Just the (Nutritional) Facts

If you’ve ever looked at the Nutrition Facts at the end of a Country Woman recipe in the magazine or online and wondered, “How did they come up with those numbers?”—here’s how we do it.

• When a recipe offers a choice of ingredients (like 1/3 cup of sour cream or yogurt), we calculate Nutrition Facts using the first ingredient listed.
• Similarly, if a recipe lists a range of amounts of an ingredient (like 2 to 3 teaspoons), we use the first amount given.
• For recipes that include a marinade, we calculate based only on the amount of marinade absorbed.
• We typically include any garnishes listed in our calculation.
• We assign Diabetic Exchanges to recipes following guidelines from the American Diabetic and American Dietetic Associations.

Dollars and Food Sense

Some of our budget-stretching CW recipes include a cost per serving amount. The calculated cost:

• reflects prices of major grocery chains in the U.S. Midwest.
• reflects seasonality.
• is based on the amount of an ingredient used (not the entire package).
• does not include the cost of garnishes or any optional ingredients that don’t have specified measurements.

Illustration: Travis Foster