Loopy Labels

Have you tried reading a food label lately? With today's cleaver advertising, even a "nutrition nut" can be mislead by food label claims. In general, I try to be very conscious of what I'm eating. When training for a marathon, I usually increase the carbs and protein. When looking at the protein and carb content of foods, I usually skim over the other ingredients listed on the nutrition label as well as the list of ingredients. You'd be surprised sometimes at the amount of "bad" fat and/or sodium in some foods. And, what exactly does "low-fat" mean? And how about "light" And why do some foods claim to be "fat-free" when I see a fat listed in the ingredients?

Well, there are actually government guidelines for when these so-called "helpful terms" can be used. Bottom line, "light" may not be as light as you think and "fat-free" doesn't necessarily mean there's no fat.

Based on the FDA guidelines I created the Food Label Decoder below to help you be a more discerning shopper on your next visit the grocery store.

When you pick up something "light-and-healthy" take a closer look to see exactly what you're getting. Light-and-healthy could make you big-and-unhealthy if you're not careful.

Good luck!