Have you ever picked up a food item and wondered what “low sodium” or “sugar-free” really means? Understanding these phrases on food packaging is super important to help you and your family make healthy choices. When a label says low sodium, it means that the food inside has less salt than the usual version. This can be good for your heart because too much salt can make it work too hard. Now, if something is sugar-free, it doesn’t have the regular sugar you might put in your cereal. Instead, it might have different sweet stuff that doesn’t give you as much energy.
This can be useful if you’re watching how much sugar you eat. But remember, just because something says it’s sugar-free doesn’t always mean it’s healthier. Sometimes, food companies add other things to make up for the taste, and those might not be great for you either. That’s why decoding food product packaging claims is like being a detective. You have to look closely and understand these clues to make the best choices for your snacks and meals.
So, the next time you’re in the store, take a minute to read those labels – your body will thank you for it!
Label Lingo Explained
When you’re picking up groceries, the labels on food and supplements can seem like they’re written in a secret code. Fortunately, the FDA, which is sort of the head honcho when it comes to food safety, breaks down what can be put on these labels into three main types of claims. Understanding these can help you make smarter choices about what you eat and take as supplements.
Nutrient Content Claims
Ever seen a label that says “sugar-free” or “high in Vitamin C”? These are nutrient content claims. They give you the scoop on the amount of a certain nutrient in that food item. Look for key words like “free” (which means it doesn’t have much, if any, of that nutrient), “high” (packed with that nutrient), or “low” (not a lot of that nutrient). Sometimes, they make a comparison, using terms like “more” or “less” to tell you how it stacks up against another food, or “reduced” and “lite” to show it has less of something compared to the usual version.
Health Claims
Health claims are like the little messages on food that make a connection between the food and staying healthy or avoiding sickness. For instance, if you see a label that says “helps maintain a healthy heart,” that’s a health claim. These are based on scientific evidence, and the FDA checks them to make sure they’re not misleading. So, when you see a health claim, it’s like the food is making a promise that it has some benefits for your body.
Structure/Function Claims
Last up are structure/function claims, which are kind of like mini biology lessons on a label. They tell you about the role a nutrient plays in maintaining your body’s normal functions. So, when a label says “Calcium builds strong bones,” it’s explaining that calcium is the building block for your bones. Or if it mentions “Fiber maintains bowel regularity,” it’s saying fiber helps keep your digestive system running smoothly. These claims don’t need to be pre-approved by the FDA, but companies must have evidence to back them up and notify the FDA when they use them.
Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge of what these claims mean, you can be a label detective and make healthier choices for yourself!
Reading Between the Lines
It’s like putting together a puzzle. You need to look at the whole picture of what’s in the food, not just one piece. A “low fat” snack might have lots of sugar or salt, so it’s best to check the nutrition facts and ingredients list for the full story.
Low
Here’s what “low” really means:
- Low fat: No more than 3 grams of fat in each serving
- Low sodium: No more than 140 milligrams of sodium in each serving
- Very Low Sodium: No more than 35 milligrams of sodium in each serving
- Low Calorie: No more than 40 calories in each serving
Free
When a label says “free”, it means there’s hardly any of that thing in the food:
- Fat-free: Less than half a gram of fat in each serving
- Sugar-free: Less than half a gram of sugar in each serving
- Gluten-free: Less than 20 parts per million of gluten
- Sodium Free: Less than 5 mg of sodium in each serving, and no salty ingredients
Reduced or Less
These words are used when comparing foods:
- Reduced calorie: At least 25% fewer calories than the normal version
- Reduced or Less Sugar: At least 25% less sugar than the normal version
- Reduced or Less Fat: At least 25% less fat than the normal version
- Reduced or Less Sodium: At least 25% less sodium than the normal version
No Added
This means they didn’t put any extra of that ingredient when making the food, but it might still be in there naturally.
Good Source
If a food has 10-19% of the daily value of a nutrient, it’s called a good source of that nutrient.
Excellent Source
And if it has 20% or more, it’s an excellent source.
Whole
The word “whole” usually means the food isn’t processed much and doesn’t have extra stuff added to it.