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What Are You Really Eating?:
How to Become Label Savvy

by Amanda Ursell

Review:
Did you know that the term "nondairy" on that nondairy coffee creamer does NOT mean that there are no milk products in it? It may contain a milk protein called "casseinate."

Do you know what "low calorie" or "low fat" mean on a label?  And just what does "light" really mean on a label? 

Why can one brand of reduced-fat potato chips have more fat than the regular chips of another brand?  
Do you know what the requirements are for chicken to be labeled "Free range"? How about eggs from "free range" chickens?

"No Hormones Adminstered" may be a desirable term to look for when purchasing beef because cattle may be given hormones during their natural life. "No hormones administered" means the farmer has gone beyond the regulations for conventional meat production. BUT it means nothing when you see it applied to pork or poultry. Why? Because the USDA prohibits the use of hormones in the raising of hogs and birds in the U.S. anyway.

If you have any desire to really understand what the labels on the food you purchase and eat mean, and you should, then What Are You Really Eating? is a book you should read, and keep with you when you shop. It really should be required reading for anyone purchasing food! You will most likely learn that some of the assumptions you may have made about terms on labels are incorrect. This book is VERY easy to read and understand, and was written by one of the world's leading nutritionists, Amanda Ursell.

Bottom line: What Are You Really Eating? is a must read.
Chef James, Food Reference Website

Book Description
Amanda Ursell, one of the world’s leading nutritionists, has spent years checking the facts behind food manufacturers’ claims. In this book, she demonstrates how these claims tempt us to buy products and how they can often be misleading. This pocket-sized book (perfect for carrying with you to the supermarket) will make shopping for nutritious and healthy foods much easier and more productive.--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author
Amanda Ursell is a member of numerous nutrition and dietetic societies and has recently been appointed a Fellow of The Royal Society of Health. Amanda received a B.Sc. in Nutrition from King’s College, London, and went on to acquire a diploma in Dietetics. From 1987 to 1989, she worked as a dietitian at St Stephen’s and Westminster Hospitals, where she lectured to nurses and also was involved in inpatient and outpatient work. She is a former health columnist for the Los Angeles Times.