Know the Limits on Fats, Salt, and Sugars

Read the Nutrition Facts label on food packages. Choose and prepare foods low in total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, salt, and sugar.

Twenty to thirty-five percent of your daily calories should come from fats. Select and prepare lean cuts of meat. Trim fat from meat and take skin off poultry. Choose fat-free and low-fat milk and milk products. The best sources of fats are fish, nuts, and vegetables oil (such as soybean, canola, safflower, and corn oil) that have not been hydrogenated.

Eat as little trans fat as possible. Most unhealthy trans fat is in processed foods (margarines, cookies, crackers, pies, bread, chips, microwave popcorn, French fries) that have been made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Look for partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in the ingredients listing. Eat as few foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils as possible. Trans fat may be listed in the Nutrition Facts label. Choose foods that have 0 grams trans fat, but understand these foods can have up to ½ gram per serving. To tell for sure, look for partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in the ingredients listing.

Choose and prepare foods with less sodium/salt. Most sodium is eaten as sodium chloride, which is table salt.

Read food labels for the sodium content. Eat less than 2,300 mg. of sodium each day. Processed foods are often high in sodium. Choose foods such as fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low in sodium and rich in potassium.

Limit food with added sugars that supply extra calories but few or no nutrients. Read food labels to identify added sugars such as corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, sucrose, molasses, and brown sugar.

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