Engine 2 Challenge: Learning to Read Labels

-by Jen F from Whole Foods Market, St.Paul

Well, folks, you are in the final stages of your 28 day challenge, and it’s time to start thinking about where you are going after the 28 days are over. Will you continue on a PlantStrong path? Return to your old ways (hopefully not completely!)? Or perhaps somewhere in between?

Whatever direction you head, we wanted to arm you with a good understand of label-reading to help you make good choices wherever you are.  You have some guidelines in your Get Your Engine Started book that can provide good reminders in seeking out E2 friendly foods, but here are a few more tips, courtesy of Jeff Novick, that extend beyond the E2 boundaries.

Rule #1 – Watch for Red Flags

Think a label that says No Trans-Fat or Fat-Free really is? Labeling laws say that if you have less than .5 g of trans-fat per serving, you can call your product Trans-Fat Free.  You might be thinking, “OK, fine, half a gram won’t hurt me.” But here’s where the second trick comes in – serving sizes can easily be manipulated to insure there’s less than .5g per serving. That can of canola spray oil you use to keep your pancakes from sticking? 557 servings!  It’s virtually impossible for a human finger to spray so briefly as to get a serving that small…not to mention coating a cooking surface.

Rule #2 – Never evaluate a product based on one item (ie. carbs, protein, fat etc.)

Fat-free foods can be loaded with processed sugars. A higher fat food can get its fat from oil…or it can be from nutrient dense nuts and seeds.  For example, we often receive sample sized Larabars to distribute at sporting events we sponsor. If you aren’t familiar with the product, these bars are made with dried fruit and nuts…and nothing more. I am always amazed when someone picks up a bar, looks at the nutritional panel and says “wow, that’s high in fat (or sugar) – no thanks!” without even bothering to look at *where* the fat and sugar were coming from.

Rule #3 – Check the serving size and adjust your thinking accordingly.

A common trick to make you think a food is healthier and/or lower calorie than it is is to make the serving size pretty small.  Most cans of soda or bottles of beverages are 2 – 3 servings each, but most people consume them as one.

Rule #4 – When looking at the sodium content of a food, don’t trust the “percentage of daily value.”

Keep in mind your daily goal should be no more than 1500 mg of sodium – the current recommended daily value is 2400mg for a 2000 calorie diet.

Rule #5 – Make sure your food doesn’t have sugar (or some form of sugar) as one of the first 3 ingredients.

And that there are no more than three types of sugar in the food. Words to look for include corn syrup, rice or maple syrup, molasses, honey, evaporated cane juice, malted barley, or words ending on “ol” or “ose” (maltitol, sorbitol, dextrose, fructose).

These tips, along with those from your Engine 2 Food Rules chart should guide you on the way to making smart choices.

Note: Much of the content of this article comes from Jeff Novick, MS, RD and a frequent presenter at Engine 2 Immersion programs. To read more from Jeff, visit www.jeffnovick.com