Behind food labels

Behind food labels

UPDATE: LANSING - Michigan is ranked the fifth heaviest state in the nation. This is Part II of our obesity solutions in-depth series and it will focus on looking behind food labels, starting at a local grocery store.

Foods For Living in East Lansing shared their knowledge with us to start living a healthy life. By reading nutrition labels, it will tell you how much of the required fiber, protein and calcium you are consuming.

Pam Gower, Deli Manager at Foods For Living, told us it is better to cut back rather than to eliminate food from your diet.

After speaking with Marlo Matson, an Okemos resident and frequent shopper at Foods For Living, she said she enjoys the local organic milk for sale there. It is sold in glass bottles, rather than plastic and is delicious. Her 15-year-old son compares the chocolate milk to a fudgesicle. Matson also buys frozen organic berries to make healthy smoothies.

"I know they have not been exposed to pesticides and it makes me feel better about what I put in my body," said Matson. "I do trust this place and at this location they are so helpful."

Before being misled from food labels, get help if there is something that you do not understand. Some tips include if a product is labeled as fat free or low fat, there could be nutritional issues such as more sodium or sugar added for taste.

It is also important to note that when counting calories, food labels only list what's in the box. Extra ingredients such as milk or cheese that need to be added are not included, and contain more calories.




ORIGINAL STORY: LANSING - Foods For Living in East Lansing gives us an inside look behind food labels.

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