Food Labels at a Glance

Keep this tips in mind when selecting foods that are low in fat, cholesterol, and  sodium, but high in dietary fiber, vitamins, and iron. Your goal should be to consume no more than 30 percent of your calories from fat, but to consume 100 percent  of the daily value for total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
     Remember, too, three types of carbohydrates combine to give the total carbohydrates: simple (sugars), complex, and fibrous (dietary fiber). To select a healthy food, consider these factors:

• A large difference between the number of calories and calories from fat
• A low number of total fat grams
• An even lower number of grams of saturated fat
• A low cholesterol value
• A low sodium value
• A high value for total carbohydrates along with a low value for sugars, indicating that the total comprises mostly complex and fibrous carbohydrates
• A 10 percent or more value for vitamins and minerals