Are you noticing additional nutrition labels on the shelves of your local grocery store? Have you seen new symbols indicating healthy food choices on the front of food packaging? These new nutrition rating systems claim to rate calories, fiber, fat, sodium, and other nutrients, but should not be confused with Food and Drug Administration recommendations.
The Nutrition Facts label that is required on most prepared foods does nothing more than list facts about which nutrients are included in the food. These labels don’t tell you whether or not a food is healthy or a good nutritional choice for your diet.
However, the voluntary labeling that comes from food manufacturers or grocery stores, which is aimed at telling you what is healthy or unhealthy, may not be a reliable guide. These rating systems aren’t standardized or regulated and it’s often unclear what factors played a role in determining that a food is “healthy” or “good for you.” Many of these new labeling systems were developed by grocery store chains and food manufacturers in an attempt to sell more products and may or may not take federal guidelines or advice from dietitians into consideration. In fact, some of these rating systems have become the subject of lawsuits and government investigations.
Your best bet is to focus on the information listed on the FDA-regulated Nutrition Facts label. Educate yourself about how many calories you should be consuming daily, and how many of those calories should come from fat, sugars, and fiber. Your own physician will be able to help you come up with reliable guidelines for your personal diet.