Beware of Nutrition Claims!

Now more than ever, I read all the labels of food I buy at the grocery store. Just as a friendly reminder, "Reduced Fat, is still Fat" and "Less Sugar, is still Sugar".

Many foods carry nutrition claims as well as nutrition information. There is currently no legislation about such claims. This is what some of the more common ones should mean. So before you grab that "Fat Free Fat", be sure to understand what you are buying:

• Low fat – no more than 3g fat per 100g of food
• Reduced fat, sugar or sodium – 25 per cent less fat/sugar/sodium than in a standard version of the food.
• High fiber – at least 6g of fiber per 100g of food.
• % fat free – these claims are discouraged.  If something is ‘90% fat-free’ it is still 10% fat so is not a low fat food.