Reading Food Labels
The Ins and Outs of What's Listed on the Label

They may not look like it, but food labels may be some of your best friends when managing your cholesterol and trying to slow the progression of atherosclerosis. Once you learn to decode the 8 parts of a food label, you're well on your way to making healthy food choices.

The good news is that the info on food labels is standardized, so if you can read one, you can read them all.

Serving Size: All the information on the label is based on one serving. Even a small package may contain several servings.

Calories: Your daily intake of calories should be just enough to help maintain a desirable weight. On average, women should consume about 1,800 calories daily, while men should consume about 2,500 calories daily.

Total Fat: Try to keep your daily intake of total fat to about 30% of your calories. Think of it as an average of 3 grams of fat for every 100 calories. And remember, healthy fats — monounsaturated and polyunsaturated — may not be listed. Simply subtract the saturated and trans fats from the total fat to see what you're getting.

Saturated Fat: Commonly found in animal products including fatty meat and dairy products as well as in coconut and palm oils. Saturated fat has also been shown to increase LDL or (bad) cholesterol. As a result, less than 7% of your daily calories should come from saturated fat. That's about 7 grams saturated fat per 1,000 calories.

Trans Fat: Like saturated fat, trans fat has also been shown to increase LDL (bad) cholesterol. It's commonly found in vegetable shortening, snack foods and commercial baked goods like cookies and crackers.

Cholesterol: For a healthy diet, try to keep the amount of cholesterol in the foods you eat to under 200 milligrams per day.

Dietary Fiber: Alters digestion and extends the feeling of fullness, and can also lower LDL cholesterol. Try to eat 5-10 grams of soluble fiber per day. Some sources are peas, beans and apples.

*% of Daily Value: According to the FDA, that little asterisk refers to the footnote in the lower part of the nutrition label which reads "% DVs are based on a 2,000 calorie diet." This statement must appear on all food labels. But the remaining information in the full footnote may not be on the package if the size of the label is too small. When the full footnote does appear, it will always be the same, no matter what the product, because it shows recommended dietary advice for all Americans. Many of the Daily Values (DV) for each nutrient listed and are based on public health experts' advice. DVs are recommended levels of intakes and those in the footnote are based on a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet. Note how the DVs for some nutrients change, while others (for cholesterol and sodium) remain the same.

Brushing up on the nutritional values of the foods you eat is a great way to help get your diet on the right track. But did you know that some foods actually can help lower cholesterol?