Can you read?

LMT2012

I am curious to know if those who did not grow up with food nutrition labels had trouble using that information in their plan. I remember the days before bar codes to scan, restaurants with calorie counts on the menu and detailed product labels right down to the amount of niacin in a slice of bread.
Do you feel it is a 100% positive change, or sometimes feel barraged by all the information? What parts do you use most?

d2footballJRC

I am curious to know if those who did not grow up with food nutrition labels had trouble using that information in their plan. I remember the days before bar codes to scan, restaurants with calorie counts on the menu and detailed product labels right down to the amount of niacin in a slice of bread.
Do you feel it is a 100% positive change, or sometimes feel barraged by all the information? What parts do you use most?

Considering that obesity is still an issue in America I think they are great tools but they aren't answers to problems. Knowledge is helpful, but people still have to want/need that knowledge. More and more people seem to be using that info and I think when you are dieting the info does help make better decisions. I know that I was shocked on some of the calorie numbers of some fast food items on the menu that I thought would be lower calories then the burgers that weren't.

So while the info is good to have on hand, there still has to be that desire by a person to use it.

MSam1205

I hardly buy anything in the grocery store anymore without looking at the nutrition labels. I focus on Calories, Carbs and Fiber. those are the the three big categores for me on my diary also. I think it's a huge improvement over days of old, but not sure I have read where the numbers from the manufacturer may not always be spot on, but then neither am I when it comes to measuring or counting

My daughter and I went to Trader Joe's last weekend and we both found ourselves reading just about every label, and choosing items based on the counts. It's become a new habit, and that's a good thing!:bigsmile:

I have also started looking at websites for fast food counts, ie Tim Hortons is big here, and I was amazed at how high in calories their "healthy" breakfast wrap was. The sauce did it in:noway: I figured I could do 2 at home for the calories in 1 takeout. Knowing what the counts are at Panera, Dunkin donuts, etc has pushed me to eat at home so much more!!

LMT2012

I have to say I LOVE knowing how many calories are in a meal when i eat out. I have a pretty good handle on proper portions, but the difference between 500 and 1,000 calories at a restaurant can escape the best of us.
Regarding labels, I also look for things that do not contain ANY partially hydrogenated oils. Those are nasty.

bcattoes

I think it's great! I mostly look for the total carb to fiber ratio on grain products, the total number of ingredients and amount of sugar in most things, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils on anything processed or premade.

majope

Back in the good ol' days, there were books available with calorie/nutrient counts. Similar guides were often appended to diet books and cookbooks as well. You had to do more work to figure up combinations of foods, but the basic info was out there if you knew where to look. So it's not new info, it's just a different way of presentation.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I've been a vegetarian (with a meat eating family) since I was 7 so I've always read the ingredients on things to check for hidden gelatin, glycerin, etc. but I've also always watched things like iron, b12, etc. because it's easy for vegetarians to have certain deficiencies if they're not careful.

olDave

There is much more info than I need. I typically use the calorie, fat, and sugar info.