Smart Shopping 101

Long gone are the days where we could trust nutrition claims on a product's package. Companies are throwing around the terms healthy, organic, and whole grain like nobody's business.  One must be educated on the guidelines of these claims and able to examine a product's label to find the true nutritional content.  It's not all as hard as it sounds, and it won't require hours of studying (like Econ 101 did during your freshman year of college), so don't panic just yet.  I'm going to break it down in simple terms and by the time you're done reading this post, you'll be a Downriver Dish certified smart shopper!


Organic Labels (look for the USDA Certified seal):

100% Organic - must contain ONLY organically produced products and processing aids
Organic - must consist of at least 95% organically produced ingredients
Made with Organic Ingredients - must contain at least 70% organic ingredients
*If a product is made from less than 70% organic ingredients they cannot advertise the term 'Organic' - however they can list the specific organic ingredients on the ingredients list.


Whole Grain Labels (look for the Whole Grain Stamp):

100% Whole Grain Stamp - must contain a full serving or more of whole grain in each labeled serving and ALL the grain is whole grain
Whole Grain Stamp (without 100%) - must contain at least half a serving of whole grain per labeled serving (product may not be ALL whole grain)
If there is no stamp: look for the grams of whole grain listed somewhere on the package or key words like whole grain, whole wheat, stoneground whole grain, brown rice, oats, oatmeal, and wheatberries
*Be skeptical if you see the term "whole grain" without any more details ("cereal made with whole grain") - it may only be made with tiny amounts of whole grains.


What a Standard Serving Contains if it says:
Low Calorie - 40 calories or fewer
Calorie Free - Fewer than 5 calories
Fat Free - Fewer than 0.5 g fat
Low Fat - Up to 3 g fat
Very Low Sodium - Up to 35 mg sodium
Low Sodium - Up to 140 mg sodium
Sugar Free - Up to 0.5 g sugar
High Fiber - 5 g or more fiber
Good source of ... - 10%-19% of the recommended daily value


Tips for reading nutrition labels: Always check the sugar content!  Refined sugar hides in almost everything - crackers, bread, yogurt, cereal, peanut butter, etc.  Above 3g of sugar starts to get high for products like these - opt for the lowest sugar option and add sweetness yourself with fresh fruit.  Keep an eye on sodium as well - especially with canned products.  You can reduce the sodium content by as much as forty-one percent by rinsing canned goods before eating (think tuna, beans, veggies, etc.).  You should not have more than 2400 mg per day (about ~ 1 tsp).


Happy Friday and Happy Shopping!


Wishing for that warm weather to come back: Summer - Coconut Records