When it comes to grocery shopping, Nutrition Facts labels may not receive a lot of attention, but they are important to our overall health, explained Bridgette Bienias, MS, RD, LN, dietitian with Avera Heart Hospital.
“Nutrition Facts are a blueprint to a food product,” Bienias said. “They tell us the nutritional content of each serving. Without Nutrition Facts, we would be left guessing about what is in the food we are eating.”
With so many food choices available today, Nutrition Facts can help consumers make healthier food choices.
Nutrition Facts Are a Health Tool Available to All
This standardized label included on all processed foods is a convenient tool that helps people make healthy food choices. And from personal experience, Bienias understands the impact choosing healthy food can have.
“Growing up I was pretty overweight due to poor dietary habits, and I did not feel good in my body. Toward the end of high school my mom joined a gym that also provided nutrition education. This was eye-opening to me,” Bienias shared. “I began paying attention to what I ate. It really showed me the big impact that nutrition has on overall health. My journey inspired me to educate others.”
Nutrition Facts: What to Focus On
Bienias realizes reading Nutrition Facts can be a bit overwhelming. So, she discusses what the facts mean and what to focus on.
Serving Size
Nutrition Facts are based on serving size. One food item may contain multiple servings. But the Nutrition Facts only give you information on a single serving.
Total Fat
To understand if a food product is healthy or not, you need to do some math.
The reason? As Bienias explains, not all fat is bad.
“Different types of fat can lead to different outcomes in our bodies,” Bienias explained.
- Do not eat trans fats – Research shows even small amounts of trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils are not safe. And food processors listened. Most foods today do not contain trans fats.
- Eat less saturated fats – Research shows saturated fats can lead to increased cholesterol levels and increased risk for undesirable cardiovascular events. Keep your heart healthy by eating less saturated fats.
- Eat more unsaturated fats – Research shows unsaturated fats do the opposite of saturated fats. Often found in nuts, avocados and fish, unsaturated fats can lower cholesterol and increase brain health. Keep your heart and mind healthy, eat more unsaturated fats.
To understand how much healthy, unsaturated fat a food item has, take the total fat and subtract saturated fats.
“To be healthy, a food needs to have more unsaturated fat than saturated fat,” Bienias said.
Sodium
Depending on overall health and certain health conditions, sodium levels are more important for some individuals to pay attention to than others. In general, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend intakes be < 2,300 mg of sodium per day. Ask your primary care doctor about this during your next visit.
“If you need to monitor your sodium levels, this number is quite valuable,” Bienias said. “Individuals can use general recommendations as a basic guideline, but further conversations with a doctor can help one understand what safe levels are for them.”
Total Carbohydrates
Similar to Total Fat, with total carbohydrates you need to dig a bit deeper because this number includes all carbohydrates – those from healthy sources like whole grains, fiber and natural sugars and those from not so healthy sources, like added sugars.
“Some believe if they eat carbohydrates they will gain weight. But the truth is, our bodies need carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel our bodies depend upon for energy,” Bienias said. “You just need to read closely to understand if you are fueling your body with healthy carbohydrates or unhealthy ones.”
People living with a condition like diabetes need to pay close attention to this number because carbohydrates impact glucose levels.
Fiber
Most Americans don’t get enough fiber and Bienias said we should all try to fit enough into our diets because fiber plays an important role in many functions.
Foods that are high in fiber can help you feel full. They can also be good for your heart and digestion.
The recommended daily amount of fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. After age 50, your daily fiber needs drop to 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men.
Sugar
Similar to total fat, not all sugar is bad.
“Pay attention to the amount of to a product,” Bienias said. “Nutrition Facts on a serving of juice may show a total of 20 grams of sugar, but only 2 grams are added sugar. This means 18 grams are from the fruit itself.”
Protein
This important macronutrient helps you build and repair muscle which in turn helps fuel metabolism. We all need some protein every day, explained Bienias.
“Protein is vital in helping maintain muscle mass. Without good protein sources, our body is not able to get the structural properties it needs to maintain muscle mass,” she said. “Eating protein is not about bulking up but about maintaining our muscles. We don’t want our body pulling protein from our muscles to aid in other body functions that depend upon it.”
0.8 – 1.0 grams of protein for every 1 kilogram of body weight.
Consider Actual Value not Daily Value
Daily value explains a percentage of a specific nutrient that is included in one serving based on a general 2,000 calorie diet, whereas actual value provides a clear understanding of specific nutrients you are getting from a serving.
When reviewing Nutrition Facts, Bienias encourages individuals to pay attention to the actual value.
“Generally speaking 5% or less of the daily value indicates a low quantity of the nutrient, whereas anything over 20% of the daily value is considered to be high,” Bienias explained. “Looking at the actual value of a nutrient in my opinion can help determine if the nutrients found in the food product are providing the health benefits that you are seeking.”
Cholesterol
This tells you how much cholesterol is in one serving. For many years, it was recommended to eat less than 300 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol a day. New guidelines have removed this limitation. That’s because cholesterol has been shown to not raise blood cholesterol levels as much as once thought.
“Remember the egg debate? The yolk is super high in cholesterol, but research has found that an egg’s cholesterol content does not have a huge impact on overall cholesterol levels,” Bienias said.
Again, it is more important to limit saturated fats because many foods high in cholesterol are also high in saturated fat.
Calories
This number tells us how much energy a food product will provide per serving. Although some focus on calories to determine what they eat, Bienias recommends paying more attention to other Nutrition Facts.
“If healthy eating is what your end goal is – whether it is for weight loss or to improve heart health or to fuel up with foods that make you feel better – I encourage my patients to stay away from counting calories and focus on nutritional content of food.”
Vitamins and Minerals
Bienias said the vitamin and mineral content of a packaged foods is most important to review if you need to avoid specific vitamins or minerals based on a diagnosed condition. Your primary care doctor can help you determine what, if any, vitamins and minerals you need to monitor.
Set Health Goals
Once you understand how to read Nutrition Facts, you can use them to help you make food choices that will ultimately help you achieve your health goals.
If you’re unsure about how what you eat will impact your health goals, a consultation with a dietitian can help.
“A dietitian will help you understand your personal nutrition needs and how to use the food you eat as a tool to achieve your health and wellness goals,” Bienias said.
Talk to your primary care doctor to receive a referral for personal nutrition counseling. You can schedule with an Avera Heart Hospital registered dietitian by calling 605-977-7340.
