If you want to find out the nutritional information for any food item, whether or not it has a “Nutrition Facts” label, here’s the free government database that has the calories, fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals and so on…have fun!
Click here for the link to the USDA National Nutrient Database, enter your food item in the Keyword box and click “submit”. Please let me know what you think about the database by clicking comments below. I hope you find it useful. Thanks! Julie
Image by Stuart Miles..
Image by jscreationzs
Several news outlets reported Saturday Sept. 3 that the FDA is proposing revisions to the Nutrition Facts Label on the products we buy. The FDA wants to make the labels more helpful to us in making good food choices. Some of the suggested revisions include more emphasis on calories, with an improved description of a “serving size” to make it closer to the amount an individual consumer will actually eat at one meal.
Here’s an example. Under current labeling, 1 “serving” on a can of Bush’s Onion Baked Beans is 1/2 cup and contains 140 calories and 550 mg of sodium. If a consumer usually eats a cup (2 servings) of the beans they’re getting twice that amount of calories and sodium.
My take on the FDA’s view is that many people don’t really pay attention to serving size on the label, and therefore don’t realize how many calories they’re consuming. It will be interesting to see exactly what the FDA comes up with in the way of label revisions.
If you want to read more about the FDA’s ideas about food labels here’s a link to that section of their April 2011 Strategic Priorities Report on advancing food safety and nutrition. Do you find food labels helpful? What changes would make them more useful to you? Please share your views by clicking Comments below. Thanks!
Julie
Image by digitalart.
Julie’s Comments: The “Organic” label can us give the impression that some foods are healthier than they actually are. This NewsBite from the Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter reveals we can be biased by the “Organic” label. Organic or not, too much sugar and refined carbohydrates are not good for us and can lead to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Foods such as chips and cookies are best used as an occasional treat and not a regular menu item. Please share your views by clicking Comments below.
People think “organic” means healthier and lower in calories—even for processed foods such as cookies and potato chips, a new study reports. Cornell researchers wanted to test the widespread perception that organic foods are healthier—the so-called “halo” effect of organic labeling—in foods not normally associated with healthy eating or organic ingredients. So they asked 144 people to rate various taste and nutrition attributes of chocolate sandwich cookies, chips and yogurt labeled “organic” and “regular”; all the products were actually organic. The snacks labeled “organic” rated higher on almost all taste attributes, and people said they’d be willing to pay more for them. Tasters also guessed that the “organic” foods were lower in calories and fat and higher in fiber. Researchers concluded, “Having this organic label may lead people to underestimate the number of calories in a food product or feel they can indulge.”
Image by Grant Cochrane
Julie’s Comments: Here’s a good explanation of why our shopping and eating habits contribute to obesity, even when we don’t overeat. From The Visual MD, expert Bonnie Modugno points out the patterns that are making us fat. With this story of a visit to her sister she reveals potentially harmful habits we don’t often think about.
The “typical American diet”, even when it includes healthy foods, is full of opportunities to overeat refined starches and sugar. Bonnie tells us that these trigger the metabolic processes that cause our bodies to store fat. I really identified with Bonnie’s family story in this article…the menu sounded almost identical to ones I’ve had at so many gatherings!
I no longer buy processed snack foods…if I have them in the house, they will be eaten! Sweets are an occasional treat, and my family drinks water instead of soda or sports drinks. Even when a refined starchy food item (refined carbohydrate) is low in calories it can trigger our fat storage mechanisms. Calories are not all created equal. Please share your views by clicking Comments below.
Nobody has to pig out, binge or compulsively overeat to be obese in America. The usual way we shop for food, the typical way we entertain, and “normal” eating patterns are enough for most of us to tip the scales. No wonder public health experts are predicting 50% of us will be obese by 2050. Continue reading
Image by m_bartosch.
I love chocolate. When I heard in today’s news about a recent study from the British Medical Journal about chocolate and heart health, I had to find out more. Sadly, the study does not say the more chocolate the better! In summary, there was some benefit found to consuming chocolate, but the study authors caution that more research needs to be done, and that the fats and sugar found in many chocolate confections may do more harm than good. If you want to read an abstract of the study or the entire article click on the “British Medical Journal” link above.
My conclusion? I’ll continue to eat chocolate, but not too much. My usual chocolate choice is a bar of dark chocolate (the kind divided into break-off sections), and I have about a third of a bar 2 to 3 times a week. I also sometimes stir a tablespoon full of unsweetened cocoa powder into plain yogurt…it’s really good! Occasional indulgence in chocolate cake, truffles, pudding, etc. is one of my favorite things. In my mind this study doesn’t change that age-old advice “Everything in moderation, nothing to excess”. We all know this advice is not always easy to follow, especially for us chocolate lovers!
Please share your views by clicking Comments below. Thanks!
Image by Danilo Rizzuti.
Julie’s Comments: Too many energy drinks can be dangerous. Here’s why from John Tesh:
Drinking Energy Shots Can Land You in The Hospital:
Are you familiar with a drink called “5-Hour Energy?” It comes in small, shot-size bottles in flashy colors, and are displayed right near the checkout counter at most convenience stores. 5-Hour Energy claims it’ll give you instant pep with no sugar, but if you drink too much, it can send you to the hospital or even kill you.
Joy Bauer is a nutritionist for the “Today” show. She says that energy boosters aren’t as “magical” as the ads lead you to believe. For example, the energy bump you get is strictly from caffeine and has nothing to do with the high levels of B vitamins and amino acids they contain, which are purely for show. Also, energy boosters won’t transform you into a super-human. One woman we read about drank 10 bottles of 5-Hour Energy every day for 2 weeks! She ended up in the E.R. with stomach pain, nausea, and a fever, as well as jaundice and hepatitis. Doctors believe that excessive energy shots caused an overdose of niacin – or vitamin B3 – which can damage your liver. Want a quick energy lift that’s healthier? Drink a cup of black coffee and get plenty of rest.
Image by digitalart.
Julie’s Comments: Dr. Chopra talks about “functional foods”, or foods that provide special benefits in fighting disease. His article from The Visual MD tells us what some of these foods are and how they can help our health.
If you’re concerned with eating healthy, you may have heard about “functional foods.” Nutritionists and marketers use this term to describe foods that go beyond the basics of supplying nutrients to the body and appear to help ward off and combat certain chronic illnesses.
In a way, these foods are misnamed–they are far more than simply functional. The New York Times calls them “foods with benefits.” While many functional foods deliver real potential health benefits, consumers need to be aware of packaged foods that use the term mostly as a marketing tool. To make smart choices, you have to distinguish the products that offer more hype than health from the foods that may really make a difference. Continue reading
Image by Michelle Meiklejohn.
Julie’s Comments: From John Tesh, here are some things to look out for if we want to keep our weight under control.
Did you know that since the fat-free food craze started about 30 years ago the obesity rate has doubled among adults – and tripled among kids? That’s because when the fat is taken out, something has to go in its place, like carbs or sugar. That’s just one of the lessons we need to learn about fat according to David Zinczenko, the author of Eat This, Not That. Continue reading
One of many controversies mixing up the field of nutrition is whether the use of high-fructose corn syrup in soft drinks and other foods is causing the paired epidemics of obesity and diabetes that are sweeping the United States and the world. I’ve ignored this debate because it never made sense to me—high-fructose corn syrup is virtually identical to the refined sugar it replaces. A presentation I heard yesterday warns that the real villain may be fructose—a form of sugar found in fruits, vegetables, and honey. It may not matter whether it’s in high-fructose corn syrup, refined sugar, or any other sweetener. Continue reading
Corn field. Image by Stoonn.
Julie’s Comments: HFCS is an ingredient I like to avoid. This great article from The Visual MD explains why. Please share your views by clicking Comments below.
Processed foods are one of the things people are often told to cut back on when they’re trying to follow a healthy diet. In recent years, one particular processed food ingredient, known as high-fructose corn syrup, has been singled out as a possible health risk. Some researchers have suggested that it might be linked to a rise in obesity rates and related health problems like diabetes. What exactly is high-fructose corn syrup? Is it really bad for you? Continue reading
