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Read dem Labels Folks!

yarmiah
yarmiah Posts: 325 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I'm a label reader, have been since I started this journey in 2010.

But I'm still surprised by some of the things that one would think is healthy
or even is marked as healthy: "low fat" "low calorie" or "heart healthy".
They can be confusing AND/or misleading!

Take today for instance- I had to stop and get soft tortillas for my healthy
moo shu pork recipe(deLISH btw) and immediately was drawn to the
whole wheat tortillas, knowing that generally WHOLE wheat is a healthier
option compared many other overprocessed foods. So, I'm standing there
comparing 2-3 different whole wheat tortillas when my 11 year old shows
me the label on a regular white flour tortilla (yeah, I'm training her early lol).

My whole wheat 10 inch tortilla: (Don Pancho brand)
120 calories
3 g fat
2.5g sat fat
0 cholesterol
220mg sodium
19g carb
2 g fiber
1 g sugar
3 g protein

Her flour 10 inch tortilla: (La Banderita brand)
110 cal
1g fat
0 sat fat
0 cholesterol
286mg sodium
21g carb
3g fiber
0 sugar
4g protein

Who would have guessed the regular old tortilla with only a "0 trans fat" marking would be the better option having
more protein, more fiber
less fat, less sugar (tho silghtly more sodium)


Just when ya think you know it all . . . . .

Replies

  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    because of the fat?
  • rudegyal_b
    rudegyal_b Posts: 593 Member
    to me that is such a small difference, it wouldnt even matter, unless im missing something here
  • yarmiah
    yarmiah Posts: 325 Member
    The point of my post is read nutritional labels. Don't assume items that are marked/marketed as healthy
    are they healthiest option NOR assume that items that are NOT labeled with those same marketing ploys
    can't be a good option.

    And as for me, I am still having to count every calorie, so that 20 calorie difference for 2 tortillas does make a difference
    (I don't want to give up my creamer in my coffee!! lol)
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    The point of my post is read nutritional labels. Don't assume items that are marked/marketed as healthy
    are they healthiest option NOR assume that items that are NOT labeled with those same marketing ploys
    can't be a good option.

    And as for me, I am still having to count every calorie, so that 20 calorie difference for 2 tortillas does make a difference
    (I don't want to give up my creamer in my coffee!! lol)

    I would rather take on an extra 20 calories to eat a healthier version of whatever. reading labels should start with the ingredients first...if I can pronounce the ingredients and know what they are, and want them in my body, then I look at calories just to see if its inline with the ingredient list.
  • geezer99
    geezer99 Posts: 92
    Good point -- the food companies want to take advantage of the "good" words, even if there is no benefit to the nutrition of the product. Read and then make informed choices.
  • MargoPrior
    MargoPrior Posts: 25 Member
    I have always been a label reader but until 8 1/2 months ago, I never thought of noticing the sodium in most foods and how much is in everything we eat, even the natural foods, like eggs and milk. Why I had to have emergency bypass surgery (at 42), it opened up my eyes to how much sodium is in everything and even though I quit putting salt on anything, I still have to watch closely how much sodium is in foods to keep my blood pressure down. I can relate to how foods can be misleading. It is often better to get the full flavor and calories/fat from a 'regular' version of a food, than to go 'low fat' etc if you remind yourself that you need to eat a bit less and it is better for you, healthwise in the future (such as less sugar or sodium etc.).
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    If you have a chinese market in your area, check out the mu shu pancakes they sell. They are a lot thinner than tortillas and typically have fewer calories.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,469 Member
    Don't forget the 20% allowable error rate.
This discussion has been closed.

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