When you’re shopping at the grocery store, selecting items from a restaurant menu, or grabbing a quick drink or snack from a vending machine, make smart choices by picking foods that are “nutrient-dense.”  Nutrient-dense foods give you the nutrients you need with fewer calories than other foods from the same food group. The easy way to pick nutrient-dense foods and beverages is to select foods with the lowest amounts of saturated fats, trans fats and added sugars.  Saturated and trans fats are collectively referred to as “solid fats”.

Examples of nutrient-dense foods include fat-free milk, unsweetened applesauce, baked chicken without skin and fresh fruit.  Fat-free (skim) milk is lower in solid fats than whole milk, unsweetened applesauce has less added sugars than sweetened applesauce, skinless baked chicken is lower in fat than fried chicken with skin, and fresh fruit is lower in both solid fats and added sugars than fruit pastries.

It is important to look for information on saturated and trans fats, sugars and calories on food labels.  The Nutrition Facts label shows the serving size and how many servings you are actually consuming per package.  If you eat twice the serving amount, you get twice the amount of calories, saturated fat, and added sugars on the label.

Also, check food package ingredient labels for added sugars.  Names for added sugars on the ingredient label may include evaporated cane juice, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, honey, and molasses.  Fruit juice concentrates, evaporated cane juice and honey are often promoted as healthy alternatives to regular table sugar, but their nutrient density is practically the same.

For more information on making nutrient-dense food choices, contact the county Extension office at 325-646-0386.