Nutrition Labels Are Changing, Thank Goodness!!!

When I pass people in the grocery store their eyes quickly drift down to my shopping cart to check out my food choices. I’m quite sure they are curious to see if I practice what I preach — are my groceries healthy or not?

Well just a little secret to share with you here, I’m looking in your shopping cart too! No judging, of course!! But seriously, if you pass me in the grocery store, there is a high probability that I will have my head down reading the nutrition label of a certain food, so I will not even notice if you are glancing at my food choices.

The first thing I look at are the ingredients, if there are more than 4-5 ingredients (there are a few exceptions) in an item, it usually goes back on the shelf. The fewer the better, the closer the food is to its natural state, the healthier it is. After reading the ingredients my eyes will go to the nutrition label. In the past, it took a degree in mathematics to fig-ure it all out. It was a little confusing and not so user-friendly.

Thankfully, after 20 years, the FDA is introducing a new label to us, the consumers. The changes get a big thumbs up from me, as they will be easier to understand. They have taken current research into account as well, to bring us the new improved look at nutrients in our food. Let’s look at the changes:

» The design of the label is changing: Although it will look similar to the old label, some of the fonts will be larger and easier to read. The number of servings per container will be more prominent, while the serving size and calories per serving will be larger and in a bold font. This will make the label easier to scan, and not spend 10 minutes trying to figure out the calories in each serving.

» Added sugar will make a big debut: This is a huge improvement. Of course, this addi-tion was met with much opposition from several manufacturers of products that contain added sugars. They do not want consumers to know that sodas, for instance, have approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar in a 12-ounce soda — yes only 12 ounces. Even healthy foods have added sugars, such as yogurt, packaged oatmeal and pasta sauces.

Previously, it’s been difficult to determine what natural occurring sugar was in an item and what sugar had been added to an item. With the addition of added sugars to the nutrition label, it will be easier to see. This is important: Consider that the average American eats about 20 teaspoons of added sugar per day. The recommendation is no more than 6 teaspoons. Also, this is very important because an excess of sugar con-sumption can cause obesity as well as a host of other chronic illnesses. Sugar is now being linked to inflammation in the body, which can lead to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and even vascular dementia.

» The nutrient list is changing: Previously, vitamins A, C, calcium and iron were required on the label. With the new label, vitamins A and C will no longer be required; vitamin D and potassium will take their place. Vitamin D plays an extremely vital role in your health and many people are deficient in D. Potassium and Vitamin D, when lacking, are associated with increased risk of chronic disease.

» Serving sizes are changing to better reflect actual portion sizes that consumers are eating: For example, the serving size for ice cream has been 1/2 cup since 1993. But how many peo-ple actually limit themselves to 1/2 cup? The serving size is being updated to 2/3 cup.

» Servings per container is making a change: If the package contains between one and two servings, the label will indicate the package contains one serving. This more accurately reflects what people actually eat in a sitting. If the package contains more than one serv-ing but could be consumed in one sitting, the label will have two columns to indicate a single serving’s nutrition information and the entire package’s nutrition information.

See you in the gym!