Body Fit Tip
Reading Food Labels
Part I - How to Read Caloric Portion of a Label
Reading food labels can be tricky. Understanding the caloric portion of a food label, all the ingredients of the product, and the basis of claims of the product can be quite a challenge. The caloric portion of a food label gives you the following information:
* Total Calories Per Serving of the Product
* Calories from Fat, Per Serving
* Grams Per Serving of the following:
- Protein
- Fat
- Carbohydrates
- Sodium
* Percentages of those items as it relates to a 2,000 calorie intake (useless information!)
* Total Calories Per Serving of the Product
* Calories from Fat, Per Serving
* Grams Per Serving of the following:
- Protein
- Fat
- Carbohydrates
- Sodium
* Percentages of those items as it relates to a 2,000 calorie intake (useless information!)
First, it's important to know the serving size. If a serving size is a cup and is 100 calories, that's reasonable. If a serving size is a tablespoon and is 100 calories, that's not so good. Important!: The percentage of fat is not the actual fat content of the product. You determine the fat content by the calories from fat! For example:
Turkey Bacon - serving size 1 strip/slice
Calories: 70 calories From Fat: 45 Calories
Fat Grams: 5 grams % Fat: 64%
