| What the Food Label Says | What It Mean |
| Fat-free | |
| Calorie-free | Less than 5 calories per serving. |
| Low fat | |
| Lean (on meat labels) | Less than 10 grams of fat per serving, with 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving. |
| Extra lean (on meat labels) | Less than 5 grams of fat per serving, with less than 2 grams of saturated fat and 95 milligrams of cholesterol. |
| Contains 25 percent less of a nutrient or calories than another food. | |
| Reduced | A nutritionally altered product that contains at least 25 percent fewer calories, sodium, or sugar than the regular one. |
| Lite (Light) | Contains 1/3 fewer calories or no more than 1/2 the fat of the higher-calorie, higher-fat version; or no more than 1/2 the sodium of the higher-sodium version. |
| Cholesterol-free | Less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams (or less) of saturated fat per serving. |
| Healthy | The food must be low in fat and saturated fat and contain limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. |
| The food must be low in fat or fat free. Plus, it must reflect the amount of fat present in a serving. In other words, if a food contains 5 grams of fat in a serving, it can be labeled "95 percent fat free." | |
| Low-calorie | Fewer than 40 calories per serving. |
What the FoodLabel Says
Don't confuse total fat and calories with cholesterol, saturated fat, and sodium. All the nutrients that a food contains are important; however, to achieve weight loss, the total fat and calories are the most important to track. Cholesterol and sodium (salt) don't add calories but eating too much sodium can contribute to water retention and therefore water weight. The calories from saturated fat are included in the calories from fat total.
Sneaky Servings and Other Portion Tricks
Many dieters find that portion control is real tricky. Manufacturers certainly don't help in this regard. Some containers look as though they should contain one serving, because that's probably how most people consume them. However, consider that
- A 16-ounce container of iced tea is 2 servings.
- A 16-ounce container of iced tea is 2 servings.
- A 61/2- to 7-ounce can of tuna is 21/2 servings.
- A 4-, 6-, or 8-ounce container of yogurt is considered one serving.
- A 20-ounce bottle of soda is 2 servings.