Do you have a hard time making heads or tails of the nutrition facts on the back of food products? You're not alone. Even harder is trying to figure out which parts are important for The South Beach Diet™. While it may seem as though the nutrition label is designed to confuse and mystify, with a little education and a handy primer, you too can become an instant nutrition-label expert.
Here's a breakdown of what's important from top to bottom: 1. Serving Size. Serving sizes are based on the amount of food a typical person consumes. Many products contain more than one serving size within the package. Make sure you know how many servings you're eating before you polish off the entire container. 2. Carbohydrates and Sugars. You know the drill. Some sugars occur naturally (like lactose and glucose), while others are added. Avoid foods with added sugar and use the glycemic index as a guide for the rest. When in doubt, read the ingredients. If one of the first three ingredients is a word ending in "-ose," it's probably pretty high in sugar. 3. Fat. This section is always broken down into saturated and unsaturated fat content. Eventually, companies will be required to list the amount of trans fat, too. Avoid products with 20 percent or more of the daily recommended value of saturated fat. Look for products made with canola oil, olive oil, corn oil, peanut oil, and sesame oil. Avoid those made with hydrogenated oils and trans-fatty acids. 4. Fiber. Try to eat four daily servings of "high"-fiber foods (at least 5 grams of fiber per serving) and four daily servings of "good"-fiber foods (at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving). Make sure you get both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps keep you regular, and soluble fiber slows down digestion and insulin production. 5. Calories. This is a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of the product. The South Beach Diet does not require you to count calories, so don't dwell on this panel. 6. Cholesterol and Sodium. While Dr. Agatston does not require you to limit your intake of these two items, your physician may suggest it. If this is the case, follow your doctor's recommendations. 7. Vitamins and Minerals. While you don't need to pay special attention to these numbers, it is important that your foods are well-rounded-meaning they meet the above requirements and are rich in vitamins and minerals. It's especially important for women to eat foods rich in calcium and iron. Educate yourself and your family about these nutritional guidelines, and you'll all be better able to make healthy choices when buying food.