Good calories, bad calories
Re: “Better nutrition labels, smarter choices,” July 7 editorial.
Thank you for your editorial regarding nutritional information packaging. Caloric intake is important, but it is not tops on the list. More importantly, sodium (salt) and sugar intake usurp calories.
There are good calories and bad calories. Most Americans have no clue what the difference is between them. For example, a bowl of oatmeal (no added sugar or salt) when cooked with water is quite high in calories, but extremely nutritious due to the nature of the calories (complex carbohydrates and protein). When one adds fresh fruit, a few raw, roasted nuts, and a little milk for creaminess, one has a meal in a bowl that may be high in calories, but extremely healthful with no added salt and sugar that the human body will recognize and process in the proper manner.
Obesity and high blood pressure and all the consequences, as everyone knows, are at epidemic levels in our society. A few simple changes in our diets can go a long way in improving the health of all.
Allen Vean, Denver
This letter was published in the July 15 edition.