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?

Rules of Reading: Know the Source & Get the Full Story

Sifting through health-related studies can be a daunting task, especially when those studies get condensed into bite-sized paragraphs or scare-inducing headlines. For example, the New England Journal of Medicine recently released a twelve-page study titled Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men. The study followed 120,000 healthy individuals in health related professions for 20 years, checking in every 4 years to weigh them and assess their lifestyle habits.