FOUR ELEMENTS FOOD LABELS

SERVING SIZE Why Important: Serving sizes on Nutrition Facts Labels are loosely based on the amount of a product normally eaten in one sitting are specific in their nutritional information to allow for easy comparison with other similar foods Focus: Watching portion size is just as important as the foods you choose to eat when trying to maintain a healthy weight. Watch: Eating too much of even a low fat food can add unwanted saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories to your diet.

FIBER Important: Fiber is important for the health of the digestive system and for lowering cholesterol. Foods containing fiber often are good sources of other essential nutrients. Focus: Getting about 25 grams of fiber per day Watch: Many commercial oat bran and wheat bran products (muffins, chips, waffles) actually contain very little fiber. They also may be high in sodium, total fat and saturated fat. Read labels carefully.

INGREDIENTS Important: Nutritional ingredients often list food additives that add nutritional value to the foods we eat. Focus: In fact, adding nutritional ingredients to a good food can turn that food into a functional food that will improve your health. Watch: Ingredients are listed by weight in descending order so that the ingredient in greatest amount is listed first.

FAT Important: Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, meaning they can only be digested, absorbed, and transported in conjunction with fats Focus: Total fat intake (saturated, trans, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated) should be adjusted to fit total caloric needs. Overweight people should consume no more than 30 percent of total calories from fat. Watch: Limit foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and/or cholesterol, such as whole-milk dairy products, fatty meats, tropical oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and egg yolks. Instead choose foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol