How to Be a Conscious Eater

Cholesterol: Although it’s still listed on the panel, the consensus

among nutrition scientists is that dietary cholesterol (the kind

you get from food) is not as much of a concern as it once was. It

only minimally affects blood cholesterol levels (which are still

quite important to pay attention to), whereas the types of fat

you eat affect your blood levels far more.

Carbohydrates: Looking at the Nutrition Facts panel, you won’t

be able to tell whether the carbs are refined carbs, which you

want to keep to a minimum because they jolt your blood sugar

much like eating actual sugar does (think white flour), or

higher-quality, slower-metabolizing carbs (think fruits, veg-

etables, whole grains). For that type of information, it’s best

to check the ingredients list. The other carb-related intel you

might gather from the panel would be essentially grams of

added sugar (aim low) and dietary fiber (aim high).

STEP 2: READ THE INGREDIENTS LIST.

Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight.

You won’t see percentages or proportions. This makes it

tough to contextualize the amount of each ingredient rela-

tive to the others.

The list must be complete.

As a general rule, the first ingredient is the most important

in the list. Still, it’s worth scanning at least the first three

ingredients. Look for healthy whole foods (fruits, vegeta-

bles, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and the like).

180 how to be a Conscious Eater

Conscious Eater_03 PT_4th patches.indd 180 10/23/19 1:35 PM