This content originally appeared on diaTribe. Republished with permission.

By Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RDN, CDCES, CDN

You aren’t alone if you happen to’ve ever struggled to know the knowledge presented on the nutrition facts label, whether it’s understanding which foods are considered high in fat or low-fat or which packaged goods have the precise amount or an excessive amount of sodium content. To make things much more confusing, some terms, like “reduced fat,” are officially defined by the FDA, while others, like “net carbs,” “calmly sweetened” and “free range,” aren’t regulated in any respect.

With a little bit of guidance, you’ll be able to decode food labels and gain a greater understanding of the knowledge they present, similar to whether the calories within the food are empty (meaning they arrive from added sugars or unhealthy fats) or nutrient-dense (meaning they arrive from protein, fiber, vitamins, or minerals). This information can show you how to make more informed selections in regards to the foods you eat to take control of your health and manage your diabetes more effectively.

Don’t be fooled by serving sizes

The very first thing to concentrate to on a packaged food’s nutrition label is the serving size. It refers back to the measurement size of food that’s listed on the nutrition facts panel right above “Calories.” Alternatively, serving size can consult with the quantity really useful within the USDA’s MyPlate and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This information tells you ways much of the product is taken into account one serving.

Take into accout that portions and servings are two different measurements. Unlike servings, portions consult with the actual amount of food you select to eat at a given meal or snack, and so they can vary widely depending on individual preferences, appetite, and dietary needs. It’s essential to notice that the serving size listed on the label is probably not the quantity you usually eat.

Matthew Jaime, a California-based clinical dietitian living with type 1 diabetes, finds the gap between serving sizes and portions to be potential landmines for many individuals with diabetes. “Rice is an excellent example I provide to individuals with diabetes because the serving size is often much lower than reported. Most dietary recalls include over a cup of rice. Typical serving sizes on nutrition labels for rice are 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup,” Jaime said.

Concentrate to what the label says the variety of servings are per package, and be sure that to regulate dietary information accordingly. For instance, suppose the serving size on a nutrition facts label for a bag of chips is 1 oz, but you usually eat 2 oz of chips as a snack. Since that’s twice the serving size, remember to double the nutrient values in order that the adjusted dietary information accurately reflects your intake.

Nutrient claims, not so clear-cut

When taking a look at food packages, you might come across various nutrient claims, including the term “net carbs.” Nevertheless, it’s essential to notice that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t have a legal definition for this term, and the American Diabetes Association doesn’t use it. So as an alternative, it’s really useful to envision the overall carbohydrate listed on the nutrition facts label and monitor your blood sugar to raised understand how specific carbs affect your body.

It’s not only net carbs that will be confusing, though. Other claims, similar to fat-free, saturated fat-free, low fat, reduced fat, and fewer fat, may leave you wondering about their differences. The FDA has defined a few of these claims, and knowing what they mean is crucial.

Free

• Fat-free lower than 0.5 gram of fat per serving
• Cholesterol-free lower than 2 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
• Sodium-free – lower than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving
• Sugar-free – lower than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving
• Calorie-free – lower than 5 calories per serving

Low

• Low fat – 3 grams of fat or less per serving
• Low saturated fat – 1 gram of saturated fat or less per serving
• Low cholesterol – 20 milligrams of cholesterol or less per serving
• Low sodium – 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving
• Low calorie – 40 calories or less per serving

Reduced or Less

• Reduced or less fat – no less than 25% less fat than the regular food
• Reduced or less saturated fat – no less than 25% less saturated fat than the regular food
• Reduced or less cholesterol – no less than 25% less cholesterol than the regular food
• Reduced or less sodium – no less than 25% less sodium than the regular food
• Reduced or less sugar – no less than 25% less sugar than the regular food
• Reduced or less calories – no less than 25% fewer calories than the regular food

Light or lite

• 1/3 fewer calories or 50% less fat than the regular food

Turn into acquainted with varieties of carbs, including sugar alcohols

There are three varieties of carbohydrates – sugar, starch, and fiber – on nutrition labels. When counting, it will be important to count the overall carbohydrate content of an item as an alternative of focusing solely on sugar content. Should you concentrate only on sugar, you would possibly miss out on nutrient-dense foods that naturally contain sugar, similar to fruits and milk.

As of January 2021, food manufacturers must specify the quantity of added sugar of their products on nutrition labels. This helps distinguish between naturally occurring sugar and sugar added during processing.

“In terms of insulin dosing, understanding the overall amount of carbohydrates is crucial, particularly if a selected insulin-to-carb ratio has been prescribed for meals,” said Jaime. Don’t overlook the quantity of fiber in foods when assessing the dietary information on food labels, since fiber might help decelerate the absorption of sugars and improve blood sugar levels after eating. (Aim for foods containing three or more grams of fiber per serving.)

Jaime also recommends individuals with diabetes turn into acquainted with sugar alcohols and their ability to raise blood sugar levels. Before eating sugar-free packaged goods, check the nutrition label to see if there are sugar alcohols, that are a kind of sugar substitute with a lower calorie count per gram in comparison with sugars and starches. Sugar alcohols Jaime recommends searching for include sorbitol, xylitol, and mannitol. If a food incorporates sugar alcohols, they will probably be listed under ”total carbohydrate” on the label; it’s essential to do not forget that foods that contain sugar alcohol may not necessarily be low in calories or carbohydrates.

Remember Percent Every day Value is useful but not individualized

The Percent Every day Value (%DV) on a food label is a option to show how much of certain nutrients a food provides in relation to the really useful day by day intake for the common person on a 2,000-calorie food regimen. It’s normally listed for nutrients like saturated fat, sodium, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Even if you happen to don’t follow a 2,000-calorie food regimen, you’ll be able to still profit from the %DV. On the whole, aim for lower than 5% for nutrients you ought to limit, similar to sodium and saturated fat. Aim for 20% or more of the nutrients you ought to get more of, similar to fiber, vitamin D, calcium, and iron.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), Jaime agrees that a customized meal plan is one of the best option to make sure you meet your individual needs. “I all the time prefer to remind or inform individuals with diabetes that percent day by day value pertains to a 2,000 calorie per day food regimen. These are general recommendations. For instance, 20% DV on nutrition labels for minerals similar to sodium, potassium, and phosphorus wouldn’t necessarily be an appropriate advice for somebody with renal disease,” Jaime said.

Get to know ingredients

Along with the nutrition label, reviewing the ingredients list is useful. The ingredient list can provide useful details about what’s in your food. Ingredients are listed so as of quantity, so concentrate to the primary few ingredients listed. If sugar or other unhealthy ingredients are near the highest of the list, consider selecting a distinct product.

“I encourage individuals with diabetes to look at the ingredient list to find out if a whole-wheat product is authentically whole-wheat,” Jaime said. “I explain that if the item is really whole-wheat/whole grain, then the very first ingredient should read ‘whole-grain’ vs. ‘enriched.’”

Transcend counting calories

Calories are a unit of measurement for the quantity of energy in a serving of food. Consuming too many can result in weight gain, but don’t stop at just the calories when evaluating a food’s dietary value. Consider greater than just the calorie count and as an alternative examine the food’s overall nutrient density.