FitSugar

How Do "Light" Food Labels Trick You?

Leta Shy — Thu, 26 May 2011 01:53:51 PDT

Gone are the diet-craze days when "fat-free" products were king, however, the supermarket still abounds with "light" versions of different products. Reduced fat or low calorie can mean higher salt or sugar contents or a longer list of unidentifiable ingredients. Sometimes it's all too easy to trick yourself into thinking you are doing better by reaching for the seemingly healthier version. What do you know about tricky "light" labels? Take our quiz to find out!

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What Do You Look at First When Reading a Food Label?

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:00:00 PST

We all have different food needs. So when it comes to label reading, someone trying to lose weight may first look at the calorie amount, while someone training for a marathon may look at how much protein a product contains. What about you?

New Country of Origin Food Label Law

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:00:00 PDT

I like eating seasonally and locally, but I am a realist too. I know much of the food we all eat comes from outside the US. Remember the tomato and hot pepper salmonella scare? Food regulations vary from country to country and many are not as strict as ones in the US, which can pose some health risks. Now a new food label law comes into effect that will require companies to state where certain products such as meat, produce, and other products came from. Now you'll be able to tell if the foods you buy are imported or not, and from which countries they were produced.

The country of origin labeling requirement has been years in the making, and now that it's here, the law is a little confusing since not all foods are covered under the new regulations. Certain foods that are processed such as roasted peanuts, breaded chicken, and bacon are excluded from this law, as are bags of mixed lettuce. Retailers have six months from now to learn and implement the new labeling rules, so you should begin seeing labels in stores relatively soon. This mandatory labeling could help sell products since many people will appreciate knowing their apples came from a local farm. The food origin labels might also discourage people from buying products from unsafe sources, such as with the recent issues in China. The thing is though, consumers have a right to know where their food was grown or packaged. I'm in full support of this law and look forward to the day when the government requires all food retailers to state where their foods come from. What do you think? Are you happy about this new law or not really phased by it? Will these new labels affect how you shop?

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Do You Read Food Labels?

YumSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 07:01:18 PDT

The discussion about whether or not soy sauce is actually soy sauce made me wonder about food labels in general and whether or not people actually read them. I'm fortunate enough not to have any major food allergies and have stupidly stopped counting calories years ago, so I rarely look at the actual labels (although I try not to buy too many processed food items, so in theory I wouldn't have that many labels to read). How about you? Do you read food labels?

Food Network Launches Wine Label, Entwine

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:00:45 PDT

Following in the footsteps of Top Chef, Twitter, and Mario Batali, the Food Network has jumped on the wine bandwagon. The television channel has just launched a new wine label, entwine, in partnership with Wente Vineyards, a winery in California's Livermore Valley.

The wine portfolio will have four varietals from the 2009 vintage: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. All wines will retail at $12.99 and are expected to hit the market in August.

Yesterday, the network hosted an event announcing the wines and Anne Burrell was on hand encouraging viewers to learn more about wine by drinking more. I agree with Burrell - the more you drink, the more you learn, and I'm curious to see how these wines taste. How about you? Are you interested in sipping entwine?

What's in Your Grocery Cart? Test Your Nutrition Label Know-How

Lisa Horten — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:01:04 PDT

Anyone who's ever tried to decode a nutritional label at the grocery store is well aware that it can be an incredibly confusing task. And for those of us who think we've got it down pat . . . it turns out that the language used on those tricky lil labels is riddled with misleading terminology that may have you feeding your tot less healthy food than you think. Test your nutritional know-how, and find out how well you know what's in your family's kitchen.

Source: Flickr User dougww

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How I Learned to Love Tuna

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:01:24 PDT

Growing up, I never went through a picky stage, and today there is nothing that I wouldn't taste - except for one fishy thing. As a small child, my mother claims I gorged on tuna fish with no hesitation, but for some inexplicable reason, things took a very different turn. It's been a family mystery ever since.

I recently moved in with a new roommate and felt confident that, when it came to all things kitchen, I had covered all the bases with her: sharing food is a necessity for me (labeling containers just seems so sad and weird), if there are dishes in the sink, just do them (it all evens out eventually), and depending on the week, I call for Indian takeout an embarrassing amount of times.

Then it happened. I walked into the apartment postwork one rainy night and saw my roommate cooking up tuna and tomato soup in the kitchen. That was when I realized I'd left an important detail out of the equation.

Keep reading to see how I faced up to my fear of tuna.

One Month Till Memorial Day Weekend! How to Get Bikini-Ready Now

Self — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:12:29 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

With spring in full swing, we've already said goodbye to the winter blues. But as you enjoy the milder weather and longer days, keep in mind that Memorial Day weekend is merely a month away - meaning it's almost time for bikinis and short shorts! So, is one month enough time to score your best body yet?

It sure is, says Jim White, registered dietician, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer and spokesman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But you'd better get started now. "After all the shrieking and gasping about how 'time flies' and it's 'too soon' to be exposing that muffin top, it's time to get realistic and take action," he explains. "A month is not a tremendous amount of time to shed any accumulated winter fat, but before you break out into cold sweats, it is not unreasonable to lose 10 pounds or one dress size in that time."

To make sure you score your best bikini bod before you hit the beach, sign up for SELF's free Drop 10 plan - it'll have you slimmer and stronger than ever in only five short weeks! Then, follow White's basic rules for healthy eating. "Healthy eating is a must if you expect weight loss," he says.

Read on for the one-month plan!

Not So Fast! 3 Tips For Reading Food Labels

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:31:43 PDT

Eating a healthy diet often means spending time reading food labels at the grocery store. The next time you hit the market, follow these important tips to ensure you're not missing something.

Look at more than calories: When it comes to losing weight, you've probably grown accustomed to checking the calorie counts, but remember that this number isn't everything. Many healthy foods (like quinoa) tend to be higher in calories; likewise, a food that's low in calories may contain a lot of sodium or saturated fat. Read through every part of the label to get the full picture, and then make the decision if you're going to eat it.
Compare apples to apples: You have two boxes of crackers in your hands and quickly see that one contains 220 calories per serving, while the other is only 140. Before you choose the box with fewer calories, double-check to make sure you're comparing equal serving sizes. Also take a look to see how the nutritional content compares.
Read, and reread: There are certain foods you feel confident placing in your cart because you've previously read through the labels. Play it safe by checking the label again every month, just to make sure the company hasn't changed or added ingredients without you knowing; the whole-grain pretzels I used to buy are now sadly made with enriched flour.

13 Health Gimmicks You Can Stop Wasting Money On

Business Insider — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:15:21 PDT

Consumers have a tendency of falling for the next big health gimmick. Save your money on health duds with these Business Insider tips.

No matter how many times we're told otherwise, Americans' obsession with get-healthy-quick schemes will likely never die. Too bad most of these fads aren't worth their weight in salt - or your hard-earned dollars. We've put together a list of some of the worst budget-sucking health trends that still persist today.

Coconut Water

Coconut water may be nature's version of Gatorade but some brands have already caught fire for over-hyping its nutrient content. Vita Coco agreed to settle a $10 million class action lawsuit over an independent study that showed the drinks didn't pack near as many electrolytes as advertisements implied. Some coconut waters are also loaded with added sugar, which will do nothing to help your waistline.

Alternative: Pick up your own young green coconuts on the cheap from an Asian produce market. Just crack them open with a cleaver and pop in a straw.

"All-Natural" Foods

30 percent of Americans bought more natural foods in 2011, according to a Rodale study. But what are we really paying more for? There's no clear cut regulation on what makes food "natural," which means just about any company can slap that label on its packages, add a fancy green theme and jack up the price.

Says Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers: "Before buying any food that is touted as being 'all natural,' take a look at the ingredient list before you check out. Keep in mind that butter and salt are indeed natural ingredients. So stocking up on natural foods may not achieve anything other than increasing your grocery bill."

Read on for more.