Food Ingredient Labels

photo via: FindYourBalanceHealth.com

Food labels are an important source of information about calories and the nutritional value of the foods we eat, however deciphering these can often present some challenges.  Here is some helpful information:

• Ingredients are listed in the quantity in which they appear
• Sugar can also be listed as high-fructose corn syrup or corn syrup, agave nectar, barley malt syrup or dehydrated cane juice
• Hidden sugars:  Fructose, sucrose & dextrose 
• Salt can be listed by name or sodium benzoate, disodium or monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• MSG can also be hidden as "yeast extract" or "soy protein isolate"
• Trans-fats can be listed as hydrogenated oil
• Artificial sweeteners: Sucralose, Saccharin, Aspartame, Acesulfame
• Sodium Nitrites and Sodium Nitrates (these present a possible cancer risk)
• Artificial colorings: Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 40, Red 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, and Orange B
• Beware of "Natural Flavorings as many of these are processed using hexane, a toxic component of gasoline
• "Castoreum", a substitute for vanilla, is made from the anal gland secretions of beavers

Aside from consuming fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and grass-fed, antibiotic-free meats; a good rule of thumb is to choose packaged foods with 5 or less ingredients.  And avoid any foods with High Fructose Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, and any food that lists ingredients you do not recognize as a food.