We buy food every week and often pay little attention to what is written on the food label. These labels however can reveal so much, even about food we think is healthy. Let's look more closely to understand:

Serving Size, Servings Per Container and Calories: This is the first place to start to get a snapshot about the food we are eating. One mistake people make is to assume the calories listed describes the whole package. We ignore the serving size and servings per container and end up consuming more then we intended. For example, eating half a jar of peanuts (140calories/serving, 9 servings/container) could set you back 630 calories. On the flip side you could eat a whole bag of broccoli (30 calories/serving, 6 servings/bag) and only be out 180 calories.

Fat: This is often where health conscious people check to keep fat levels down. It's true fat is high in calories, but the right fat is good for you and essential for your body. You want unsaturated fats (poly and mono) and should avoid/limit saturated and trans fats. For example one serving of almond butter has 16g of fat, but only 1.5 grams saturated fats and 0 trans fat. .

Cholesterol: In general less is better, but cholesterol is naturally produced in the body and like fat is needed. You should be conscious however if you have problems with high cholesterol or hypertension. In these cases consuming more cholesterol in your diet can exacerbate these conditions. Overall try to limit your cholesterol intake to under 300mg a day.

Sodium: High amounts of sodium is also bad for hypertension. In addition it can cause you to retain water making you feel bloated and possibly shock you next time you step on the scale. Try and stay below 2400mg per day and watch out for high sodium foods. For example, 1 can of chicken noodle soup is only 150 calories, but contains 2670mg of sodium.

Carbohydrates: Look for foods high in fiber to help with digestion and weight loss. Also be aware of the % of carbs that are sugar. For example many people purchase yogurt to stay healthy but fail to realize the sugar added. A individual yogurt may have 20g of carbs, 19g of which are sugar. Try plain yogurt and add fresh fruits instead.

Protein: - Your body needs protein to build and repair essential parts of the body, such as muscles, blood, and organs. Complete proteins like meat are better because they contain all your essential amino acids, but unfortunately food labels don't give us a detailed breakdown.

Looking at the ingredients list can be just as revealing as reading the nutrition facts on a food label. Here are a few things to be aware of:

False Claims: Food packaging is all about marketing and sales so companies constantly twist the truth to get that sale. For example, let's look at a can of Pam cooking spray. The label reads, "For Fat Free Cooking" and lists 0 calories and 0g of fat per serving. However the first ingredient listed is canola oil. How can it be fat free and 0 calories and be made of oil (fat) you ask? They tricked us by changing the serving size to 1/3 of a second spray. Go ahead, try and spray for just 1/3 of a second.

Hidden Sugars: Recently I went to buy dried cranberries and raisins but when I looked at the ingredients I noticed sugar on the list. Be aware when shopping that foods aren't loaded with unnecessary sugar that will add calories and ruin your teeth. In all food products anything ending in "ose" like fructose, sucrose and dextrose are sugars. Other sugar sources in ingredients include high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, molasses and honey. To know exactly how many grams of total sugar a product contains, check out the nutrient facts label. 4 to 5 grams of sugar is the equivalent of a level teaspoon.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils: Partially hydrogenated oils are the primary source of trans fats, which have been shown to be potentially more harmful to arteries than saturated fat. Partially hydrogenated or fully hydrogenated oils show up in many foods and help give them a longer shelf life. Try and minimize these in foods you eat frequently. Wherever possible eliminate them by buying natural sources like peanut butter and almond butter that should have "peanuts" and "almonds" as their only ingredient.

The "Whole" Truth: Many food labels boast whole wheat or whole grains. To be accurate the word "whole" should appear as the first or second ingredient, whether whole wheat, oats, rye, or another grain. One way to double-check is to look at the fiber content on the nutrition facts panel. Whole-grain foods should deliver at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.