If you’re trying to lose weight and get in shape the first thing you will want to get in the habit of doing is reading your labels. Know what you’re consuming and how much at all times. The days of guessing are long gone and nutrition information these days is easily at your fingertips.
But what exactly should you be looking for? Here are a few things to be cautious of when reading labels:
1. Fat
Always say no to trans fats. These fats are not found in nature and are used in highly processed foods. Marketers will try to deceive you with catchy phrases like, “high in protein” or “gluten free!” printed on packaging, but labels don’t lie. Trans fats are bad fats. Period.
Small amounts of saturated fats are okay but stick to “good fats.” A general rule of thumb for good fats is fat that you can find in nature. Think foods like salmon, avocado, olive oil or nuts. Limit these to less than 10g a day. Do not eat one thing with more than 5g of saturated fat per serving.
Total fat should be limited to less than 50g per day. Again, only eat healthy fats and stay away from fried and junk foods.
2. Sugar
Small amounts of sugar also are okay but stick to natural sugars only (if you are trying to lose a large amount of weight quickly you’ll want to cut out all sugar). Find out how much sugar is in one serving of your favorite fruit and limit yourself to less than 15g of sugar per serving of fruit each day. Everything else you consume should be as close to zero grams of sugar as possible. It seems like an impossible feat but it can be done. To start, don’t eat anything with more than 5g of sugar. Drinks can sneak in a lot of sugar in a short period of time, so drink your water! Try adding Crystal Light for flavor.
3. Too Many Ingredients
Too many ingredients could mean that you are looking at something man made and highly processed. If there is an ingredient on the list you cannot pronounce, return it to the shelf immediately!
4. Serving Sizes
Portion control is one of the biggest health and nutrition issues we face in American culture. Understand the serving sizes of the foods you are eating and be honest with yourself about how much of the product you consume. If you love nuts and you know that one serving of almonds is about 15-20g of fat per serving, then that’s great! But are you eating just one serving? Labels will sometimes break down servings by ounces or number of servings per package and you can also use a food scale to measure things out to be absolutely sure. Portions may seem small at first if you’re used to eating more food but eat smaller, more frequent meals to help curb hunger pains.
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