What do all the “healthy” words on the front of food packages really mean?

What do all the "healthy" words on the front of food packages really mean?

When entering the supermarket most of us have an initial plan of what we will purchase. But, we often leave with a lot more items. Supermarkets strategically place items around the market to encourage you to purchase what they want you to buy. Food manufacturers spend lots of money developing packaging with catchy phrases that will appeal to you. They both know that individuals want to eat healthy, but will be tempted by foods that look good (even if they are not healthy). So how do you get through the supermarket successfully and stick to a healthy eating plan. Below is a list of the common catch words on the food label, and what they mean. Try bringing this list to the supermarket the next time you shop to make informed choices.
 

Common words on a food label	What the words mean
Fat Free	Less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving
Low Fat	3 grams of fat or less per serving
Low Calorie	Less than 40 calories per serving
Low Sodium	No more than 140 mg of sodium
Calorie Free	Less than 5 calories per serving
No added sugar or unsweetened	No sweeteners have been added to the product. It still may contain naturally containing sugar.
Reduced	Contains 25% less of a nutrient than a comparable food (the label can state it is reduced calorie, sodium, fat, etc. – only the stated items are reduced).
Lite or Light	1/3 fewer calories, 50% less fat, or no more than ½ sodium of the regular version of the product.
Lean	Less than 10 grams of total fat, less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and no more than 95mg of cholesterol per serving.
Extra lean	Less than 5 grams of total fat, less than 2 grams of saturated fat, and no more than 95mg of cholesterol per serving.
Natural	The FDA has not set a definition for this word related to food labels. It is a word to dismiss when looking at a food label.
Enriched	Nutrients that are lost when the food item is processed/refined are added back into the food.
Fortified	A nutrient has been added to a food that was not in the original food or a nutrient is added in larger quantities than was originally in the food product. This is often done in cereals, milk, and white flour.

Spring Cleaning

Attached is a great article to help you start your Spring cleaning in the kitchen and help you to make healthier food choices at home.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120424/LIFE03/304240014/For-healthier-habits-spring-into-action

Healthy Eating on a Budget

It is important to eat healthy for your well-being and it is important to eat on a budget for your wallet. So how do you do both at the same time and be successful. Preparation is key. Below are some tips for success.

Before you shop

1. Look at weekly supermarket circulars in the newspaper, online, and in your weekly mail. They will give you great information about what products are on sale for the week.
2. Sign up for local supermarket discount programs. This can save you a lot of money at checkout. Many markets will also give you an option of receiving emails with current discount offers including double and triple coupon weeks.
3. CUT COUPONS – this is a great way to save money. You can find coupons in the newspaper, online, and at the market. Only keep the coupons you will actually use, otherwise you end up with a big pile of coupons that can be cumbersome to sort through. Some great online coupon sites include: smartsource, couponnetwork, and redplum. You can even buy coupons at a discounted price on ebay.
4. Be sure to develop your weekly meal plan prior to going to the market. Try to plan your meals around healthy foods that you already have at home, the foods on sale in the market, and your current coupons.
5. Look for healthy recipes. Try to develop a list of 10 easy to prepare healthy favorite recipes that you can cycle through. Each month try to add at least one recipe to the list and put away older ones that you no longer would like to use for awhile. 

Food Shopping

1. Be creative as to where you shop. Try the market, superclubs, the local farmers market, or join a Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA).
2. Shop with a plan – always have a list – and stick to it. Develop a shopping list based off of your weekly meal plan. This will help decrease impulse buys.
3. Limit your visit to the market to 1-2 times a week. Additional trips mean additional risk of impulse purchases.
4. Never go to the market hungry. It will lead to impulse buys.
5. Try to go to the market at less crowded times. Weekdays or early mornings on the weekends are often best. It is easier shop for healthy items when the market is less crowded.
6. Look high and low. Often the less expensive brands of food are not placed at eye level.
7. Try to shop the perimeter of the store for fresh foods. Try to avoid purchasing a lot of processed foods (which tend to be in the center of the market).
8. Purchase local produce that is in season. It is often picked only a day or two before you eat it – meaning more nutrients and better taste. It is also often less expensive. Farmers markets are a great place to find reasonably priced local produce.

Preparing Meals

1. Set aside time to prepare meals. It is a lot easier to prepare extra food when your schedule is less busy than coming home from work late and trying to put together a healthy meal.
2. Try to stick to your weekly meal plan. It will help to save time and money.
   
3. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and/or freezer (and remember to use them). This is a great way to save money and makes meal preparation easier when you do not have time to make a meal.
4. Have a vegetarian based meal 1-2 nights a week. It will likely be healthier and is less expensive than a meat based meal.
5. Invest in well-made freezer containers to store leftovers for future meals.
    

$$$ Enjoy your improved health and financial savings $$$

Healthy Eating on a budget lecture

Please join FMAR and CMWL this Saturday for a nutrition lecture

Topic: Healthy Eating on a Budget

When: Saturday, April 14, 2012 , 10:00-11:00am

Where: Family Medical Associates of Raleigh, 3500 Bush Street, Raleigh NC

This is a free lecture that is open to all patients and their family, and friends.

Learn how to make healthy food choices while still sticking to your weekly food budget.

Please contact Sarah Saba at 919-232-9436 to sign up.
Preregistration is required by Friday, April 13, 2012