Nutrition
Understand and use the Nutrition Facts.
Don’t judge a food by the way its label looks. Read the Nutrition Facts section to find out the value of the food inside. Learning what the facts and figures mean can help you meet your nutritional needs.
Read the ingredients. Check for items that you or family members are allergic or sensitive to, such as peanuts, milk, eggs, and wheat.
Know that ingredients are listed in order from most to least.
Limit foods with added sugars, especially ones that list sugar sources first or second. These include:
* Sugar (sucrose)
* Corn syrup
* High fructose corn syrup
* Dextrose
* Fructose
* Maltose
Remember to be fussy about fats. As much as you can, choose foods with no trans fat.
Action Step
Read food labels to compare nutrients in foods. Choose foods that give more dietary fiber, less sugar, and zero trans fat.
© American Institute for Preventive Medicine