For the past two weeks, we’ve been focusing on looking closely at labels, including portion sizes and the actual ingredients. For the next three weeks, we’re going to take a look at specific areas of the Nutrition Facts label – focusing on fat, carbohydrates and protein. Today, let’s start with a more detailed look at fat.
Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, or cholesterol may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases, like heart disease, some cancers, or high blood pressure. The goal of a nutritionally based diet is to keep saturated and trans fat to a minimum. The Nutrition Facts label shows the number of grams of fat per serving. It also includes the daily percentage of fat provided in each serving. If the daily percentage of fat per serving is 18%, each serving provides 18% of the total fat you should eat for the day.
When looking at different foods based on fat content, it’s important to choose a brand that has a lower fat percentage – like 20-30% or less of the total daily calories. (The daily percentage value is based on a number of calories listed on the Nutrition Facts label, usually 2,000. Your calorie needs may be higher or lower.)
It’s also important to consider the types of fat. There are two types of fat: unsaturated and saturated fat. Saturated fat is the “bad” fat that comes from animal products, as well as, coconut and palm oils. You should aim to keep saturated fat to less than 10% of your total calories per day (so, based on a 2000 calorie diet, saturated fat should be under 200 calories per day). Also, on the food label are the milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per serving. The heart healthy goal is to keep cholesterol intake to 200mg or less per day.
On January 1, 2006 the FDA required that Nutrition Facts labels include trans fats. The goal is to limit your trans fat intake to 0. Keep in mind that on the label, foods can list 0 grams of trans fats, but it still may not be absolutely trans fat free. If the amount is less than .5 grams, the label is allowed to have 0 grams. To be sure you are really getting 0 grams of trans fat per serving, look at the ingredient list for the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” fats or oils.
See the label below for a food that meets these fat intake suggestions.
In addition to reading labels, you can follow these tips to keep your diet lower in fat.
· Choose low-fat dairy – yogurt, low-fat milk, or low-fat cottage cheese.
· Enjoy low-fat (no more than 3 grams of fat per serving) or nonfat cheeses and spreads. Try low-fat or fat-free versions of your favorite salad dressing, cream cheese and mayonnaise.
· Trim all visible fat and remove the skin from poultry.
· Bake, broil or grill meats on a rack that allows fat to drip from the meat. Avoid frying foods.
· Sprinkle lemon juice and herbs/spices on cooked vegetables instead of using cheese, butter or cream-based sauces.
· Try plain, nonfat or low-fat yogurt and chives on baked potatoes rather than sour cream. Reduced-fat sour cream still contains fat, so you must limit the amount you use.
· Choose simply-prepared foods such as broiled, roasted or baked fish or chicken. Avoid fried or sautéed foods, casseroles, and foods with heavy sauces and gravies.
· Request that your food be cooked without added butter, margarine, gravy or sauces.
· Request salad with low-fat dressing on the side.
· Select fruit, angel food cake, nonfat frozen yogurt, sherbet or sorbet for dessert instead of ice cream, cake or pie.
Next week I will be shifting from fats to carbohydrates.
Rebecca
Rebecca Mohning M.S., R.D., L.D. is a registered dietitian and a certified personal trainer. She received her Bachelor’s degree in dietetics and her graduate degree in exercise and sports science from Iowa State University. She also has a personal training certification from the American College of Sports Medicine. Rebecca currently has her own private nutrition and fitness consulting business is the Washington DC area.