Get ready for the new year with a renewed focus on your health. Focusing on healthy eating, which includes making smart food choices, is a great way to prioritize your health. Our Hoag Medical Group physician provided some helpful tips when making selections during shopping.
The next time you are at the grocery store, take note of the following key elements on nutrition labels to ensure you are making a good choice.
- Servings per Container – This is essential to fully understand the contents and nutritional value. For example, that cookie that looks like it was made for one, may really be intended for three serving sizes and
have three times the sugar. - Total Sugars – Check the label to determine the overall sugar content. Approximately 5% of your daily value is considered low whereas 20%+ of your daily value is deemed high.
- Sodium – Interestingly, 70% of our dietary sodium is consumed via packaged and prepared foods. Consuming less sodium can help prevent hypertension and other problems.
With these three simple tools, hopefully you can make the right choices when looking at ten brands of yogurt or cereal that look so similar.
An additional resource on this topic is the Food & Drug Administration, which provides helpful contents and tools.
Hoag Medical Group wishes you a happy and healthy new year. Here’s to a great 2022!
