Understanding Food Labels

If the label says... It means each serving of the product has...

• Calorie free Fewer than 5 calories
• Fat free Less than 0.5 gram of fat
• Low-fat 3 grams of fat or less
• Reduced fat

or less fat At least 25 percent less fat than the

higher fat version

• Low in sat. fat 1 gram of saturated fat or less, with not

more than 15 percent of the calories

coming from the saturated fat

• Lean Fewer than 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of

saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of

of cholesterol

• Extra lean Fewer than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat,

and 95 milligrams of cholesterol

• Light (lite) At least one-third fewer calories or no more than

half the fat of the high-calorie,

higher fat version or no more than half the sodium

of the higher-sodium version

• CholesterolfreeFewer than 2 milligrams of cholesterol

2 grams (or fewer) of saturated fat

• Low cholesterol20 or fewer milligrams of cholesterol

and 2 grams (or fewer) of saturated fat

• reduced cholesterolAt least 25percent less cholesterol than the

higher cholesterol version and 2 grams or fewer

of saturated fat

• Sodium free Fewer than 5 milligrams of sodium and no

or no sodium sodium chloride in ingredients

• Very low

sodium 35 milligrams or fewer of sodium

• Low sodium 140 milligrams or less of sodium

CHOOSE WISELY!

Source: Living Well, Staying Well from the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society

Note: I clicked on the wrong blog. This was intended for the blog I keep for my mother. But it is information we can all put to good use.