Are you worried about cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, or simply losing weight, you want to eat a healthy diet and focus on foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, and balanced in fats, carb, protein.

There is only one way to incorporate healthy foods into our diet and that the decision to do it! Practical information on nutrition and food security, we use it is important that this resolution.

One way to learn more about what we eat, to snoop around the supermarket. Check-out package labels to see what is produced by adding (or removing) from the food we eat. Additional information about the package and start making comparisons to determine which foods are best for you. Note on nutrition labeling and the sometimes sneaky ways that manufacturers that is hidden in foods. He knows and understands the parts of the statement, how to apply and what are some of the “technical” definitions. They are unfamiliar ingredients good or bad for health?

Since 1994, food manufacturers are required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to include the labels (or Nutrition Facts labels) on the packaging so that consumers have accurate information on the nutritional food they buy. But the labels are more than just a federal requirement - once you understand the information it contains, you can use labels as a guide to planning healthier meals and snacks.

Food labels are required in almost all foods except those that do not provide many nutrients such as coffee, alcohol and spices. Although some restaurants provide information about the food they serve is not required to have labels. FDA recommends that sellers provide nutritional information on products, meat, poultry and seafood, but is strictly voluntary.

What is a status of delivery?

On top of a Nutrition Facts label on food, you see the size and number of servings in the package. The remainder of the nutrition information on labels is based on a job.

Calories, calories from fat and percentage of daily values

This part of the food label gives calories per serving and the calories from fat. If you need to know the total number of calories you eat per day, or the number of calories from fat, this section contains this information. Do not forget that the label does not say that you are eating saturated and unsaturated fat.

On the right side of the food label, you’ll see a column that shows the percentage. These percentages are based on the percent daily value (% DV). Percent daily values tell you how what is the fat, sugar or vitamin A, a service will be compared with how much you need for the day. It will help you estimate what percentage of a nutrient requirement met by a portion of the product. One way to implement this section is a sign of the comparison shop. For example, if you’re worried about sodium, you can see from the two foods and choose foods with a lower% DV. Want to eat low fat diet? Look for foods that have a lower percentage of daily value of fat.

The% DV is based on how much or how little of key nutrients you should eat if you eat 2,000 or 2,500 calories per day. So if you eat a 2000 calorie diet, you eat less than 65 grams of fat in all foods, eat on. If you eat 12 grams of fat in a portion of their macaroni and cheese (remember that a cup), you can calculate how much fat you have left for the day. You can use the bottom of the food label in white to compare what you eat in the% DV you have the opportunity of nutrients, whether from fat, sodium or fiber. If you need more or less 2000 or 2500 calories, you have to adapt to this change.

Nutrients

Fat, sugar, sodium and carbohydrates

Sections on food label shows the name of the nutrient and the amount of nutrients that a portion of food. You may need to know this information, especially if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or eating diet that restricts certain nutrients such as sodium and carbohydrates.

Food labels also contain information on the amount of sugar and protein in food. If you have low sugar or diet that you monitor your intake of protein, it is easy to see how these nutrients are contained in a service.

Vitamins, minerals and other information

The light purple part of the label lists nutrients, vitamins and minerals in food and their percent daily values. Try to average 100% DV every day for vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and fiber. Do the opposite with fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Try to eat less than 100% of DV.

To avoid errors when reading the nutrition labeling

Until you get used to reading food labels, just confused. Avoid these mistakes when reading labels:

A label in May saying that a food is reduced fat or reduced sodium. This means that the amount of fat and sodium, was reduced by 25% from the original product. That does not mean that a food is low in fat or sodium. For example, if you can soup originally had 1,000 mg sodium, reduced sodium product is still a high-sodium foods.

-Do not confuse the% DV for fat with the percentage of calories from fat. If the% DV 15%, that does not mean that 15% of calories from fat. Conversely, that means that you will use up to 15% of all the fat you need a day with a service (based on the meal plan of 2,000 calories per day).

-Do not make the mistake of believing that the amount of sugar on the label means that the sugar was added. For example, of course, the milk sugar called lactose. But that does not mean you should stop drinking milk, milk, because it is full of other important nutrients, including calcium.

Reading Label Lingo

In addition to requiring that packaged foods contain a Nutrition Facts label, the FDA also regulates the use of phrases and terms used in product packaging. Here is a list of common phrases that you can look at your food packaging and what it really means.

No free fat or fat - which contains less than 1 / 2 grams of fat per serving Lower or reduced-fat: contains at least 25 percent lower than the reference food. (For example, you can reduce fat cream cheese, where at least 25 percent less fat than original cream cheese.)

Low fat - containing less than 3 grams of fat per meal.

Lite - Contains 1 / 3 the calories or 1 / 2 fat serving the original version or a similar product.

No calories or calorie free - Contains less than 5 calories per.

Low calories - Contains 1 / 3 of the calories in the original version or a similar product.

Sugar free - contains less than 1 / 2 grams of sugar per hectare.

Reduced sugar - at least 25% less sugar per hectare than reference food.

Without preservatives - the product contains no preservatives (chemical or physical).

No preservatives added - contains no chemicals to preserve the product. Some of these products contain natural preservatives.

Low sodium - containing less than 140 MGS sodium in the workplace.

No salt or salt free - Contains less than 5 MGS sodium in the workplace.

High fiber - 5 g or more per serving (Foods making high fiber claims must meet the definition of low fat, or the amount of total fat should be a complement to high-fiber claim).

A good source of fiber - 2.5 grams to 4.9 grams in the workplace.

More or added fiber - Contains at least 2.5 g more per serving than reference food.

With a little practice, you know your new found knowledge about food labeling to work. Re your diet and decide what should be changed. Start by eliminating foods that do not meet your nutritional needs and wants, and replace them with more nutritional substitutes.

And while you’re at it, visit the FDA website and learn about the new labeling requirements, including those for “trans” fats. Like saturated fats, trans fatty acids, fat can raise levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and increase the risk of heart disease. The “Nutrition Facts” food packaging must provide this information on January 1, 2006, but most producers will start to notice.