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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 5 Making sense of nutrition labels Family life W hile information print- ed on food packages is helpful, it's often con- fusing and even a bit misleading. "The best guide for making decisions affecting your diet is the nutrition facts panel, which is regu- lated by the FDA and for meats and poultry by the USDA," said Carolyn O'Neil, registered dietitian and nutri- tion advisor for bestfoodfacts.org. Always note serving sizes While a food or beverage may seem like a good nutritional fit, the first thing to notice should always be the serving size. If a serving contains 100 calories, for instance, that may be for 8 oz. of a juice beverage and the container may hold 16 oz. Look for the good stuff A healthy diet consists of vitamins and nutrients. Go for foods that are good sources of the good guys — dietary fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and potassium. While a package design may look healthy, note that the FDA does not regulate misleading brand names. Article by Family Features hudson health plan health insurance plans low cost health insurance