HOW TO.. Read a Nutrition Label!

I dont know about you but I have always struggled with how to read nutrition labels, they are confusing! I see all the nutrients and contents but I am never sure on what amount is healthy to consume and what I should be avoiding. So for all those like me who have been avoiding looking at that nutrition label, I have created a simple how to in hopes that it will motivate me and others to really understand what we are feeding our bodies! 

        

 HOW TO...   Read A Nutrition Label! 

Serving Size/ Servings per Container= IMPORTANT! Look and see how many servings you are getting in each product. For example, in a bottle of soda the nutrition label shows that there are 2 servings per bottle, this means having to multiply all nutrients and calories by 2. So make sure you take that into consideration when looking at the rest of the nutrition label.

Calories=  Look at the calories per serving! If it shows 60 calories per serving you are probably saying to yourself, "Hey! That is not too bad! I am going to eat this whole thing!""But be careful and remember to look at the amount of servings per container. So if you are eating a bag of chips and the nutrition label states that there are 60 calories per serving and then you look at the amount of serving and see that it says 10 serving per bag and do the math in your head and realize "60x10= 600!!! Woah! That is not good at all!" Then you can adjust the amount you are going to eat or choose an option with less calories.

Fat/ Cholesterol/ Sodium= You want to limit the amount of FAT content in any food product. That includes Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Cholesterol and sodium.

             ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION...
             - You don't want TOTAL FAT to reach a total of more than 56-78 grams (g) a day
             - You don't want more than 16 grams (g) of SATURATED FAT
             - You want less than 2 grams (g) TRANS FAT
             - You want less than 300 milligrams (mg) of CHOLESTEROL 

% Daily Values=  Looks at the percent (%) of each nutrient per serving

Fiber, Sugars, Protein, Vitamins, Calcium and Iron= You want to make sure you are consuming or eating enough of these nutrients everyday.

Fiber-  A good source of fiber is 2.5-4.9 grams (g) per day according to the American Heart Association.

Sugar- You want to try and keep sugar amount as low as possible.

Protein- The amount of protein you should consume daily is based on your weight you can find a protein calculator by clicking the link below:

lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blproteincalculators.htm

Calcium- The amount of calcium you need daily is based on your age! Look at the table below provided by the Office of Dietary Supplements and National Institutes of Health.

Life Stage	Recommended Amount
Birth to 6 months	200 mg
Infants 7–12 months	260 mg
Children 1–3 years	700 mg
Children 4–8 years	1,000 mg
Children 9–13 years	1,300 mg
Teens 14–18 years	1,300 mg
Adults 19–50 years	1,000 mg
Adult men 51–70 years	1,000 mg
Adult women 51–70 years	1,200 mg
Adults 71 years and older	1,200 mg
Pregnant and breastfeeding teens	1,300 mg
Pregnant and breastfeeding adults	1,000 mg