Counting every calorie that you ingest is not only complicated but it’s downright impossible. Although you don’t need to know the exact caloric intake of each food or drink you consumer you should have an idea of what is in the foods you eat so that you can maintain your overall health.

And you don’t need fancy scales or complicated hand held computers to figure out what you should and shouldn’t be purchasing at the grocery store. Once you’ve cracked to food label code you will be able to choose the types of foods that will provide you with the best nutritional value.

Your first lesson in cracking the food label code is to learn what an actual food serving is. Many of us have become accustomed to super sized meals when, in actuality, a serving size is about a third of our regular serving of food.

Becoming comfortable with food labels is not rocket science. The info provided on each box, can and carton of food will tell you what the saturated fat content is, what the sodium content is, how much fat and fiber there is in the food and also how much cholesterol is found in each serving of the food.

But what exactly do all of these numbers mean? Here are some things you’ll learn about the food you’re about to eat when you study the food label:

The serving size

Take a look at what the serving size is and do your best to stick with it when consuming that food. You will most likely be surprised to see how small the suggested serving size is (1/2 cup as apposed to your usual 3 cups, or 5 crackers instead of 5 handfuls!) But the info on the food label reflects the recommended serving size and not your desired serving size.

The value of nutrients

The nutrients found in each suggested serving of a particular food is listed on that food’s food label. Keep in mind that the nutrients are calculated based on a 2,5000 calorie diet and a dietary allowance of 2,000. The nutrients found in the food are calculated based on a recommended daily value assigned to each particular nutrient.

The ingredients

Find out exactly what is in (and what isn’t in) the food you are about to consume by finding the ingredient listing on the food label. Keep in mind that the ingredients are listed from ones that are most used to ones that are least used. If water is the first ingredient it means that that particular food is made up mostly of water. If your veggie soup lists veggies last then you can rest assured that there are not too many vegetables in your meal.

Their promise

The producers of particular foods often make certain nutritional claims on their labels. It’s important to know what those promises really mean. If the can says sodium free then the food contains up to 5 milligrams of sodium for each serving. A low fat food can have up to 3 grams of fat per serving.

Share This Post

2009 Is The Year To Finally Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals

Get Up To 60% Off Of the Perfect Weight Loss Solution

Check Out How to Get Your Huge Discounts!