Easy-to-read food labels can help you find foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, and keep track of the number of grams or milligrams you consume each day. According to Food and Drug Administration regulations, no manufacturer can say that their product is "low fat" or "low sodium" unless they can prove that claim. Learning to read food labels is a good first step in a sensible eating plan.
| If the label says |
It means that one serving of the product has . . . |
| Calorie free |
Less than 5 calories |
| Sugar free |
Less than 0.5 grams of sugar |
| |
| Fat |
| Fat free |
Less than 0.5 grams of fat |
| Low fat |
3 grams of fat or less |
| Reduced fat or less fat |
At least 25 percent less fat than the regular product |
| Low in saturated fat |
1 gram of saturated fat or less, with not more than 15 percent of the calories coming from saturated fat |
| Lean |
Less than 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol |
| Extra lean |
Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol |
| Light (lite) |
At least one-third fewer calories or no more than half the fat of the regular product, or no more than half the sodium of the regular product |
| |
| Cholesterol |
| Cholesterol free |
Less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams (or less) of saturated fat |
| Low cholesterol |
20 or fewer milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat |
| Reduced cholesterol |
At least 25 percent less cholesterol than the regular product and 2 grams or less of saturated fat |
| |
| Sodium |
| Sodium free or no sodium |
Less than 5 milligrams of sodium and no sodium chloride in ingredients |
| Very low sodium |
35 milligrams or less of sodium |
| Low sodium |
140 milligrams or less of sodium |
| Reduced or less sodium |
At least 25 percent less sodium than the regular product |
| |
| Fiber |
| High fiber |
5 grams or more of fiber |
| Good source of fiber |
2.5 to 4.9 grams of fiber |
This content is reviewed regularly. Last updated 03/18/09.
