Making sense of food labels

Label terms to know
In addition to sugar and trans fats, it is important for consumers to become familiar with various claims on packaging in order to know the meaning behind the food they are buying. The most common claims and their meanings per serving are:

• Fat free = 0.5 grams of fat or less
• Calorie free = 5 calories or less
• Sugar free = 0.5 grams of sugar or less
• Sodium free = 5 mg of sodium or less
• Cholesterol free = 2 mg of cholesterol or less
• Low fat = 3 grams of fat or less
• Low in saturated fat = 1 gram of saturated fat or less
• Low cholesterol = 20 mg of cholesterol or less
• Low sodium = 140 mg of sodium or less
• Very low sodium = 35 mg of sodium or less
• Low calorie = 40 calories or less
• Reduced calorie = At least 25 per cent less energy (calories) than a comparable product
• High = 20 per cent or more of daily value
• Good = 10 to 19 per cent of daily value
• Good source of fibre = 4 grams or more of fibre

In addition to becoming an informed label reader, loading up your grocery cart with less processed and packaged goods and more fresh, whole, live foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean meats is another powerful step toward health and wellness.

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