Reading Nutrition Facts Labels

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Transcript:
Many people are confused by the nutrition labels they see on packaged foods in the supermarket. Before we talk about some simple tips for reading those labels, it’s important to remember that some of the healthiest foods in the store - like fresh fruits and vegetables or a filet of fish - these foods don’t need nutrition labels to tell you they’re nutritious. So, one simple strategy for eating sensibly is to try, as much as possible to avoid foods with nutrition labels because, by definition, these are packaged - and more heavily processed - than fresh foods.
Having said that, since the majority of us eat at least some packaged food items, it’s good to know what to look for, especially if you’re comparing two packaged items and trying to make an informed decision.
Firstly, it’s important to keep in mind that the nutrition label may not reflect the contents of the entire package - there is often more than one serving in a single
container and this can be confusing and misleading to many people. I saw a mini loaf of banana bread in a shop the other day and thought “Hmmm, not bad. The sugar, fat and calories in this are pretty reasonable! Then, I saw that there were five servings in that mini-loaf. (Multiplied by 5, the nutrition label didn’t look so healthy anymore!) Underneath the serving size, we see total calories. This probably also isn't the best way to judge whether something is good for you or not, because some foods - like nuts and avocados for example - are high in calories but also very healthy as long as they’re eaten in reasonable amounts. But, if weight loss is a goal, and you’re comparing two cereals, for example, the calories in a packaged food item are something you want to keep an eye on.
The next thing to look at, especially if we’re comparing breakfast cereals, is the dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is important for maintaining gastrointestinal health, stabilizing blood glucose levels after eating and delaying the return of hunger. So, choosing a cereal that’s higher in fiber is usually a sensible thing to do. Next, we want to look at the sugars in the cereal. There’s convincing evidence that our modern epidemics of obesity and diabetes are, at least partly related to the fact that we tend to eat far too much sugar. To convert the amount of sugar (in grams) to teaspoons, just divide by 4. You might be alarmed to see that some children’s cereals contain five or more teaspoons of sugar per serving. Next, we want to look at the total amount of fat and the breakdown of the fat content in the food. In general the fats in processed foods tend to be less healthy than the fats found in plant foods like avocados or nuts - these are naturally occurring unsaturated fats. Saturated fats, like those found in red meats and butter can be eaten in reasonable amounts, and trans fats, which are more commonly found in processed foods - this kind of fat should be avoided entirely. In fact, legislation in the US was recently passed ordering food manufacturers to stop using trans fats, because of the associated increased risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease. Choosing foods with less sodium is also a good idea, given the fact that packaged foods often contain much more added salt than the less processed versions of those foods.
Nutrition labels will also often contain a list of vitamins and minerals found in the food and this can be misleading because added vitamins and minerals do not necessarily mean the food is healthy and, in fact, some unhealthy foods have added vitamins and minerals because the manufacturers of those foods know that nutrition claims tend to increase sales to the health-conscious consumer.
Course by Maya Adam, MD
Directed by William Bottini
Animated by Huy Tran
Editing by William Bottini & Tamsin Orion
Special thanks to Michael Pollan, Tracy Rydel, and David Eisenberg