Tuesday, July 6, 2010

A New Way to Read a Food Label


To avoid the confusion associated with trying to read and decipher all of the numbers on a food label, try this: don't do it! Seriously. We can find all of the valuable information related to how a food will effect our overall health by skipping over the calories, fat, and calories from fat sections and going immediately to the ingredient list. It won't take long to learn what belongs in a food, and what doesn't. Here are some clues:
-If you don't know what an ingredient is, it doesn't belong in your food
-Generally, if there are more than 5 ingredients, avoid it
-If there are added colorings, preservatives, and/or flavorings, put it back
-Avoid most things with Canola Oil, or other processed (and toxic) oils
-Avoid anything with added sugars
-Shop for things that don't need a label. SIMPLICITY is key! Our bodies are meant to eat things that come from the earth, not laboratories or factories.

So really, stop fretting over the numbers on a label. And, if you must read the label, key into these few numbers:
-Sugars (lower is better)
-Fiber (higher is generally better)
-Protein (higher is better)

You'll drive yourself mad trying to keep track of numbers all day. Instead, begin to focus on the QUALITY of the food you're eating. Eat organic, fresh, whole foods. It's hard to overdose on the things that nourish our bodies and souls.

3 comments:

Jen said...

Very well said!! Concise and to the point! I love it!!

Fit With Flash said...

I like it!

Anonymous said...

Great to know! I buy a lot of organic foods. But I've stopped buying organic lettuce - I kept on finding caterpillars and what nots on it and although that's a good sign, it was a bit yucky... (once I even took care of a caterpillar and it really became a butterfly. Or was it a moth? Not too sure but it grew wings!) I'm following!

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