Food Labels: What They Tell Us

There’s a lot to consider when deciding what’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food choices often come down to personal and cultural tastes, our dietary needs and other factors such as time, money and access. And then there’s always the big, looming question: Is this food healthy for me? There’s only one way to find out: reading the food labels, including the Nutrition Facts. We discuss what you should (and shouldn’t) focus on as you debate whether that box of crackers goes into your shopping cart.  Experts: Mag Ayyad, Clinical Exercise DietitianInterviewer: Kim Rivera Huston-WeberNotable topics covered:Why you should turn that food packaging aroundThe top five things to look for when reading the Nutrition FactsHow to use serving size effectivelyMacronutrients:  What you should eat more of and what you should limitIs the “Percent Daily Value” metric helpful or hurtful when evaluating a food?How to tell how natural a product is (or isn’t) and other lessons from the ingredients listYes, front-of-packaging label claims are regulated, but that's not the whole story ...Which grocery aisles are the most deceptive in portraying themselves as healthy?Buying organic: Are the supposed benefits worth the higher cost?Are expiration or best-by dates canon, or just mere suggestions?What to do if you need extra help with your dietIf you enjoy these kinds of conversations, be sure to subscribe. And for more topics like this, visit our blog at houstonmethodist.org/blog.