Here’s the third of three carb alerts from the folks at Granola Gourmet and staff at the Mayo Clinic:

Beware of fat-free products. Per gram, fat has more than twice the calories of carbohydrate or protein. If you’re trying to lose weight, fat-free foods might sound like just the ticket. But don’t be fooled by “fat-free” food labels.

Fat-free can still have carbohydrates. Fat-free foods can have more carbohydrates and contain nearly as many calories as the standard version of the same food. The lesson? You guessed it. Compare food labels for fat-free and standard products carefully before you make a decision.

And remember that the amount of total fat listed on a food label doesn’t tell the whole story. Look for a breakdown of types of fat.

Choose healthier fats. Although still high in calories, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help lower your cholesterol and protect your heart.

Limit unhealthy fats. Saturated and trans fats raise your cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease.

Fat Free/Nonfat

FDA regulations require reporting fatty acids expressed as triglycerides. In a strict interpretation, monoglycerides and diglycerides are not considered “fat,” and information about the saturation of their fatty acid components is omitted from the nutrition label.

Although there is a note at the bottom of the label: “adds a negligible amount of fat,” meaning triglycerides. The weight of the monoglycerides and diglycerides (and their calories) are ignored. There is no reporting requirement. One serving of 14 grams has less than 0.5 grams of each: fat (triglycerides), carbohydrate (rice starch), and protein (gelatin). Therefore, all the values may be rounded to zero! Look at the Nutrition Facts: Total Fat 0g, Total Carbohydrate 0g, Protein 0g. A serving of 14 grams only has 5 reported Calories.

Be aware of claims – 100% Natural, Fat Free, Nonfat … many food products prominently display enticing words to make them appealing to the consumer. The FDA requires the nutrition facts and ingredients list to be included on the packaging. If you are counting on the claims on the package, to determine if the claims are accurate, you can review the nutritional info.

Granola Gourmet (www.granolagourmet.com) makes gourmet energy bars for diabetics and their families.

MayoClinic.com gives users access to the expertise and knowledge of the more than 3,300 physicians and scientists of Mayo Clinic.

Here’s the second of three carb alerts from the folks at Granola Gourmet and staff at the Mayo Clinic:

• Sugar-free doesn’t mean carbohydrate-free. Sugar-free foods may play a role in your diabetes diet — but sugar-free doesn’t mean carbohydrate-free. When you’re choosing between standard products and their sugar-free counterparts, compare the food labels side by side. If the sugar-free product has noticeably fewer carbohydrates, the sugar-free product might be the better choice. But if there’s little difference in carbohydrate grams between the two foods, let taste — or price — be your guide.

• No sugar added, but not necessarily no carbohydrates. The same caveat applies to products sporting a “no sugar added” label. Although these foods don’t contain high-sugar ingredients and no sugar is added during processing or packaging, foods without added sugar may still be high in carbohydrates.

• Sugar alcohols contain carbohydrates and calories, too. Likewise, products that contain sugar alcohols — such as sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol — aren’t necessarily low in carbohydrates or calories.

If you are concerned about your intake of sugars, make sure that added sugars are not listed as one of the first few ingredients. Other names for added sugars include: corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, and maple syrup.

Granola Gourmet (www.granolagourmet.com)makes gourmet energy bars for diabetics and their families.

MayoClinic.com gives users access to the expertise and knowledge of the more than 3,300 physicians and scientists of Mayo Clinic.

Here’s the first of three carb alerts from the folks at Granola Gourmet and staff at the Mayo Clinic:

• Start with the list of ingredients

Keep an eye out for heart-healthy ingredients such as whole-wheat flour, soy and oats. Monounsaturated fats — such as olive, canola or peanut oils — promote heart health, too.

Avoid unhealthy ingredients such as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil. Keep in mind that ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. The main (heaviest) ingredient is listed first, followed by other ingredients used in lesser amounts.

• Consider carbs in context

If your meal plan is based on carbohydrate counting, food labels become an essential tool for meal planning.

Don’t miss out on high-fibre foods. Pay special attention to high-fibre foods. Although the grams of sugar and fibre are counted as part of the grams of total carbohydrate, the count can sometimes be misleading. If a food has 5 grams or more fibre in a serving, the American Diabetes Association recommends subtracting the fibre grams from the total grams of carbohydrate for a more accurate estimate of the product’s carbohydrate content.

Look at total carbohydrate, not just sugar. Evaluate the grams of total carbohydrate — which includes sugar, complex carbohydrate and fibre — rather than only the grams of sugar. If you zero in on sugar content, you could miss out on nutritious foods naturally high in sugar, such as fruit and milk. And you might overdo foods with no natural or added sugar but plenty of carbohydrate, such as certain cereals and grains.

• Do the math

Pay attention to serving sizes. The serving sizes listed on food labels may be different from the serving sizes in your meal plan. If you eat twice the serving size listed on the label, you also double the calories, fat, carbohydrate, protein, sodium and other contents.

Granola Gourmet (www.granolagourmet.com) makes gourmet energy bars for diabetics and their families.

MayoClinic.com gives users access to the expertise and knowledge of the more than 3,300 physicians and scientists of Mayo Clinic.