Shopping Smarts: Read the Labels

Nothing on TV that interests you? Well, there’s some good reading at the grocery store: food labels. Reading them can help you learn to eat for better health. But all those numbers can be a bit confusing. Here are some tips:

* Begin by comparing the labels on different brands of one food you normally buy, such as dried cereal or canned soup.

* Focus on one thing at a time, such as fat. If you want to eat less fat, compare total fat and saturated fat between brands. If you want to eat less salt, compare sodium. Then select the brand with the least fat or sodium.

* Remember to compare how much you really eat to the serving size on the label. If you eat more, multiply the numbers on the label by the number of servings you will eat.

Source: StayWell Co.