Reading Food Labels!

A Look at Reading Food Labels

A lot of people ask me what to look at when looking at the food label. Here are a few tips…

1.  Look at the carbohydrate section first. Compare the grams of fiber and sugar. You want to pick foods (cereals, breads, crackers, etc) that have the least amount of sugar and a good amount of fiber (3-5+ grams). One serving of carbohydrates is 15 grams. (15 grams is one serving for a snack, and anywhere from 30-75 grams of carbohydrate per meal)

2.  Next you want to look at the fat to make sure it does not contain any trans fat and has very few grams of saturated fat. One serving of fat equals 5 grams.

3. Also you want to check the label and see if the food has any protein. Protein helps fill us up so I usually advice for people to eat at least one ounce of protein in their snacks and about 3-6 oz for their lunch and dinner. (1 oz = 7 grams protein)

4. Sodium is also important to look at because if you ingest too much of this nutrient, it can cause bloating and an increase in your blood pressure. You don’t want to consume over 2300 mg in one day of sodium.

5. Last but certainly not least you want to look at the serving size and servings per container! 

Kelly Devine Rickert, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN

Registered Dietitian

Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics

WellGroup Health Partners

Franciscan St. James Health

708-679-2717 (For appointments)