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Article:
Navigating Food Labels by: Dianne Villano, CPFI Here are a few tips to help you dissect the food label before your next visit to the supermarket: SERVING SIZE MATTERS Just because the food label lists a certain number of calories per serving does NOT mean that's how much YOU eat. In fact, almost everyone I know consumes much more than the serving size listed on the Nutrition Facts panel. Many times the amounts are just not realistic, and most people -- rather than counting out 15 chips or measuring a three-ounce serving -- either fool themselves into thinking they're eating the 'right amount' or ignore it altogether. And because the ENTIRE Nutrition Facts panel is based on the 'serving size,' it's very important to get it right or all the information will be inaccurate. So, what should you do? Try to get an accurate measurement once in a while. I generally recommend breaking out the measuring utensils for a month until you get proficient at eyeballing. Comparing calories from food to food is also confusing because food densities differ, so a volume-to-volume approach doesn't always work. It would be simpler to comparison-shop if there was a 'calories per gram' standard on the panel -- similar to the way supermarkets have 'unit' pricing. CALORIES ARE KEY The reality is that calories are a good thing -- they're a source of energy. The problem arises when we eat too many of them. Females typically need 1500 - '1
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