"High" & "Lean" Foods

Many foods will make claims on the front of the box or container. At the grocery store you may see many items that use the words, “free,” “low,” or “high.” But what do these claims really mean?

A food product can be labeled "High" if the food contains 20% or more of a given nutrient. for example, whole grain cereals are often "high in fiber."

"Lean" and "Extra Lean" are used to describe the fat content of meat, poultry, and seafood.

• Lean: less than 10 grams of fat per serving.
• Extra Lean: less than 5 grams of fat per serving.

"Low" Foods

Many foods will make claims on the front of the box or container. At the grocery store, you may see many items that use the words, “free,” “low,” or “high.” But what do these claims really mean?

A food product can be labeled “Low” if the food can be eaten often without exceeding the recommended daily value for a given nutrient. This term is usually applied to fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium or calories. See examples below.

• Low saturated fat: 1 gram or less per serving
• Low fat: 3 grams or less per serving
• Low cholesterol: 20 milligrams or less total cholesterol and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving
• Low sodium: 140 milligrams or less per serving
• Low calorie: 40 calories or less per serving

The "low" distinction may also be referred to as “little,” “few,” or “low source of.”

"Free" Foods

Many foods will make claims on the front of the box or container. At the grocery store, you may see many items that use the words, “free,” “low,” or “high.” But what do these claims really mean?

A food product can be labeled “free” if the food contains very little to none of a specific nutrient. It can apply to fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, or calories.

More specifically, an item can be considered "calories-free" if it contains less than 5 calories per serving. A food may be considered "fat-free" if it has less than ½ gram of fat per serving.

Healthy Resolutions

Every year thousands of people resolve to eat better, exercise more, or lose weight. Yet, a month or two into the year, their resolutions seem to fade away. Below are some tips to help you maintain your healthy resolutions throughout the year.

• Baby Steps: You want your goals to be challenging, but not over-ambitious. Setting your goals too high can be overwhelming when you don't see immediate progress.
• Milestones: Set monthly milestones. Have short-term goals that you can celebrate along the way.
• Make it Real: Working towards an actual event with a deadline rather than an arbitrary goal can be helpful. For example, register to run a race, schedule a difficult hike, or plan to attend a fancy event where you want to fit into a specific outfit.
• Be Flexible: Life is constantly changing. Be willing to make changes to your goals and your plans also. If you aren't seeing the progress you'd like, don't just throw your goals out the window; instead, modify them as needed.