake can cause your body to retain water, which in turn increases the volume of blood and eventually cause high blood pressure, more so- if you are already overweight.

The recommended salt consumption is no more than 2300 milligrams or about 1 teaspoon of table salt- a day. This amount includes all your salt consumption- both from food packages and also the salt you use in cooking and at the table. To really see a reduction in your salt intake, carefully check the amount of salt or sodium content in the food package and as a good rule of thumb, see to it that it is less than 140mg of sodium per serving. Preferably, choose foods that indicate they have low sodium, reduced-sodium, sodium-free or with no salt added.

Some food sources high in sodium include luncheon meats, canned vegetables and soups, flavor packets in rice and pasta mixes, smoked meats, potato chips and many condiments like mustard, soy sauce and ketchup. A number of additives like MSG, baking soda, baking powder can also add significant amount of sodium to your foods. So, be on the lookout for these ingredients and make sure you read the labels thoroughly.

7) Carbohydrates-

This is next on the list and the most important source of energy for our body. The calories from total carbohydrate intake should be around 50%- 60% of your total calorie intake every day. For example, if you are on a 2000 calorie diet a day, your calories from carbs should be around 1000 to 1200 calories.

Since each gram of carbohydrate gives 4 calories of energy, this number should work around 250-300gms of carbohydrates per day. If you are trying to lose weight, of course the total number of calories from all your food products is what you must calculate – remember your bank account analogy?

Just like fats, there are both good and bad carbohydrates which are named simple (bad) and complex (good) carbohydrates. Simple carbs taste sweet and are easy to digest, however they can cause a sudden rise in blood sugar (glucose) levels -something which a diabetic or prediabetic needs to avoid.

As simple carbs in white bread, pasta, and white rice have been highly refined, they lose the fiber rich outer barn and nutrient rich inner germ of the grain which contains important vitamins and minerals.

Complex carbohydrates on the other hand, get absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly and thus do not raise the blood sugar levels immediately. Foods containing complex carbs such as whole grain, breads, brown rice, cooked dried beans and vegetables contain more vitamins, minerals and other nutrients when compared to simple carbs.

To understand your food product better about its carbohydrate content, look below the carbohydrate section for the dietary fiber and sugars. If the food is high in sugars, it is more likely a simple carbohydrate where as if the dietary fiber is higher, it is a complex carbohydrate.

8. Dietary fiber-

This is nothing but the carbohydrate found in the cell walls of plants and it helps to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. High fiber foods can help your body cells more sensitive to insulin ( in a person with type 2 diabetes, the body cells are highly resistant to insulin, causing glucose to build up in the blood stream), thus regulating the blood sugars effectively.

Also, dietary fiber rich foods can make you feel full- thus helping you keep your weight down. It also reduces the risk of heart disease and helps keep the intestinal tract functioning well thus reducing constipation.

Very good sources of dietary fibers include cereal grains like barley, oat bran and oatmeal, fruits, legumes, peas and vegetables. Insoluble dietary fibers like the ones found in whole grain breakfast cereals, omega-3-fatty acids, edible skins of many fruits and whole foods (complex carbohydrates) can help in softening and bulking up the stool and keeping the intestinal tract function optimally.

A good rule of thumb is to eat about 28 grams of fiber for a 2000 calorie diet. This can seem a lot but simple substitutions in your diet can make you easily achieve this goal. I talk more about this in this article.

9) Sugars-

I already talked about sugars in the carbohydrate section. Remember, the lower the number, the better.

10) Protein-

This is the third most important food group in the list which should form anywhere between 12%- 20% of your total calorie intake on a daily basis. Again for a 2000 calorie intake per day, that is 240 to 400 calories per day from your proteins. Since each gram of protein gives 4 calories of energy, this would lead to 60gms of protein to not more than 100gms of protein an entire day.

Sadly, Americans eat lot more protein than they need. Can it cause any harm? Yes, of course. Your kidneys are loaded with the job of taking care of the excess waste from the protein and the kidneys need to excrete out excess water to get rid of this waste. This not only increases the risk of dehydration in a person who exercises vigorously but also along with the water loss, they also lose muscle mass and calcium from their bones. Other than that, this excess loss of water can strain the heart and so it is wise to limit the protein intake within the recommended guidelines.

Read the labels, and combine different kinds of proteins. Plant foods have incomplete proteins which mean that they do not provide all the building blocks of proteins from your diet ( which are essentially 10 out of 20 amino acids- the remaining 10, your body can produce on its own).

So combine different plant proteins if you are a vegan to acquire the complete proteins you need. Animal proteins, on the other hand, supply complete proteins (all the essential 10 amino acids) but do make sure that you choose lean cuts of meat, poultry without any skin and dairy products that are low in fat or fat-free.

11) Vitamins-

The area below this shows the percent of daily values of vitamin A and C, Iron and Calcium. Generally, American foods do not cause any kinds of mineral or vitamin deficiencies but what may be of concern is excess consumption.

So the percent values are a good guideline for preventing excess consumption of these vitamins and minerals. I talk more in detail about vitamins and minerals and whether to supplement or not to supplement in this article.

12) Daily Recommended allowances-

This section helps you calculate your daily allowance of various carbohydrates, fats and proteins for both a 2000- 2500 calorie per day diet.

13) Footnote-

This is the place for special notes. The federal government has approved the use of certain health claims on packaged foods. Some of the examples include-

a) A diet low in fat and rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce your risk for some cancers.
b) A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and grains may reduce the risk for heart disease.
c) A low intake of calcium is one risk factor for osteoporosis.

Finally, there is a small place beneath the footnote where terms such as “low” “high” “free” are used and is not always present in every nutrition label.
These must meet strict requirements, for example- a food described as low-fat must have no more than 3 grams of fat per serving, while a low sodium food should not contain more than 140 grams of sodium per serving. Similarly, a low calorie food must have no more than 40 calories per serving.

So, I am sure you must have had a thorough understanding of the food labels by now. I really hope these two articles will help you better understand all the nutrition facts and guide you to make the right food choices. Next time you pick up your favorite package of food- be sure to turn around and read every bit of information.

Fore more information and updates on food labels, visit the FDA site on how to understand and use the nutrition facts label

Good luck to all your fitness goals…any comments are appreciated.

Tagged as: Food Labels, Nutrition Facts Labels