Unless you are a registered dietitian, a medical doctor, or a food scientist, it may be difficult and daunting reading food labels on packaged foods. There seems to be so much information packed into that small label, including serving size, calories, fat (including saturated fat), cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate (including fiber and sugars), protein, several vitamins and minerals. And to boot, these items are expressed in a percentage of daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Going to the grocery store has become tedious for some consumers; less like shopping for food for their families and more like math and science homework.
As Americans continue to gain weight and our national obesity problem gets worse and worse, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have come together to commission the Institute of Medicine (an objective group) to help with developing recommendations for front of package labeling. The food industry, which is made up of many huge manufacturing companies must follow the current labeling laws and post the familiar detailed label on all packaged foods.
But the idea of putting a simpler label on the front of a food package in addition to the mandatory label is coming to fruition soon. Actually, two major food industry trade associations, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute, have gone ahead and developed a front of package label without waiting for the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine. It’s based on “Nutrition Keys” such as calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugars.
Manufacturers can choose to use only one of the figures and leave out the others, or they may choose to place 2,3, or all 4 on the package. Besides the info regarding the things we may need to limit in our diet (calories, saturated fat, sodium, sugar), manufacturers will also have an option to include up to two additional nutrients, (ones that may provide a benefit to our diet), such as potassium, fiber, protein, vitamin A, C, D, calcium or iron. This new front of package label with these “Nutrition Keys” is purely voluntary and will likely show up by the end of this year. The food industry claims that this system will help consumers make better choices when choosing their items in the grocery store.
To me, this is a bit confusing, although it gives an “at a glance” picture of what the food contains there i no frame of reference. A shopper has nothing to compare the numbers to. With the same idea in mind, England has adopted a similar system for front of package labeling, which provides color coded information based on a traffic light idea. Green, yellow, and red. The idea is that shoppers can aim to have more of their cart filled with green, less with yellow, and minimize the red.
I have always encouraged people to eat less processed food, and try to stick to wholesome, fresh foods with less packaging. The first choice is always the food that requires no label at all because it’s not in a package. However, many of us will still continue to purchase packaged items, out of necessity or convenience.
Will the proposed front-of-package labeling help you when shopping, will it just confuse you more, or will you ignore it altogether?
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Every week that the show is on break we'll be giving away a year-long membership to the Biggest Loser Club. To enter this time you have some homework. Look in your cabinets, cupboards and fridges and find the item that has the highest Calories, Saturated Fat or Sugar per serving by looking at the Nutrition Facts. (Then throw it away.) For a chance to win a 1-year membership to the BL Club leave that information in the comments on my Flavor First Facebook page here.
Skipping meals, not exercising, too much fast food - there are lots of different reasons that Biggest Loser contestants wind up at the Ranch. But the one thing they all have in common is prioritizing everyone (spouse, kids, friends) and everything (job, school, home) over themselves and their own health and well-being. By the time they arrive at the Ranch, they know they must put themselves first because their lives literally depend on that commitment.
Making a New Year's resolution to lose weight is easy -- but keeping the commitment often seems impossible. Real life interferes day by day with our good intentions, and we just can't seem to find the time to plan meals, exercise or cook at home.
Whenever I begin to slip, I’m inspired by my experience on “The Biggest Loser.“ The contestants who start season 11 on Tuesday won't all make it to the final four - but they're all winners for not only committing to change their fundamental habits, but setting aside significant time and resources to do so. They will live away from home, forgo social routines, and put their careers on hold in order to be at the Ranch.
Looking for healthier options for the Thanksgiving table?
The staple ingredients of this holiday's comfort food hold plenty of health promise. After all, most of the time the Thanksgiving spread features plenty of nutritious vegetables as side dishes, while turkey is low in both calories and fat and contains plenty of iron.
With a little culinary know-how, your Thanksgiving can be a guilt-free, healthful feast. Check out these new recipes I developed - they're both flavorful and nutritious.
Having a sweet tooth can be a struggle for many. Who doesn't love something sweet now and then, particularly at the end of a meal? But sugar-laden products are full of empty calories, making them hard to justify from a nutritional standpoint.
Many people have turned to artificial sweeteners such as Equal and Splenda to sweeten their coffee or tea. There has also been an increase of "sugar free" and "diet" foods showing up on our grocery shelves. But these synthetic products don’t seem to help with slimming. Although we are consuming more "sugar free," processed foods, we are collectively getting fatter and obesity rates continue to soar. It's also becoming increasingly clear that natural, whole foods are better for our bodies than man-made and over-processed foods.
There are alternative "natural" sweeteners out there and many have come to the forefront of public interest lately. Are they healthier than regular granulated sugar?
We all know that exercise and physical activity are part of any weight loss/maintenance program. But working enough exercise into a busy schedule can be tricky – especially while also trying to juggle healthy meal planning. Without forethought, it's easy to "bottom out" after heading into a workout on an empty stomach – or to finish dinner and feel too full for an evening jog.
The trick is to time eating and physical activity to reap the most rewards from each. The right timetable is variable, as there are several factors to consider: How long will you be exercising, what time of day, what kind or exercise and what level of intensity.
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