Victoria Shanta Retelny RD, LD

How do you know if a food product is good for you? It's simple: Look at the food label. However, it takes more than simply reading a label to ascertain a product's health benefits. For a nutrition assessment at a glance, the key is deciphering the Nutrition Facts panel.

Ingredient Tips:

A product's ingredients are listed in descending order (from highest concentration to lowest). A good rule of thumb is to look at the first FIVE ingredients on the list to find the product's main components.

Ingredients to limit include partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or fractionated oil (as they are trans fat) or high-fructose corn syrup.

Health Claims:

Food labels may relay important nutrition information, such as "cholesterol-lowering potential from soy protein" or "soluble fiber from oat bran," or "contains calcium for optimal bone health" or "prevents cancer with low-saturated fat content." All legitimate health claims must be approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Note: Supplements (such as vitamin tablets) are NOT regulated by the FDA; therefore, be cautious about what supplements you are buying, and why.

Foods to Emphasize Daily:

• Whole fruit and vegetables: 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruits per day (for 2,000 calorie diet)1. (1 cup of berries or 1/2 grapefruit or 1 small banana or medium orange; 1 cup broccoli, spinach, sweet potato, green peas, green beans, mushrooms, etc.)
• Whole-grain bread or cereal: 3 or more 1 oz. servings per day1. (1 slice whole wheat bread, 1/2 cup - 1 cup whole grain cereal, such as Kashi cereal, Fiber One, oatmeal or 2 small whole-grain waffles)
• Low-fat dairy products: 3 servings per day1. (1 cup of low-fat or skim milk, 1 cup low-fat yogurt or 1 oz. low-fat cheese, such as Swiss, mozzarella or provolone)
• Lean meats, poultry, beans, nuts and legumes: 5 1/2 oz-equivalents per day (for 2,000 calories diet)1. (3 oz. lean beef, skinless chicken or turkey breast; 1/2 cup black, kidney or white beans; 1 oz. almonds or walnuts; 1 tbsp. peanut butter or 1/4 cup lentils)
• Oils and fats: RDA: 7 tsp. per day or 27 grams (for 2,000 calorie diet)1. Use sparingly (1 tbsp. olive oil or canola oil, 2 tbsp. flax seed)
• Nutrients such as protein, fiber, calcium, iron and vitamins A and C. The Percent Daily Value will tell if the nutrient value is high or low. The general rule for a 2,000 calorie diet = 5% is low; 20% is high.

1 USDA Mypyramid Food Guidance System Education Framework. Accessed here.