RDI’s, RDA’s and UL’s (oh my!): Guide to Vitamins and Minerals

Ah, a new week. Another chance to learn, reflect, and gasp “oh my goodness I can’t believe it’s already September!” To be fair, it’s been the 9^th month for 13 days thus far, but sometimes it takes a while to sink in.

You know how to read the label AND the box of food, what your plate should look like, so what about vitamins, minerals and all the other fortified goodies?  The healthy things lurking inside the food you eat unbeknownst (or known) to you. I’ve complied a guide to vitamins, minerals, signs of deficiency and over consumption, and good sources of each.

Reading the Nutrition Label: Part Two

Welcome back! This is a continuation of last week’s blog where I took a closer look at reading the standard nutrition label, beyond calories and %DV’s (percent daily values).

If you missed part one, click here. I examined

• What it means when a food contains the word “imitation” (hint: it’s got less of the good stuff)
• Why “juice” will never be as simple as it sounds (read the ingredients!)
• The sad truth is that we’ll never know what’s in special sauce unless someone decides to bottle and sell their special sauce.

First up to bat: Nutritional Content Claims

Reading the Nutrition Label: Part One

Today's topic is the allmighty nutrition label. I’m sure we’re all familiar with picking up a box or bag of something and reading the food label. It's a snapshot of what to expect inside: serving size, calories, fat calories, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, all based on an "average" 2000 calorie per day diet. Typically we’ll look at everything that’s highlighted on the image below, right?