How to Read a Food Label
The first ingredient listed is the largest ingredient
Nutrition Tips
Fiber
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Prevents constipation
Lowers your risk of digestive conditions
Lowers blood cholesterol levels
Controls blood sugar levels
Aids in weight loss
How much fiber do you need?
Age 50 and younger Age 51 and older
Men
38 grams
30 grams
Women
25 grams
21 grams
Your best fiber choices
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Grains and whole-grain products
Fruits and vegetables
Beans, peas and other legumes
Nuts and seeds
Food item
Fiber content in grams
Split peas, cooked, 1 cup
16.3
Red kidney beans, boiled, 1 cup
13.1
Raspberries, raw, 1 cup
8.0
Whole-wheat spaghetti, 1 cup
6.3
Oat bran muffin, medium
5.2
Pear, medium with skin
5.1
Broccoli, boiled, 1 cup
5.1
Apple, medium with skin
4.4
Oatmeal, quick, regular or instant, cooked, 1 cup
4.0
Green beans, cooked, 1 cup
4.0
Brown rice, cooked, 1 cup
3.5
Popcorn, air-popped, 2 cups
2.3
Whole-wheat bread, one slice
1.9
Tips for increasing fiber:
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Start your day with a high-fiber breakfast cereal — 5 or more grams of fiber per serving.
Switch to whole-grain breads. These breads list whole wheat, whole-wheat flour or
another whole grain as the first ingredient on the label. Look for a brand with at least 2
grams of dietary fiber per serving.
Eat more whole grains and whole-grain products. Experiment with brown rice, barley,
whole-wheat pasta and bulgur.
Take advantage of ready-to-use vegetables. Mix chopped frozen broccoli into prepared
spaghetti sauce. Snack on baby carrots.
Eat more beans, peas and lentils. Add kidney beans to canned soup or a green salad. Or
make nachos with refried black beans, baked tortilla chips and salsa.
Eat fruit at every meal. Apples, bananas, oranges, pears and berries are good sources of
fiber.
Make snacks count. Fresh and dried fruit, raw vegetables, and low-fat popcorn and
whole-grain crackers are all good choices.
Adding too much fiber too quickly can cause intestinal gas, abdominal bloating and cramping.
Increase fiber in your diet gradually over a period of a few weeks. Also, fiber works best when it
absorbs water so drink plenty of water.
Salt
How much sodium do you need?
Between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams (mg) a day for healthy adults. The lower your sodium, the
better for not elevating blood pressure.
Three main sources of sodium:
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Processed and prepared foods. Most sodium in a person's diet comes from eating
processed foods, such as canned vegetables, soups, luncheon meats and frozen foods.
Sodium-containing condiments. Table salt, soy sauce, salad dressing, Ketchup,
mustard.
Natural sources of sodium. Sodium naturally occurs in some foods, such as meat,
poultry, dairy products and vegetables. 1 cup of low-fat milk has about 107 mg of
sodium.
How to cut sodium
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Eat more fresh foods and fewer processed foods. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are
naturally low in sodium. Also, fresh meat is lower in sodium than luncheon meat, bacon,
hot dogs, sausage and ham are. Buy fresh and frozen poultry or meat that hasn't been
injected with a sodium-containing solution.
Opt for low-sodium products. Select products that say “reduced sodium”
Remove salt from recipes whenever possible. You can leave out the salt in many
recipes, including casseroles, stews and other main dishes. Baked goods are an
exception. Leaving out the salt could affect the quality as well as the taste of the food.
Limit your use of sodium-laden condiments. Salad dressings, sauces, dips, ketchup,
mustard and relish all contain sodium.
Use herbs, spices and other flavorings to enhance foods. Learn how to use fresh or
dried herbs, spices, zest from citrus fruit, and fruit juices to flavor your meals.
Use salt substitutes wisely. Some salt substitutes or light salts contain a mixture of table
salt (sodium chloride) and other compounds.
Your taste for salt is acquired, so it's reversible. As you decrease your use of salt gradually your
taste buds will adjust.
Trans Fats
What is trans fat? Trans fat comes from adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process
called hydrogenation. Trans fats are more solid than oil, making them less likely to spoil.
Why are they bad? Trans fat raises your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and lowers your "good" (HDL)
cholesterol.
Where are trans fats found? Store bought baked goods such as crackers, cookies and cakes and
in many fried foods such as doughnuts and french fries. Shortenings and some margarines also
are high in trans fat. Look for the words "partially hydrogenated" vegetable oil. That's another
term for trans fat.
Sugar
If you are concerned about your intake of sugars, make sure that added sugars are not listed as
one of the first few ingredients. Other names for added sugars include: corn syrup, highfructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, and maple
syrup.
Information received from U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html
The Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/