Understanding Food Labels
Nutrition labels play an important role in making informed choices about what we eat; revealing added sugars and other helpful nutritional facts. This month we will explain what information can be found on the labels and how to incorporate this knowledge into your meal plans.
Important Education Takeaways
Think beyond the calories. Instead, prioritize nutrient-rich choices over empty calorie foods.
Our hummus and Nordic flourless nut bread recipes are a delicious, nutrient packed options to include in your weekly menu.
More great snack ideas were shared in this Ask the RD post.
Start by focusing on one or two key nutrients that matter most to you and your personal health. It’s easy to get overwhelmed if you’re trying to count everything!
It’s generally recommended to limit saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars in the diet.
Most people do not get enough calcium, vitamin D, potassium, magnesium, iron, and fiber in their diets.
You can learn about macronutrient and their role in keeping us healthy in this Ask the RD post.
Pay attention to the ingredients list to better understand what goes into your foods. Aim for mostly fresh and/or whole foods instead of highly processed food products.
Learn about navigating the food label in this video.
In this Ask the RD post we share helpful information on how to choose pre-made salad dressings and ideas for making your own at home.
Check out the Providence Heart Guide for more resources on this month’s topics! We share helpful information on nutrition labels, fiber; fats, sodium, sugars, and whole foods.
Recipes
Recipe of the month: Perfect Overnight Oats, Easy Breakfast Bars, 2-Minute Apple Mug Muffins
As always, this recipe is the showcase of our live taught, virtual cooking class. Our chef and registered dietitian bring the recipe to life as they walk you through food prep, swaps to meet dietary or taste preferences, plus tips and tools to support you being your own healthy chef at home.
Bonus recipe: Breakfast Tacos with Quick Pickled Onions
From Jamie’s kitchen to yours, our monthly bonus recipes are published on our website and social media the 4th Wednesday of each month. We invite you to browse our recipe collection and come back often to find more flavorful and heart-healthy recipes.
We invite you to join us for the live taught, virtual nutrition classes each month to gather more information on our nutrition topics. This is also an opportunity to ask topic-related questions of our experts as well as connect socially with attendees for idea sharing. As a registered participant for our In the Kitchen program, you receive a few reminders ahead of each scheduled monthly classes, but here’s an easy to remember schedule: Nutrition Education (30-minutes, 2nd Wednesday, 12pm), Cooking Class (up to 60-minutes, 3rd Monday, 12pm).
Contributing authors: Kayla Guillory, MS, RD, CDCES, diabetes educator, Providence Community Teaching Kitchen; Jamie Libera, RD, LD, CCTD, registered dietitian, Providence.