1. Making Healthier Choices
Figuring Out Food Labels
Cathy McCann, CNTP

2. What’s in a Food Label? Serving Size Nutrition Facts Ingredients
Macro Nutrients
Vitamins & Minerals
Ingredients
Percent Daily Values
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

3. What is a Serving Size?
Serving size is determined by the food manufacturer.
Single-serving containers are often labeled as 2 or more servings to try and “hide” high caloric or high-sugar content.
Serving sizes are manipulated to take advantage of a loophole in the trans-fat labeling requirement.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

4. Calories Calories = Energy
How many calories each person needs per day depends on many factors, including size and activity level.
Not all calories are created equal. A person can eat many calories per day and even be overweight, but still be undernourished.
Excess calories are stored as fat.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

5. % Daily Values
Food labels are written for the caloric and minimal nutrition needs for the “average” adult.
Based on 2,000 calorie daily diet.
Do not take into consideration the needs of growing/developing kids.
Do not consider optimal nutrition levels.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

6. Fats & Cholesterol Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP
Fat can be healthy.
Cholesterol is essential for cellular and brain function.
Most cholesterol is made by the body.
Fats listed on food label:
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Trans-Fat
Industrial Trans-Fat is the most dangerous fat.
Are the result of hydrogenation changing the chemical structure of the unsaturated fat.
Linked to unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Hydrogenated oils contain hidden trans-fat:
Vegetable oil, Canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, etc.
Labeling trans-fat is required if a serving size has one gram of trans-fat or more, using rounding. Manufacturers manipulate serving sizes to hide trans-fats.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

7. Sugar
Sugar content is the total amount of natural sugar and added sugar in one serving.
Excess sugar is very bad for our health
Consuming too much sugar can lead to conditions such as insulin resistance, diabetes and heart disease.
Sugar can also affect brain health – it excites the brain and causes the release of feel-good hormones such as dopamine, causing sugar cravings. Over consumption of sugar can also affect memory.
Many people in the U.S. eat 5 times as much sugar as they should.
4 grams of sugar = 1 tsp
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

8. Beware of Hidden Sugar!
Barley malt
Dehydrated cane juice
Golden sugar
Molasses
Barbados sugar
Demerara sugar
Golden syrup
Muscovado
Beet sugar
Dextran
Grape sugar
Panocha
Brown sugar
Dextrose
High fructose corn syrup
Powdered sugar
Buttered syrup
Diastatic malt
Honey
Raw sugar
Cane juice
Diatase
Icing sugar
Refiner’s syrup
Cane sugar
Ethyl maltol
Invert sugar
Rice syrup
Caramel
Free flowing brown sugars
Lactose
Sorbitol
Corn syrup
Fructose
Malt
Sorghum syrup
Corn syrup solids
Fruit juice
Maltodextrin
Sucrose
Confectioner’s sugar
Fruit juice concentrate
Maltose
Sugar (granulated)
Carob syrup
Galactose
Malt syrup
Treacle
Castor sugar
Glucose
Mannitol
Turbinado sugar
Date sugar
Glucose solids
Maple syrup
Yellow sugar
Food Manufacturers use at least 50+ different names for sugar.
Learn to spot hidden sugars in the ingredient list.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

9. Fiber
Fiber is the roughage in food that your body cannot break down or absorb.
It helps keep food moving through your body easily.
Foods high in fiber are good for you.
Fiber is best obtained from whole vegetables and fruits.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

10. Protein Protein can be found in both animal products and vegetables.
Your body uses protein to build and repair all cells. Your body also uses protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. 
Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

11. Ingredients listed in order of amount contained in the food.
The first three ingredients are usually what the food contains a lot of.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

12. Excitotoxins
Excitotoxins are flavor that are added to food to trick your brain into thinking the food tastes better.
Most widely used are MSG (mono-sodium glutamate), aspartame, cysteine and cassein.
Just like sugar, there are many different names for these flavor enhancers.
Excitotoxins over-excite your brain and can kill brain cells.
Additives that always contain MSG:
Monosodium Glutamate 
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein 
Hydrolyzed Protein 
Hydrolyzed Plant Protein 
Plant Protein Extract 
Sodium Caseinate 
Calcium Caseinate 
Yeast Extract 
Textured Protein 
Autolyzed Yeast 
Hydrolyzed Oat Flour
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

13. Artificial Flavors & Colors
Most artificial flavors & colors are derived from petroleum.
Some artificial colors have been linked to attention deficit disorders and even cancer.
Many of the artificial flavors and colors used in the U.S. are banned in other countries.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

14. “Natural” Flavors
“Natural” flavor is defined in the Federal regulations as a substance that contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit, vegetable, herb, bark, root, leaf, etc.
“Natural” might not be so natural. They are often chemically processed.
“Natural” flavors are often lumped together because the manufacturer doesn’t want to spell them out on the ingredient list.
“Natural” flavoring includes MSG.
L-Cysteine – an amino acid and flavor enhancer is extracted from human hair or duck feathers.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

15. Vitamins and Processed Foods
Just because a processed food has a high % of vitamins, does not make it healthy.
The vitamins in processed foods are synthetic – most are derived in a factory from petroleum.
The best source of vitamins are from real, whole foods:
Vegetables
Whole grains
Fruit
Fresh meat, poultry and fish
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

16. What is an Organic Food
USDA certified organic foods are grown and processed according to federal guidelines on soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives.
Organic producers rely on natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible.
Produce can be called organic if it’s certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest.
Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

17. GMOs
GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms are fruits or vegetables that have had their DNA altered to make them resistant to herbicides and pesticides.
Herbicides and pesticides are toxins sprayed on crops to kill weeds and bugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the most common herbicide used – glyphosate – is a probably carcinogen.
The trade-name of glyphosate is Round-Up.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

18. GMOs
There are GMO varieties of corn that have a pesticide spliced into the DNA of the corn.
Some crops, like soy, are 98% GMO in the U.S. Soy is used in nearly all processed foods.
Foods with a USDA certified organic label cannot contain GMOs.
Non-GMO certified foods contain no GMOs but are not necessarily organic.
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

19. Tricks Manufacturers Use
“All Natural”
“Farm Raised”
“Non-GMO”
“Cage-Free”
No added hormones - chicken
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

20. Free Range Chicken
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP

21. Cage-Free Chicken
Copyright 2017 Cathy McCann, CNTP