This is the first in a series of short articles intended to help you better understand your nutrition options.

By Donna Paquette

Today it seems we need to have a degree in nutrition in order to decode the content of a product. Does anyone control what’s placed on a label? Who decides the difference between whole and reduced fat? And, just how “reduced” is it? If you’re like most people you know that the language of labeling is overly complicated needing a decoder ring to decipher it all. Let’s see if I can help break the code and having a general understanding.

To begin with, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for food labeling. In 1990 congress enacted the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA). This act allowed the FDA to govern the labeling of products as they are today. Light, reduced, free and low-fat are all terms defined in NLEA.

Let’s consider a refrigerator staple, Light Cottage Cheese.  What does “light” mean? How much fat is really in it? Let’s shed some “light” on the mystery. These are the definitions per serving:

• “Fat-free” must be either no fat or a very small amount; less than 1/2 of a gram.
• “Low-fat” is any product with a fat content of less than 3 gram.
• “Reduced fat” means the product has 25% less fat than the original.
• “Light” means the product will have 50% less fat than the original.

Another common dairy product- milk:

• 1% milk contains 1% fat content or 1 grams (1/4 tsp) per 8 oz serving.
• 2% milk contains 2% fat or 2 grams (1/2 tsp of fat) per 8 oz serving.
• Whole milk has 3 1/4 % fat or 3.25 grams (just shy of 1 tsp) per 8 oz serving.
• Skim milk contains 0-.5 grams (an insignificant amount) per 8 oz. serving

What does this mean in terms of fat needed in the diet? Let’s back up a moment and explain “nutrients”. Nutrients are what fuels the body. They come in several varieties; fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Our body needs them in certain percentages from our daily diet. Roughly speaking, 15% of our total calories should come from protein, 55% carbohydrates and 30% fats, with no more that coming from 10% from saturated fats. For the average person, this translates into 65 grams of fat with no more than 6 grams saturated based off of 2000 calorie diet. It’s that easy.

By the way, why do we need fat? Most people cringe when they hear the word fat but our body must have a certain amount to fuel systems, repair and maintain our cells and continue with good brain function. Fat is healthy in the right amount and the right kind. It isn’t necessary (or even healthy) to maintain a fat-free diet. Keep saturated fat low, trans-fatty acids at zero and your total dietary intake at no more than 30% for a healthier you.

Donna Paquette is a nutritionist for the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) for the state of Connecticut. You can write to her in care of customerservice@vidacura.com.