Low Fat Terms

Do you get confused every time you walk up and down the grocery store aisles and see the terms low fat, fat free, light, low calorie, lean and reduced fat? Here is a handy little chart that explains the meaning of it all . . .

Fat Free - Fewer than 0.5 gram of fat.

Low Fat - Three grams of fat or fewer.

Reduced or less fat - At least 25 percent less fat than the full fat product.

Lean - Fewer than 10 grams of fat overall, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, and no more than 95 milligrams of cholesterol.

Light - One third fewer calories or one half the fat or less of the full fat version, or one half the sodium or less of the full salt version.

Cholesterol Free - Fewer than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat.

Calorie Free - Fewer than 5 calories.

Low Calorie - Forty or fewer calories.

Reduced or Fewer Calories - Twenty-five percent fewer calories than the full fat product.

For those of you watching your sodium intake, here are the terms used to define sodium levels.

Sodium Free - The product contains no more than 5 millgrams of sodium in each serving.

Very Low Sodium - The product contains no more than 35 milligrams per serving.

Low Sodium - The product contains no more than 140 milligrams per serving.

Reduced Sodium - Sodium levels have been reduced by at least 75 percent from the original product.

No Salt Added - The food processor has not added any salt. However, such a product may be naturally high in sodium.