Want to eat better? Read the labels

For those of you that have been following my column, I’m certain that by now you are well on your way to living a healthier lifestyle. I would hope that’s the case, anyway.

No doubt you have created your own personal fitness routine and are enjoying your physical, as well as mental transformation. Some of you are 65 pounds lighter, some of you have remained the same and a few of you have actually gained weight.

Today’s $64,000 question for you is: What are you doing to feed your newly transformed body? Do you know how many calories you ate yesterday?

Do you know how many grams of protein you consume or actually need? How much sodium did you have? How much sugar did you have? If you don't, here's the dealio — you should. Knowing what you are eating can and does affect your weight and your health.

Understanding what nutrients are in the foods you eat is essential to ensuring that you reap the benefits of a balanced and healthy diet. Once you understand how to read the Nutrition Facts labels, you can use them as a guide to planning healthier meals. Before you purchase any product — “know” what you are purchasing.

Let's start with percent Daily Value (percent DV) — a reference number based on the Recommended Dietary Allowance. The values were developed to help consumers determine if a food contains a lot or a little of a specific nutrient.

When the serving sizes of different products are similar, you can use the percentDV to make comparisons between them. Comparing the values of similar products shows which product has more or less of a particular nutrient and which product will best meet your individual needs.

You can use the percentDV to distinguish one nutritional claim from another, such as “reduced fat,” “lite,” or “nonfat.” For example, you can compare the percent DVs for Total Fat in a few different food products to see which one is higher or lower in fat and make your purchasing decision based on these specific facts.

• Creating balance and adding variety to your diet: You don’t have to give up a favorite food to eat a healthy diet. You can use the percent DV to make dietary trade-offs with other foods throughout the day. If a food you like is high in fat, you can balance it with foods that are low in fat at other times of the day.

The percent DV listed on Nutrition Facts labels tells adults what percentage of the DV is provided by one serving. Percent DVs are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your required Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

According to the FDA, DVs actually comprise two sets of reference values for nutrients: Daily Reference Values, or DRVs, and Reference Daily Intakes, or RDIs. But these two sets are “behind the scenes” in food labeling; only the Daily Value will appear on the label to make label reading less confusing.

A general rule of thumb for percent DV is less than 5 percent is low and over 20 percent is high.

This week — read your labels. You will be shocked and amazed at what you are eating.

Whether you choose to feed the machine — like myself … I am a happy camper with a can of tuna fish and a hard boiled egg. As long as I have a fork, I’m good to go. Or whether you have the time for fine dining, you always have the option to select healthy choices.

Just remember: You are responsible for the movement of your own hand to your own mouth.

Natalie Dreger is a certified fitness professional and can be reached at nataliedreger.com