Understanding Food Labels
Some terms are very helpful when choosing healthy foods and some are worthless. The list at the bottom describes what each term actually means with our comments. Many labels are misleading or irrelevant, so it is more important to understand which farms or food producers are raising their food the way it should be raised. Here's what we look for when buying food:
In general, look for plants and animals raised the way they were meant to be - free to roam, soak up the sun, and eat vegetation, bugs, other animals (animals, not plants), grown without chemicals. Products made from these plants an animals should be as whole and minimally processed as possible. Healthy Growing = Healthy Food Beef: grassfed (100% is best), raised without chemicals, no antibiotics, no hormones, free to roam in the pasture and eat the vegetation Chicken & Eggs: free to roam in the pasture and eat vegetation, bugs, etc. Fish: avoid farm-raised, look for deep sea caught or wild caught Other Meat: wild game is best, farm-raised animals should be free to roam in the pasture and provided with natural vegetation and bugs to eat, rather than processed feed Dairy: from cows raised as described with beef above, no to minimal processing (homogenization, fat reduction, pasteurization), whole fat, no chemicals, organic (may not be certified) Fruits & Vegetables: grown without chemicals, organic produce is raised without chemicals and has more nutrients - this is especially important for those that require lots of chemicals that can't easily be washed off during preparation: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes, pears, spinach, potatoes Nuts & Seeds: these often don't require as much chemical use to grow and their shells are protective, organic or chemical free would be some better Organic
Organic - Any multi-ingredient product bearing the USDA Organic seal must contain at least 95% organic ingredients. Organic ingredients are grown and processed without using chemicals. Produce is grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic foods are better choices to avoid a lot of junk. However, just because a food is organic, does not mean it is healthy. Put down that organic cookie!
Made with Organic Ingredients - At least 70% of the ingredients must be organic. Some products use a combination of organic & non-organic. Grass-fed vs. Grain-fed
Grass-fed - the cattle can roam in the pasture and eat grass. Some grass-fed beef is also fed grains or feed, which limits the benefit of grass-feeding. 100% grass-fed is better.
Grain-fed - the cattle are fed grains. The usual stuff found in the store. Not the healthiest choice and certainly nothing special. Stuffed full of grains to make them fatten up quickly. Non- , -Free, Low-, Reduced, Light
Non- or -free - The product must have less than the following per serving: fat (0.5 gram), sugar (0.5 gram), cholesterol (2mg), or sodium (5mg). The specified ingredient does not have to be zero, so realize some junk (like trans fat) can still sneak in.
Low- - Generally, the product must have less than the following per serving: fat (3 grams), cholesterol (20 mg), or sodium (140 mg). Reduced - Generally, the product must have at least 25% less of the given component than is typically found in that type of food. Light - If at least half of the product's calories come from fat, fat must be reduced by at least 50% per serving. If less than half of the calories are from fat, fat must be reduced at least 50%, or calories reduced at least 33%, per serving. These labels have limited use. Some products have to go through extra industrial processing to use these labels, which limits any potential health benefit. |
Reduced, Enriched, Fortified...
Reduced, Added, Extra, Plus, Fortified, Enriched - These claims can be made relative to a similar representative product. These are great words to avoid in general, because they indicate the product has gone through processing and the company is trying to make it look healthier.
High, Rich In, Excellent Source Of - All designate products with at least 20% of the recommended daily amount per serving. Good Source, Contains, Provides - The product must have more than 10% but less than 20% of the recommended daily amount per serving. Foods that would naturally qualify for these claims would be healthy choices. Food products that are industrially processed and altered to meet these claims, would not be healthy choices. Don't be fooled. Lean
Lean - Generally, less than 10 grams of fat.
Extra lean - Less than 5 grams of fat. You're better off finding meat that has been raised as described at the top. Looking for lean meat in the store is a less ideal alternative. Natural
Natural - A term regulated only for meats and poultry -- containing no artificial flavors, colors, or chemical preservatives. Used and abused by most food makers. Means very little, because they can still sneak junk in. Your whole chicken injected full of saltwater is "all natural".
Naturally raised - A recent USDA standard for animals raised without growth hormones or antibiotics. Don't confuse with "natural". Farm raised
Farm-raised - usually a term designated for fish raised on farms. These fish are usually raised in unhealthy ponds and fed unnatural things like corn and grains. That's not healthy fish food. Forget getting a good source of omega 3 fat from these fish. Keep swimming.
Free range
Free-range - can mean anything from an animal that roams freely in the pasture to one that has a hard to find door leading to a cement pad outside of the dark barn it shares with 1000 friends. It would be helpful if it was true.
Cage Free - not in a cage. Could still be kept inside in a barn all the time. Non-GMO, Non-genetically modified
The ingredients have not been genetically engineered by inserting a gene from another organism into their DNA. Most corn, soy, cotton, and canola grown in America is genetically engineered and is unlabeled. If you don't see this logo, assume it's modified.
Whole Grains
Whole grains - includes some whole grains. Companies do not have to label how much whole grains are used. It could be mostly white flour with a pinch of whole grains. 100% whole grains would be better.
More fancy labeling terms are described here.
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