What’s In Your Pantry?

I recently spoke to a group of women about the importance of reading food product labels before making purchasing decisions. I find that so many people neglect doing this essential task while purchasing food products. It’s vitally important that as consumers we know what we are putting in our pantries and ultimately our bodies.

Reading product labels can at times prove to be a daunting and confusing task. Sometimes product labels can read like a short magazine article or contain words that most of us can barely pronounce. I want to take a few moments to share a few key things to remember when reading food labels to help take the confusion out of it and help you make the healthier choice.

First, it’s best to purchase products that have less than 8 ingredients listed on the product label. When a food product has a lot of ingredients in it, more than likely, it is not a wholesome food choice and in many cases filled with sugars, additives and other harmful substances. The next rule of thumb is to look for items that don’t contain sugar or artificial sweeteners as the 2nd or 3rd ingredient. Ingredients are always listed in descending order of weight with the primary ingredient listed first, so if sugar is in the top 3, that’s what you are mostly consuming from that product.

Next you want to be sure to look at the serving size to make the most informed decision about a product. For example, you may see that a jar of spaghetti sauce has 10 grams of sugar per serving and think that it is okay. However, once you see that there are 5 servings in the jar, resulting in a combined total of 50 grams of sugar, you definitely will need to put that item back on the shelf. The last few things to remember are pretty basic: stay away from products that contain artificial sweeteners (i.e. aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, splenda, etc…) in the ingredient label or that are high in sodium or sugar.

I hope these tips help you make healthier choices during your next shopping trip. Reading labels will help you maintain a healthier lifestyle and stock your pantry with items that are better for you and your family. I know that it may take a little more time to read the product labels, but your life literally depends on it! See you around the neighborhood with my label reading tips in tow.

S. Press is founder of S. Press Enterprise and Saved M.O.M. If you would like more information on health and wellness, check out www.spressonline.com. If you would like more information on parenting, check out www.savedmom.com. You can also stay connected at www.twitter.com/spressonline, www.facebook.com/spressonline and www.twitter.com/savedmom.