The ABCs of food labels

Americans love labels: Calvin Klein, Prada, Ralph Lauren. But the labels that really matter are food labels. They are our lifelines to good health. Food labels tell us what's inside processed food packages, but if you don't know what the information means it can be tough to digest. Nutrition advocate Charles Stuart Platkin, author of Breaking the Pattern (Red Mill Press; $24.95), offers the following tips to help you break the food-label code:

Serving Size: Pay close attention to the amount listed because what you eat may be more than the recommended serving size.

Servings Per Package: This tells you how many servings the package contains. For example, if you consume an entire package of chips, you may be eating four or five servings, not one.

Total Fat: This indicates the total number of fat grams from all types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and trans. It is recommended that you consume no more than 30 percent of your calories from fat.

Saturated Fat: This is the bad fat that has been linked to increased cholesterol levels and heart disease. The amount of saturated fat listed on the label is part of, not in addition to, the total fat in one serving.

Trans Fat: The FDA has given food manufacturers until 2006 to add this listing to their labels. However, some food manufacturers are already making changes. For instance, I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! soft spreads already sport the no-irons-fat medallion.

Sodium: Commonly known as salt, the daily recommended intake for most healthy individuals is less than 2,400 milligrams. Watch the sodium content of highly processed foods, such as frozen meals condiments and snack foods.

Total Carbohydrate: This reveals the amount of all types of carbohydrates, both simple (sugar) and complex (starch). It is valuable information for diabetics who count carbohydrates to control their blood sugar levels.

Dietary Fiber: Choose foods with at least three grants of dietary fiber per serving and aim to consume 25 to 35 grams per day. Lower cholesterol and weight loss are just two benefits of fiber consumption.

Percent Daily Value: This column tells you the percentage of the recommended levels of each listed nutrient one serving provides. These values are based on estimates for someone eating a 2,000-calorlc diet and therefore may not apply to you. Furthermore, these percentages may soon change--pay attention!

Ingredients: Ingredients are listed on the food label in descending order of their weight in the product. Limit your intake of foods that have oil, sugar or salt as one of the first listed ingredients.

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