Get the Skinny on Food Labels

These days, unless an item is fresh off the vine or tree, just about everything you see in the supermarket comes with a ‘light’ or ‘something-free’ label attached to it. Some stores even dedicate a single isle or an entire section of the store to these products. But, what does it mean when a product’s label touts its contents as being fat or calorie-free? Does that mean it contains zero fat and calories?

Not quite. Here’s the low-down on how the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) defines certain terms that may be used on food labels:


Fat-Free
- The product has less than .5 grams of fat per serving.

Low-Fat
- The product has 3 grams of fat or less per serving.

Reduced or Less Fat
- The product has at least 25% less fat per serving than the regular version.

Light (or Lite)
- The product has fewer calories or half the fat of the regular version, and/or
- The sodium content of a low-calorie, low-fat food is 50 percent less than the non-light version, and/or
- The product contains light corn syrup instead of dark corn syrup

Calorie-Free
- The product has less than 5 calories per serving.

Low-Calorie
- The product has 40 calories or less per serving.

Reduced or Fewer Calories
- The product has at least 25& less calories per serving than the regular version.


There’s a little more to chew on when it comes to deciphering food labels. Keep in mind, for instance, that a product labeled low-fat can still be high in simple sugars. The opposite is true as well—a food labeled as being low in sugar can be high in saturated fat. So, aim for products that demonstrate a balance between fat, sugar, carbs and calories in favor over those that are high in one or another of these areas.