Page 191 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

Cholesterol: Although it’s still listed on the panel, the consensus
among nutrition scientists is that dietary cholesterol (the kind
you get from food) is not as much of a concern as it once was. It
only minimally affects blood cholesterol levels (which are still
quite important to pay attention to), whereas the types of fat
you eat affect your blood levels far more.

Carbohydrates: Looking at the Nutrition Facts panel, you won’t
be able to tell whether the carbs are refined carbs, which you
want to keep to a minimum because they jolt your blood sugar
much like eating actual sugar does (think white flour), or
higher-quality, slower-metabolizing carbs (think fruits, veg-
etables, whole grains). For that type of information, it’s best
to check the ingredients list. The other carb-related intel you
might gather from the panel would be essentially grams of
added sugar (aim low) and dietary fiber (aim high).
STEP 2: READ THE INGREDIENTS LIST.

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight.
You won’t see percentages or proportions. This makes it
tough to contextualize the amount of each ingredient rela-
tive to the others.
The list must be complete.

As a general rule, the first ingredient is the most important
in the list. Still, it’s worth scanning at least the first three
ingredients. Look for healthy whole foods (fruits, vegeta-
bles, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and the like).

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