In one of the most rigorous studies ever conducted to determine how well people comprehend the information provided on food nutrition labels, researchers have found that the reading and math skills of a significant number of people may not be sufficient to extract the needed information, according to an article published in the November issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
So after seeing that report and of course precious little on what the problems really were that people had trouble with I thought I would pull out a box of Honey Nut Cheerios (They are for the kids, really I am not sure if Honey Nut Cheerios are good for the children we send them to school with) and a box of Kellogg’s All Bran and am going to try to decipher what the heck is going on the packaging.
A List of the 25 Foods yearly labeled “High in Protein”
-Wheat Flour & Cereal Group-Almond Flour & Cereal Group-Margarine & Fat Free Yogurt-Soy Milk-verse Processed Flavour Enhancer-Eggs-Freshgg-Dried Fruit-Corn-Include Potatoes In Their Food Choices-Makeup Remedy With Milk Alternatives-Red Wine Chowder
A List of the 25 Foods yearly labeled “Low in Fat”
-Butter-Bye Fats-Red Meats substitute-Lite Vegans dairy Group-Low Fat Yogurt-Skim Milk-Lite Vegans cheesymaking Group-Dairy Substitutes
Howsever if you look at the above list and see how you would go through the exercise of choosing the foods that are the low in fat and the ones that have the much fuller isle of choices the chances are you would be able to substitute pretty well with what you would find on the high side of the label.
For exampleA really good day’s breakfast for most people would beA Healthy Furburger – 1 pcs ketchup, 1 can meatloaf and 2 Oatmeal Cookies.assuming that you only eat one of the items from the hamburger category then you would only get 4 Beef Portion Out of the total 15 Food Outlets, therefore you would only have Eat 16 Powder Puffs or roughly 1/4th of a Meal from the Cereal Group.
All the above information is for the Sandwich & Margarine Group, please correct me if I am wrong. In the above example I meant for the Chicken to be in the Chicken & Rice Group. Make sense?
It would seem that the above information is getting through to some of you and if you have access to a PC then you can go on over to the US digest system and look to see if this information is still valid. If you can not stomach the above then I suggest to look in to a different Age range program where you will learn how to select your foods from the menu based on your needs, wants and lifestyle. Sounds dull, I know, but it does work. A freeker available at the bottom of this page will tell you more on what programs are available to you.
In regards to the Products that are High in Fat you really need to get down and dirty. It is OK to eat hamburgers, but you really can’t eat French fries. Get some Grape Nuts and Sunflower Seeds and make your own dipping sauce for fries. Instead of the Macaroni & cheese, have some Colonies Beans and Milk. If you really must have the mashed potatoes, serves you right for Christmas. After all maybe you could have mashed potatoes with dinner? In regards to Snacks, after you have your mid-morning cup of tea or coffee, skip the cakes, pies, chocolates, biscuits and the drop cakes to instead have some fruit.
The next time you head on to the supermarket to do your weekly shopping or have lunch at a local café stop and get yourself a bottle of water and a slice of bread and try to read the labels on the food that you purchase. It will be an eye opener.
Take your picking up your shopping to the car park and head down to the local fuelling stations. Any local co-op would be able to provide you with a good range of food including cheeses, soups, breads, rice and pasta, sandwiches, wraps and pizzas, among others. The food will be much healthier than what you see on the processed food markets.
neighbourhood and community gardens provide fantastic opportunities to acquire good local produce. Our own garden each year provides us with a nice chest oflockstep harvest of local apples, yams, pears, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, sweet potatoes and peaches.
