One of the most important tools for anyone who wants to lose weight, reduce sodium and/or cholesterol, watch fat intake, etc. is the nutrition panel.  Like most people, I scan the table to find out the calories, fat content, whether there is any saturated of trans fat, sodium and cholesterol.

One of the most neglected items is the serving size.  This is the most important aspect of the information since all the other values are calculated from this serving size.  This is where the manufacturer gets creative.  I was looking at a packaged muffin once and thought it was a nutritional bargain at only x calories.  After I ate the muffin, I took a closer look.  The calorie count was x calories  per serving, and the servings per container was 2.  So 1 serving was half a muffin.  Now, I actually took in 2x calories, 2x sodium, etc and that was too much.

We are in the age of caveat emptor (buyer beware) and to be fair, the information is there, but it needs to be more indicative of what makes sense.  For example, who eats half a muffin in a package of 1?  Or half an ounce of potato chips in a 1-ounce bag?  Or half a 12-ounce can of cola?  The answer is not many people.  So, the serving size needs to reflect that the entire package is 1 serving and all the nutritional facts to go along with it.

This type of labeling is not only potentially disastrous to the dieter, but can also possibly be dangerous to those on a low-sodium or low-cholesterol diet.  The important thing is to remember to read ALL of the label to determine if the product fits your nutritional requirements.

Related Articles: One Bowl = 2 Servings. F.D.A. may fix that – NYT

For FREE information on The Diet Solution Plan along with FREE recipes and more, go to TheDietSolutionPlan.com.

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