The average American takes in too little fiber, calcium, and essential vitamins, and too much fat, sugar, and sodium. Excess fat—especially saturated and trans fats—may raise the risk for heart disease. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure.
So do your heart a favor: Fix shortcomings in your diet by scanning both sides of food packages when you shop.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration enforces laws about which foods can use terms such as low-fat. Look for the following health claims and understand what they mean:
To avoid getting bogged down in numbers and percentages, follow these simple rules:
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Watch the serving size. If you eat 2 portions, double the calories and nutrients.
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Shoot for the highs and lows in percent daily value. It can show you if a food has a lot or a little of a particular nutrient. Foods that have more than a 20% daily value of a nutrient are high. Foods that have a 5% daily value or less are low. Plan to eat foods that provide more fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium. Eat foods that are lower in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, added sugars, and sodium.