3 Steps When Reading A Food Label

If you want to lose weight permanently: You still have to buy food. And it should contribute to healthy weight loss, even if it is packaged and processed. Processed foods must have a food label and it’s a good idea to have a look at the label if you want to lose weight permanently.

Food labels can be confusing. Some people claim food labels are actually designed to be confusing, so shoppers do not really understand what they are going to buy and put into their bodies. Especially the serving sizes can be very confusing- expect a rambling post on that in a couple of days. I won’t say that food labels are specifically designed to be confusing, but for the (hopefully few) cases you’re buying processed food- wouldn’t it be good to have a simple, fast formula to evaluate if a food is good for you?

So here’s step 1: Serving size and calories.
Be honest: Will you really eat only one serving? If not, the calorie intake multiplies. Let’s say, you probably eat 2-3 serving sizes- that’s not uncommon. Then you’ll get double or triple of the calories stated on the label. Rule of thumb: If you want to lose weight permanently, a meal should have less than 400 calories, and a snack less than 200.

Step 2: Does the product contain 3-5 or more grams of fiber?
Fiber helps you to feel full faster, making it easier to lose weight permanently. There is soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber acts like a sponge and helps lowering cholesterol. You can think of insoluble fiber as a broom, cleaning out your body.

Step 3: Unhealthy fats- saturated fats and trans fats.
The product should be low in both- less than 5% of daily value. Trans fats are listed ass “partially hydrogenated oil”. Doesn’t this description sound really yummie? This stuff is especially bad for you, and when you compare processed foods, you’ll find a lot of products containing it. Saturated fats and trans fats are a major enemy if you want to lose weight permanently.

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Recommended reading:

• Fiber – The Overlooked Part Of A Healthy Meal
• The Really Dangerous Fat Is Hidden In You
• Marketing Lies And Healthy Food
• Women Over 40 – Can A Hormone Make You Fat?

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