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List of Ingredients
Another way to make healthy food choices is by looking at the list of ingredients. The problem is that ingredients can look like a foreign language. By taking a few minutes to become familiar with what some of the common ingredients are, you'll be better equipped to select the foods that are good for you.
The first thing you should know about the list is that ingredients are ordered by weight, from the most to the least. So if sugar is one of the first ingredients, it's a good bet that it's not a very healthy product. The second thing to know is that saturated and trans fats, sodium and sugar all may appear in the ingredients list under different names. These are the nutrients you generally should only consume a little of in order to maintain a healthy diet.
Other names for saturated fat: Bacon, beef fat, butter, chicken fat, cocoa butter, coconut or coconut oil, hydrogenated fats and oils, lard, palm or palm kernel oil, powdered whole milk solids, shortening, suet, and tallow. Saturated fat has been shown to raise LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels, which may put you at risk for heart disease.
Other names for trans fat: Hard margarine, hydrogenated fats and oils, partially hydrogenated fats and oils, and shortening. Trans fat is made from a chemical process known as partial hydrogenation, which turns liquid oil into a solid fat. Trans fat may not only raise LDL cholesterol levels, but it may also lower HDL, or "good cholesterol," both of which may put you at risk for heart disease.
Other names for sodium: Baking powder, baking soda, brine, celery salt, disodium phosphate, garlic salt, monosodium glutamate, onion salt, salt, sodium alginate, sodium benzoate, sodium bisulfate, sodium propionate, and soy sauce.
Other names for sugars: Sugars tend to end with "ose," like dextrose, fructose, or glucose. Sugar also comes in the form of syrups, molasses, invert sugar, honey, cane juice, and concentrated fruit juice. Sugars have been linked to blood sugar problems, depression, fatigue, vitamin B deficiency, tooth decay, periodontal disease, and indigestion.
Remember, if you do eat food that is high in fat, sugar or sodium, be sure to avoid foods that are high in these nutrients for the rest of the day. The ingredients list and Nutrition Facts table can help you track how much of each nutrient you are consuming.
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