Understanding Food Labels

Advertisers are always trying to catch your attention, and sometimes they resort to flashy claims about the product. The government stepped in to help guide what these claims really mean. Calorie-free foods have fewer than 5 calories in a serving; fat-free foods contain fewer than 0.5 grams of fat in a serving. Foods with less than 40 calories (or 120 for a main dish like chicken breasts) are low-calorie; and foods with less than 3 grams of fat are low-fat. Since many consider saturated fat unhealthy, it gets listed by itself; foods can only be named low in saturated fat if they have a gram or less per serving. Only foods that have 25 percent less fat or calories than their normal versions can be labeled reduced-calorie or fat. Foods low in fat or calories still may contain a lot of sugar, so mind all your daily values!