Label Reading Tips

W.J.Pais Food Information - Health Issues
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Read the labels, and fill your cart with the most nutritious foods

By Sylvia Davis
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

It all starts in the grocery store. The foods you choose to stock your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer are the foundation for your diet.

Grocery shopping can be daunting. It can be overwhelming to try to choose the healthiest foods from among all the options that line every aisle. And new trends and choices pop up every day, from fortified foods to upscale gourmet.

To help you navigate the supermarket, here are some expert tips to help you read food labels and choose healthy products. We've also got a top 10 list of nutritious foods to add to your grocery cart.

Label Reading Tips

The first thing you'll see is the label on the front of the food package. Manufacturers can say most anything they want on the front label (to get the real story, see the Nutrition Facts panel on the back). Here are some terms you may see there, and what they really mean:

Here are some key phrases you'll see on the Nutrition Facts panel on the back of the package:

Top 10 Foods to Put on Your Grocery List

Here are some foods that experts say should be on any health-conscious shopper's grocery list:

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