Grocery Coupons and Specials

Reading the Label Part Three

grocerygal — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:21:59 +0000

How Valid are Net Carbs?

The premise behind net carbs is that fiber and sugar alcohols “don’t count” because they have minimal impact on blood sugars and don’t contribute as many calories as starches and sugars. For fiber this is a valid assumption – at least when the fiber in a food is significant (5 grams or more per serving). Fiber (or at least most fiber) goes straight through the digestive tract and is not broken down into sugar. Therefore it contributes little or no calories to a food and does not raise blood sugar levels. Sugar alcohols have fewer calories than sugar or starches (2 calories per gram rather than 4) and there is some evidence that they may produce a slower rise in blood sugars than other sweeteners. However, they still raise blood sugars and they still have calories. Therefore, the whole concept of net carbs is controversial. The rise in blood sugar when a food is eaten is called the glycemic index. Foods with a high glycemic index raise blood sugars more quickly. But the glycemic index or blood sugar response to a single food can vary from individual to individual. Metabolism, amount of physical activity, diabetes are just some of the individual factors that can affect blood sugar response to a food. And another important factor is that when foods are combined, the glycemic index of the combined foods can be very different than when the foods are eaten alone. Since we usually eat foods as meals or eat more than one food at a time (cheese and crackers, cookies and milk) it’s hard to know what the glycemic index would be. In other words, glycemic index may work more in theory than in practice. Therefore, many experts think that the glycemic index cannot be quantified on a label and that net carbs are misleading.

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Have a Great Day!!………………. Sue

Reading the Label Part Two

grocerygal — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:18:31 +0000

Calories
When it comes to weight loss and weight gain, calories do count. They are an important tool on the label. Special low carb foods are not calorie free and if your goal is weight loss, you need to compare the calories.

Total carbohydrate
The total carbohydrates are given in grams and is the sum of all carbs (starches, sugars, fiber and sugar alcohols). Indented under Total Carbohydrate are: Dietary Fiber Dietary Fiber is given in grams. Fiber is important to note because it is healthy and most Americans do not eat enough of it. It is recommended to eat 25-35 grams a day and the average American eats about 13 grams a day. A high fiber food is one with at least 2.5 grams of fiber per serving or 10% of the Daily Value.

Sugar
Sugar is given in grams. Sugar is important to know because it provides calories to the diet but little or no nutrients. So, one should not include in their diet too many foods with lots of sugar.

Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are given in grams. Sugar alcohols (also known as polyols) are sweeteners. They too are a type of carbohydrate. Sugar alcohols include sorbitol, xylitol, maltitol, mannitol, erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, They contain fewer calories per gram than sugars and starches (2 calories per gram rather than 4). They may produce a smaller rise in blood glucose than other carbohydrates. The grams of sugar alcohols are required on the label only when a claim is made about sugar alcohols or sugars when sugar alcohols are present. It is important to know that some people can be very sensitive to sugar alcohols and experience bloating, gas and diarrhea when they eat a large amount or even a very small amount.

Net Carbs
Net carbs or low impact carbs are new terms coined by the low carb diet authors. Net carbs are the grams of carbohydrate left when fiber and sugar alcohols are subtracted from the total carbohydrate. You won’t find Net Carbs on the Nutrition Facts label but they are generally given somewhere else on the package label of products. Net carbs are not recognized or defined by the Food and Drug Administration.

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Have a Great Day!!………………. Sue

Reading The Label

grocerygal — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:05:49 +0000

Carb Aware…Carb Smart…Carb Countdown… None of these package labels actually say “low carb.” But we all know that these terms alert the reader to a product that is designed to be lower in carbohydrates than a regular food item.

Why not say “low carb?” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet defined the term, so “low carbohydrate” cannot be used on a food label. So manufacturers are using other words to describe their products designed for people counting carbs.

Soon FDA is likely to publish definitions for low carbohydrate, reduced carbohydrate and carbohydrate free. In the meantime, here’s what you should look for on a label.

On the Nutrition Facts label you need to check the following: Serving size The serving size should be the first thing you look at on the Nutrition Facts label. All the numbers on the Nutrition Facts are for the serving size given. If you eat more – you need to adjust the numbers accordingly.

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Get a $10.00 Discount off your initial order by entering the
Discount Code: CCNB10

www.Peapod.com

Have a Great Day!!………………. Sue

When The Refrigerator Can Hold No More

grocerygal — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:07:47 +0000

We all enjoy the abundance of food that the holiday season brings, but where to put it?
Many people rely on the garage or deck in the cooler weather. But is it really safe? What can be safely stored outdoors? What should not be? and How cold outside should it be? Just because the radio says it is 35 degrees doesn’t mean your deck or garage is that cold.

Perishable food, including meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, eggs and cooked vegetables and side dishes cannot be left out above refrigeration temperatures (40 degrees) for more than two hours. If there is no more room in the refrigerator, put these foods in a cooler and surround them with ice. Inexpensive, Styrofoam coolers work just as well as more expensive ones.

Some foods can be safely stored in a cool garage, but protect them from hungry animals. These include:

Butter and margarine
Hard and processed cheeses (not soft cheeses such as cream cheese, brie, feta and goat cheese)
Fruit juices (opened or unopened), fresh fruits
Raw, whole vegetables
Fruit pies
Breads, rolls, cakes, muffins, quick breads
Opened or unopened salad dressing, jelly, relish, taco and barbecue sauce, mustard, catsup, olives
Soft drinks, beer, bottled water

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Have a Great Day!!………………. Sue

Start the Day with OJ

grocerygal — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:16:34 +0000

Grocery Gal’s Tip of the Day

Orange juice is not only a breakfast favorite, but an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium and the B-vitamins, thiamin and folate, too!

Here are some tasty and nutritious ways to “start the day with OJ.”

Blend OJ with plain or vanilla yogurt and a banana for a delicious smoothie.

Pair calcium-fortified OJ with whole grain toast, bagel or English muffin spread with peanut or soy nut butter.

In a hurry? A glass of calcium-fortified OJ and a cereal bar makes a quick and nutritious breakfast.

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Try them. You are going to love it!

Have a Great Day!!

Sue

Grocery Gal’s Tips of the Day

grocerygal — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:55:25 +0000

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Have a Gr8 Day

Grocery Gal

Hello world!

grocerygal — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:46:45 +0000

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