Label-Reading Shortcuts

Grocery shopping & in a hurry? No time to read labels today. Are you sure?

Do you have time to check for just 2 values? I’ll bet you do.

1.       Portion size. This one is a must. If you are comparing 2 products, you have to compare the same amount. If the serving size is ½ cup for cereal A and 1 cup for cereal B, you’ll need to double the values given for cereal A.

2.       One other value. Decide what’s most important to you.

·         If you are watching your BP, that might be sodium.

·         If you have diabetes, you may check total carbohydrates.

·         If you have heart disease, you’ll probably look at fat levels.

·         If your focus is weight, calories will be important to you.

Obviously all these values are important. But don’t get into “black and white thinking”. Even a little food-label-investigation can make a big difference.