The Simple & Easy Guide To Reading Food Labels
This is a great guide for reading food labels which is so important for knowing what your packaged food actually contains. Reading food labels is very important, as there are many ingredients added to even so called “healthy foods” that are pre-packaged.
When reading ingredient labels, know that the ingredients at the top of the list are usually the highest in quantity. If there is a long list of ingredients and you can not pronounce or identify them as food, you should not buy it. These are unhealthy ingredients that are added as preservatives, additives, color enhancers, and toxic chemicals.
Know that sometimes ingredients listed as healthy sounding names are not, such as hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is a fancy word for trans-fat.
Difference Between Certified & Non-Certified Labels
Certified Labels
- Grass-Fed: label means they can roam on pastures and eat what nature intended. No antibiotics or hormones.
- Organic: label means that the animal must not have been given any hormones, antibiotics, or GMO grasses.
Non-Certified Labels
- Hormone Free: foods such as Pork, poultry, or beef may have this label. It means that no hormones have been given to the animal during the raising process
- Free Range: pertain to poultry. Birds are able to be outdoors (but only 5 minutes a day to meet USDA requirements)
- Pasture Raised: Indicates the animals received humane treatment and for beef, labels must read organic or grass fed.
- Cage-Free: Means poultry is raised in barns or warehouses, but does not mean they have access to the outdoors.
Certified humane raised and handled: Means that the animals are raised in a humane manner without growth hormones or antibiotics. - Farm Seafood or Fish Farming: fish are raised in tanks, which means they are not wild caught in their natural habitat.
- Wild-Caught Seafood: The seafood is caught in their natural habitats by fisheries.
- No Additives: Implies a product has not been enhanced with the addition of natural or artificial ingredients.
Why Not Take A Healthy Approach?
As you can see, reading food labels is extremely important. We need to know what exactly is going into our bodies at all times. By reading food labels, we simplify the process and educate ourselves so that we have a full understanding of where our food comes from and what exactly is put into it.
We want to cook safe for the ones we love most!
During my recovery from cancer, I was inspired to create a cookbook of delicious foods. However, it was my decision that these recipes would be made healthier. Being a Certified Health Coach with over thirty-two years experience as a registered nurse, my goal is to help others in achieving a healthier lifestyle.
Every bite of food we take either feeds disease or fights it. Throughout my personal experiences as a nurse, as well as my personal research on food and nutrition, I’ve determined there is a glaring need for more nutritious ingredients in our foods with less refined sugar, fat, and chemicals.
Because I come from a family of bakers and good cooks. I love delicious food! Which, can often make things tough. So, I decided to compile some of my favorite recipes and make a few changes to the ingredients, ultimately making them healthier!
Besides publishing my cookbook, “My Favorite Recipes Made Healthier”, I’ve published this blog which includes recipes, how-to videos, as well as many other things to provide you with support for a healthier mind, body, and soul. My hope is that this will help many others to ease the confusion and frustration of healthier cooking and a healthier lifestyle. Enjoy!
