Healthy! Fresh! Light! The first thing that may catch your eye when shopping is a large-print banner describing some nutritious feature of a product. Food labels with eye-catching banners and names sell better. Although food labels must conform to federal guidelines and use standard definitions for most terms, they can still be misleading. Understanding what these terms mean on food labels will help you know what you are choosing and how it fits into your diet. Many food labels highlight individual nutrients, and just as no single food determines the healthiness of a diet, no single nutrient makes a food good or bad for you. Look beyond the banner and see what other contribution the food makes to your diet. For example, chocolate cookies labeled “fat free” may not be your best choice if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake or increase the amount of fiber in your diet. A food labeled “fresh” may sound appealing, but the term “fresh” doesn’t provide any information about the nutrient content of the product or how long it took for this food to travel from the farm to the grocery store shelf. Any raw food that has not been frozen, heat processed, or otherwise preserved can be labeled fresh. “Healthy” is another attractive byline that applies to more than a single nutrient. It implies that the product is wholesome and nutritious. In fact, to be described as “healthy,” a food must be low in fat and saturated fat, contain limited amounts of sodium and cholesterol, and be a good source of one or more important nutrients.
Since vegetables, fruits, and grain products are an important part of a healthy diet, fresh fruits and vegetables and some canned and frozen ones as well as enriched grain products may be labeled healthy even if they are not a good source of one or more of the specified nutrients. While all of the qualities specified by the term “healthy” are part of a healthy diet, foods that fit this definition are not necessarily the basis for a healthy diet. For instance, many fruit drinks fit the labeling definition of healthy. They are low in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and supply at least 10% of the recommended intake for vitamin C. But they are a good choice only in limited quantities because they are high in added refined sugar and contain few other nutrients. Likewise, a food that doesn’t meet the labeling definition of healthy is not necessarily a poor choice. Vegetable soup, for example, contains more sodium than the definition of healthy will allow, but if the rest of the diet is not high in sodium, the soup can be a healthy choice. Product names can also be misleading and unless you have memorized the labeling regulations, you may not be able to tell exactly what you are buying. These regulations determine how much beef is in a beef enchilada, how much chicken is in chicken soup, and how much fruit is in a Fruit Roll-Up. Product names must comply with legal definitions, but they don’t have to make sense to consumers. For example, “lasagna with meat sauce” must be 6% meat, but “lasagna with meat and sauce” must be 12% meat. To get the whole picture, you need to look beyond the healthy-sounding banner and the name of the product. Since the nutrient content of foods must be listed, along with information on how a food fits into the diet as a whole, reading the label thoroughly will provide you with the information you need to make wise choices. The discussion of labeling regulations in Chapter 2 and Off the Label boxes throughout this book provide more information on how to read food labels. We expect to have a cake at a birthday party because it is a tradition. (Ryan McVay/ PhotoDisc, Inc./Getty Images)
We choose foods that are socially acceptable In addition to being part of our cultural heritage, food is the centerpiece of our everyday social interactions. We get together with friends for dinner or for a cup of coffee and dessert. The family dinner table is often the focal point for communication— a place where experiences of the day are shared. Social events dictate our food choices for a number of reasons. For example, when invited to a friend’s house for dinner, we may eat foods we don’t like out of politeness to our hosts. We may alter our food choices because of peer pressure. An adolescent may feel that stopping for a cheeseburger or taco after school is an important part of being accepted by his or her peers.
How to Build a Healthy Diet Courtney’s class project is to interview four of her classmates and evaluate their diets to see if they follow the principles of variety, balance, and moderation. She starts by interviewing her friend Amy and then talks with other students in her dorm. Amy says she likes the variety of foods offered at the cafeteria. She often has two different fruits at breakfast, several different greens in her salads, and two or three different vegetables at dinner. Despite these healthy choices, she has gained 10 pounds since she started college. By asking a few more questions, Courtney finds that Amy keeps a supply of cookies, candy, and chips in her room to snack on while studying.
DOES AMY’S DIET FOLLOW THE PRINCIPLES OF VARIETY, BALANCE, AND MODERATION Amy’s diet was varied, but she is short on moderation. While studying she tends to eat without paying attention to how much she is having. Apparently, despite her healthy meals, her high-calorie snacks are not balanced with enough exercise so they are adding the extra pounds. Amad loves fast food. He often has breakfast at the doughnut shop, has burgers and fries for lunch, and goes out for tacos or pizza at dinner time.
HOW DOES AMAD’S DIET STACK UP? His diet includes a variety of fast foods, but eating these foods every day adds up to a diet that is high in calories and fat and low in some vitamins and minerals. He doesn’t have to give up fast food if he can balance his fast food choices that are low in nutrient density with ones that are higher in nutrient density. For example, if he plans on burgers for dinner, he can have a sandwich on whole grain bread with lots of vegetables and a glass of milk for lunch. If his meals are high in calories, he can snack on low-calorie, nutrientdense fresh fruits and vegetables. Eric says he eats lots of fruits and vegetables, but when Courtney reviews his diet it turns out the only vegetables he ever eats are carrots and potatoes, and the only fruits he eats are oranges and apples.
WHAT IS MISSING FROM ERIC’S DIET? Eric is getting enough servings of fruits and vegetables but he is missing out on variety. By limiting his choices to carrots, potatoes, oranges, and apples, he is missing nutrients and phytochemicals as well as tastes and textures that other fruits and vegetables provide. Helen likes routine. She has cereal with milk for breakfast every day, a peanut butter sandwich for lunch, and meat with rice and a salad for dinner.
HOW COULD HELEN IMPROVE HER DIET? Your Answer: Emma loves sweets. She eats ice cream and cookies every day for a snack, and her meals are not complete unless they include a sweet dessert.
HOW COULD EMMA IMPROVE HER DIET? Your Answer: Variety, Balance, and Moderation Are Key to Choosing a Healthy Diet Healthy Diet
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