Registered Dietician Gives Us The Truth About Food Labels

Finally….a step forward in understanding what we are eating.  The infamous “food label” is hopefully getting a much needed makeover.  So many of my clients look at food labels as if it is written in stone…they believe every piece of information on there.  The problem is it is so confusing and difficult to interpret, that I often recommend not looking at the label at all.

I may change my view.  The new label would have portion sizes that are comparable to what we really eat, larger font for calorie counts, a separate row for added sugars (vs naturally occurring sugars) and would cut out the line that tells you calories from fat (which is irrelevant in many ways).

However, if it happens…still not approved yet….it won’t be for a few years…so what to do now?  READ THE INGREDIENTS!  So many of us go right to the food label and look at calories and grams…but what is in your food?!?  Always look at the ingredients first to make sure it is what you want.  Then, look at the label and compare calories or whatever other measure you are interested in.

It all goes back to being more aware of what you are actually eating.  Do you know what you are eating?

A step towards progress! Yay!​

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Jae Berman, MS, RD, CSSD, serves as the Regional Registered Dietitian of The San Francisco Bay Club. As the nutrition expert and dietician for Western Athletic  Clubs, she thrives on helping people live healthier, stronger, more confident lives. With an extensive education in nutrition, Jae has been featured as an expert in Shape Magazine, Better Homes & Garden and more. Her background is in sports nutrition, weight loss counseling and disease management. She is also a personal trainer and yoga and Pilates instructor. Jae earned a master’s degree in Applied Physiology and Nutrition from Columbia University and completed her dietetic internship at UCSF Medical Center.