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Nutrition Class 3: Label Reading What to Aim For: Sodium: <1500mg/day (500mg/meal) Sodium should be less than total calories of food item. Total Fat: 56-78g/day Cholesterol: <300mg/day (for most people) Saturated Fat: <16g/day <3g per meal Must be whole grain Whole grain is first ingredient on list. Added sugar should not be in the first 5 ingredients The least amount of ingredients the better! Fruits and vegetables don’t have a food label!! Elimination Foods Elimination Foods Trans Fats – Hydrogenated Oils Saturated Fats (<3g per meal or <16g/day) Added Sugar Non-whole grain Product Nutrient Density – Bang for your Buck! First and foremost- Eat more foods with no label! 4 Look at the Ingredients First! Look for ingredients that represent REAL food. Stay away from products with elimination foods in the first 5 ingredients. Avoid foods that have some form of sugar (or sweetener) listed among the top ingredients. Thanks to food science, there are forty some types of sugar in processed food. Sugar is sugar. And organic sugar is sugar too! Added Sugar on Labels Trans Fat Implying No Unhealthy Fats Edy’s Dibs Bite Sized Frozen Snacks boast “0 g trans fat!” per serving but contain 16 g of saturated fat (80% of the Daily Value). Non-100% Whole Grain Reading Nutrition Label HANDOUT Don’t assume the serving size on the label is what you think a serving should be. Confusing Serving Sizes According to the label, this soup has “about 2 servings.” But half of consumers surveyed consumed the contents of the entire 18.8 oz. can. Health Claims A health claim is a label statement that describes the relationship between a nutrient and a disease or healthrelated condition. Health claims require manufacturers to collect scientific evidence and petition FDA for approval Before health claims are approved FDA examines enough scientific evidence to establish a clear link between diet and health. FDA Approved Health Claims Calcium and osteoporosis Sodium and hypertension Dietary saturated fat and cholesterol and risk of coronary heart disease Dietary fat and cancer Fiber and cancer FDA Approved Health Claims Fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain fiber and heart disease Fruits and vegetables and cancer Folate and neural tube defects Sugar alcohols and tooth decay Soluble fiber from whole oats and psyllium and heart disease FDA Approved Health Claims Soy protein and heart disease Whole grains and heart disease and certain cancers Plant sterol and plant stanol esters and heart disease Potassium and hypertension and stroke Structure-Function Claims Structure-function claims are statements that characterize the relationship between a nutrient or substance in a food and its role in the body. Unlike health claims where manufacturers must collect scientific evidence and petition FDA for approval, structurefunction claims can be made without FDA approval. The only criterion for a structure-function claim is it must not mention a disease or symptom. Structure-Function Claims Structure-function claims can be quite similar to “A” list health claims. Compare the following: “May reduce the risk of heart disease” “Promotes a healthy heart” 1st FDA list approved health claim 2nd unapproved structure-function claim Example Structure-Function Claims Builds strong bones Defends your health Promotes relaxation Slows aging Improves memory Guards against colds Boosts the immune system Lifts your spirits Supports your health Ignoring the Approved Health Claims This cereal hypes the presence of green tea to support healthy arteries. However the FDA’s studies for green tea relates to cancer, not heart disease. Problems with Function Claims There is no evidence that the product supports” a child’s immune system, although that claim is stated on the front and back of the package label. The cereal is about 40% sugar – a quintessential “junk food.” And the Myths Continue…. These Veggie Crisps are made with a few grams of tomato puree and spinach, not a “bountiful blend” as they claim. 1 oz serving = 7gm fat and 0% Vitamin A and C The “Natural” Claim These “all natural” banana slices are fried, sweetened, and pumped with “natural banana flavor”. Each ¼ cup serving supplies 150 calories and of the 8 gms of fat, 7 are saturated. A McDonald’s Quarter Pounder has 8 gms saturated fat!! Apps Fooducate http://www.fooducate.com/ What about artificial Sweeteners? Aspartame Splenda NutraSweet Sweet N Low Pros Fewer to no calories Some can be sweeter tasting than sugar Cons Not enough known Perhaps leads to consumption of more calories throughout day Artificially sweetened foods may replace nutritious foods Does not allow taste buds to “adjust” to natural flavors Sodium The general recommendations are 2300 mg/day 1 tsp. New CDC recommends as low as 1500 mg/day for people with high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and overall inflammation. ¾ tsp. Sodium and your Health An individual does not need more than 116 mg/day to maintain a healthy body. Helps with fluid balance in your body, helps transmit nerve impulses, and influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Many Americans consume more than 4000 mg/day (2 Tbsp)of sodium. Risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, kidney disease, and stroke. Understanding Sodium Goal to shoot for: <1500mg sodium/day No added salt or Unsalted Check seasoning labels to see if “salt” or “sodium” are listed among the ingredients. Tips & Tricks Stay away from processed foods Take the salt shaker off the table Don’t cook with salt Drain and rinse canned foods, since they are packed with sodium When dining out, ask that your foods be prepared without salts Always Read Labels: Soups, deli meat, hot dogs, & ham Choose crackers, nuts and other snack foods with NO ADDED SALT Use herbs in cooking which are salt free AND provide antiinflammatory benefit