Registered Dietitian Margaret Brum shares tips on how to understand nutrition and health claims
Nutrition claims tell you how diet can affect your health or give you information about a nutrient such as the amount of fat or sugar in a product.
Nutrition Content Claims
"Cholesterol free" or "No cholesterol"
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What it means: An insignificant amount
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Where you might see this claim: Potato chips
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Beware: Cholesterol only comes from animals. Cholesterol free products may still be high in fat.
"Low fat"
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What it means: Less than 3 grams of fat per serving
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Where you might see this claim: Fruit bottom yogurt
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Beware: Low fat does not always mean low calories. Choose fat free yogurt with no sugar.
"No sugar added"
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What it means: Granulated sugar has not been added to the product
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Where you might see this claim: Juice
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Beware: Juices have natural sugar and are high in calories.
"Light"
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What it means: Less fat or calories (energy) than the regular version of the food
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Where you might see this claim: Light peanut butter
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Beware: Can also refer to color or texture such as "light" or "lite" olive oil.
