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Before you buy, check those ingredients
When Casey and I talk to people about eating right, we are often asked, “How do you know if what you are eating is good for you?”
A great place to start is by looking at the ingredient list on the products you buy.
Ingredients are listed in order of amount in the product so you get an idea of how much of each ingredient is in the food. That means if water is listed first, there is more water in that product than anything else. Any ingredient listed in the top three likely means there is a lot of it in the product.
It’s a good idea to limit foods that contain sugar in the first three ingredients. Look, too, for other words for sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup, corn sweetener, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, or many others. A good rule of thumb is that anything ending in “ose” can usually be assumed to be a sugar.
Ingredients more truthful than image
Some products might have a healthy image, but the ingredients can tell a different story. For example, most sports and energy drinks are high in sugar, and many of the energy drinks also contain caffeine or other stimulants. “Fruit drinks” often contain only 5% or 10% real fruit juice along with a lot of sugar.
“One hundred percent juice is a better choice than any fruit drink, but 100% fruit juices should be thought of as concentrated fruit,” says Beth Stewart, a registered dietitian and health promotion consultant for the WEA Trust. “Although fruit juices have nutritional value, they are high in calories and you should limit how much you drink.”
In general, water is the best choice for staying hydrated, and low-fat milk is a great choice for meals and snacks.
Healthy ingredients
While labels can help you avoid certain ingredients for health and allergy purposes, they can also help you find ingredients that are good for you. For example, look for foods containing whole grains, which are healthier than refined grains such as white flour. Whole grain foods should have one of these ingredients listed first: whole wheat, whole oats, brown rice, bulgar, graham flour, oatmeal, whole grain corn, whole rye, or wild rice.
If the opportunity exists, a great way to discuss ingredients with your students is to have them bring in a packaged food product from their homes.
Next month Casey and I will talk about nutrition labels. Until then, check those ingredients. A useful Web site for nutrition and health information for students and teachers is www.kidshealth.org.
