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

Reusable Shopping Bags

Using reusable shopping bags is a great way to help the environment by decreasing the use of disposable plastic bags.  You can purchase them in the market, get them for free at many local fairs/events, and even find free bags online.  Many local markets even offer incentives for using reusable shopping bags.  While I highly recommend using reusable shopping bags, please read the article below from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, on the importance of cleaning the bags on a regular basis to prevent a potential food borne illness.

http://www.napsnet.com/articles/67857.html

Join CMWL for the Nutrition Support Group

Please join us tonight for the monthly nutrition support group. This is a great way to meet others who are also trying to lose weight and discuss your challenges, tools for success, and ways to make your favorite foods healthy. The support group will be led by Monika Kraus, MS, RD, LD, Nutritionist at CMWL.

Date: Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Time: 5:30-6:30pm
Where: Center for Medical Weight Loss
Topic:  The frustrations of eating healthy when everyone else around you ISN'T.

Go for a walk

The warmer weather and day light savings time have arrived in Raleigh. It is a great time to get outside and  go for a walk. Try walking for exercise, for pleasure, or just to get some fresh air. Try waking up ½ hour earlier in the morning to take a walk, go for a walk during your lunch break, or take a walk after dinner.

Attached is an interesting article that was posted in the NY Times on the importance of regular exercise.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/why-its-so-important-to-keep-moving/

Enjoy the warmer weather!

March is National Nutrition Month. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has promoted  the theme "Get Your Plate in Shape".

This is a great time to focus on healthy eating and making lifestyle changes to improve your health. A great way to get started is to focus on the “Plate Method” for eating. The plate method was developed by the USDA and shows how to make healthy food choices at meals.

An easy way to use the plate method

1.    Draw an imaginary line down the middle of your  9 inch dinner plate

2.    Put non-starchy vegetables and fruits on one half of the plate.

3.    On the other side of the plate, draw another imaginary line to cut that side in half.

4.    Fill one quarter of the plate with grains (1 slice of bread, ½ cup whole wheat pasta, ½ cup brown rice, or ½ potato).

5.    Fill the other quarter of the plate with a lean meat or meat substitute (chicken, fish, meat, beans, tofu, or eggs).

6.    Have an 8 ounce glass of low fat / nonfat milk, a non-fat yogurt, or a slice of cheese for dairy.

Some Additional Tips for Using the Plate Method

1.     Go to the ChooseMyPlate.gov website for more information about limiting fats, oils and added sugars.

2.    Be careful to not to overfill/pile high your plate (portion control is important).

3.    Try to eat a variety of different foods throughout the week to satisfy your palate and to provide your body with a variety of nutrients.

4.    Try a new fruit or vegetable to add to your plate each week. A variety of great produce are available in your local market.



Peanut Butter

Attached is an article on the benefits of peanut butter. Peanut butter is a great source of protein, B vitamins, and monounsaturated fat, but as the article will discuss, be aware of your portion size, as the calories can add up quickly.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/ask-a-health-expert/ask-a-dietitian/is-peanut-butter-good-for-me/article2345422/?utm_medium=Feeds%3A%20RSS%2FAtom&utm_source=Life&utm_content=2345422

Healthy Soups

We only have a few more weeks of cold weather. Which means only a few more weeks of craving warm soups and stews. Attached is a link to the FoodNetwork.com site with some great warm winter soup recipes. Enjoy!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating/healthy-soup-recipes/pictures/index.html