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5 Simple Tricks to Reading Nutrition Labels

nutrition label decoder

If you find yourself confused by food labels, you’re not alone. Understanding nutrition labels can be a daunting task and we know it can be tricky and confusing.

Here’s a list of tips for reading food labels and knowing how to make healthy choices for you and your family.

Watch Out for Serving Sizes

Think that cup of yogurt or bottle of juice is just one serving? Not so fast. Many foods are packaged with more than one serving, meaning if you eat or drink the whole thing, you’ll need to double (or sometimes) triple the amounts on the nutrition label. And don’t let a smaller package fool you. It’s fairly common for small packages to contain multiple servings.

Learn more about healthy eating.*

Read the Ingredients

Make sure to check the ingredients, as they list the actual contents of your food. This can sometimes be tricky if you’re new to the game because there are a lot of ingredients with weird names, if not multiple names for a single ingredient. Many of the “bad” ingredients are those that don’t occur in the foods naturally. Check out this quick list to give you an idea of which ingredients to avoid.

Bring a Cheat Sheet

If you’re new to the world of nutrition, or are trying to take in a lot of information, it can be stressful to try to memorize everything right away. Save yourself some confusion by bringing a cheat sheet of things you need to remember with you. This cheat sheet from PBS Kids is a good place to start.

Remember—Not All Calories are Bad and Some Fats are Good

When we think about healthy eating, we might assume that we need to stick to a low-calorie, low-fat diet. Remember, not all calories are created equal. Don’t count out a food just because it has a high number of calories or amount of fat—it might also be high in other things that are good for you, like dietary fiber, vitamins or minerals. Foods like avocados, nuts and fish are healthy for you in moderation. Try to avoid foods and drinks with “empty calories,” like in soda and packaged baked goods. These foods offer little nutritional value in exchange for their calories and fat.

Understand the Difference Between “Reduced” and “Low”

You’ve seen them before, those bright, attention grabbing labels on food products that scream “low fat” or “reduced calories.” But what does that really mean? This part can get tricky so we’ve included a quick break-down:

  • Low fat: An item that contains 3 grams of fat or less per serving can claim to be low in fat. (Make sure you keep up with those serving sizes.)
  • Reduced fat: If a food product contains 50% or less of the fat found in the original product, companies can label them as reduced in fat.
  • Fat free: This one is tricky and companies are able to round down if the product has less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving with no added fat or oil.
  • Reduced calorie: This can mean that there are at least 25% fewer calories per serving than the original product.
  • Low calorie: This means that there can only be a maximum of 40 calories per serving.

Armed with the right information, you’ll be able to make the most out of your next grocery trip. Don’t forget to bring your cheat sheet, and remember to pay close attention to those nutrition labels and ingredients. Soon enough, you’ll be shopping like a nutrition pro.

Glenneth Reed

A body positive health coach and personal trainer, Glenneth Reed blogs at Your Path to Fit, which focuses on health and wellness for women 35 and older who are ready to take charge of their health. She is a native Knoxvillian and still lives there with her husband, both UTK graduates. Learn more about her transition from being a couch potato to walking over 150 5Ks at www.yourpathtofit.com.

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Get more information about specific health terms, topics and conditions to better manage your health on bcbst.com. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee members can access wellness-related discounts on fitness products, gym memberships, healthy eating and more through Blue365®. BCBST members can also find tools and resources to help improve health and well-being by logging into BlueAccess and going to the Managing Your Health tab.

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A body positive health coach and personal trainer, Glenneth Reed blogs at Your Path to Fit, which focuses on health and wellness for women 35 and older who are ready to take charge of their health. She is a native Knoxvillian and still lives there with her husband, both UTK graduates. Learn more about her transition from being a couch potato to walking over 150 5Ks at www.yourpathtofit.com.

WellTuned provides inspiration and practical advice for healthy living.
WellTuned does not offer medical advice. Any personal health questions should be addressed to your doctor.

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