Food labels can be very confusing. Add that to the fact that most are a marketing effort by the manufacture and it's easy for the consumer to throw up their hands and surrender. We see claims such as calorie free, fat free, low fat, etc., on labels quite often as we toss items in the basket.
The next time you shop, keep in mind that calorie free means that it has 5 or less calories per serving. I find that quite often it means a sugar substitute such as Splenda has been added.
Light or Lite means that it has no more than 1/3 calories of the original version. Light also refers to fat meaning that it has no more than 1/2 the fat of the original version or no more than 1/2 the sodium of the higher sodium product. "High fiber" guarantees 5 grams of fiber and if it reads a "good source" of fiber, it has 2.5 to 4.9 grams of fiber per serving. Fiber daily requirements are 25-35 grams. Low fat gives you 3 grams or less of fat per serving. Since fat is 9 calories per gram that comes to 27 calories of fat. Lean means fewer than 10 grams of fat. Fat free is misleading. Fat free means that a product has less than .5 grams of fat per serving. I have found quite often when the fat is out, the sugar is added. Something has to give taste. The manufacture is about selling products! They want us to see words such as low-fat and feel better about the products we are buying. They want our money!
Resource: Caring.com Food Label: What Does It Mean by Christine Salazar
The American Society website: Understanding Food terms
