Understanding And Interpreting Food Labels By Melanie Bremner Although it is impossible to measure every little bite you put into your mouth, it is a good idea if you are trying to learn the value of portion size.
When starting out it is a surprise to most people to find that what they thought was a single serving is actually two or three.
There are fancy electronic food scales that are pre-programmed with nutritional information and daily nutrient intake for you, although the only tools you will ever need, are a simple inexpensive gram scale, dry and liquid measuring cups, and the understanding of reading food labels.
Understanding the knowledge written on a food label is the key to helping you make the most sensible decisions on your food choices. The "Nutrition Facts" section provides you with identifying the amount of servings sizes provided within that product.
With food labels, you can clearly understand the amount and kinds of nutrients that are provided in the item. Usually, it contains the information on saturated fat, sodium, total fat, fiber, and cholesterol amount "per serving."
Learning how to read and interpret these valuable pieces of infomration may be a little complex at first. Learning how the numbers will affect your diet intake to properly add the proper nutrional intake for your body takes some education.
The following is a list of things you will need to know to gain a better grasp on deciding if a product is the right choice for you.
1. Serving Size
This is the primary item you will see on the food label. The amount of servings stated on the food label refers to the size amount specified by a normal quantity the average food consumer intakes.
If you strictly follow the amount of servings recommended, you will obtain the same amount of nutrients specified according to the serving size on the label.
For instance, if the serving size says one serving is equal to 24 grams, you would have to measure that same amount for eating one serving size.
However, if you eat everything in the package, and the food label stated that each pack is equvalent to 4 servings, you need to calculate the amount of nutrients that have entered your body. If the food label specifies that there is 250 calories per serving, you need to multiply by four to get the total amount of calories you have ingested.
2. Nutrients
This refers to the
Taste inflation revealed: why sugar, salt and fragrance make you stupid America is a nation that suffers from "taste inflation." Virtually all prepared foods in this country, whether they're restaurant foods or convenience foods, are made with such outrageous levels of salt, sugar and MSG that they can only be called extreme foods suffering from taste inflation.
What... Vitamin warning! Some nutritional supplements use hydrogenated oils as filler The next time you buy soft-gel vitamins, you'd better take a look at what's inside them. Would you be surprised if I told you that vitamin companies are taking one of the most toxic food ingredients known to mankind and putting it in soft gels as a filler? It's absolutely true. You can find it in vitamins... How to change the world by buying organic and supporting sustainable farming You have the power in your hands to change the world. This change ripples out from you in concentric circles, and it all starts with decisions you make at the grocery store because what you choose to buy and consume impacts the world in many powerful ways that you may have never been aware of. Every...
list of available nutrients in a particular item. Nutritional amounts are based on both a 2,500 calorie diet and the recommended 2,000 dietary allowances.
In order to understand the numeric value of each item, you should know that the "% daily value" that the food label indicates is actually based on how a particular food corresponds to the recommended daily dietary allowance for a 2,000 calorie.
3. Ingredients
This refers to the list of ingredients that were used in the manufacturing of the product. Usually the ingredients are listed with the largest volume of content in the first place. If you read something that has sugar for the first or second ingredient, you may know that that product is probably not a preferred food choice for a healthy diet.
4. Label Claim
This refers to the kinds of nutritional claims of a particular food item. For instance, if an item says it is sodium-free, it has less than 5 milligrams per serving or a low fat item actually contains 3 grams of fat or less.
Learning to properly understand a food label is the first key to getting you set on your path to a healthier body. Being able to accurately keep track of your portion intake and knowing the value of the nutrients in the food you absorb, is a self rewarding practice that will benefit you for years to come.
About the AuthorMelanie Bremner is presently running and maintaining an online Family EBook Sales shop, and produces a weekly newsletter full of stories, facts and fun for the whole family.Sign up for her newsletter and receive a monthly bonus. ebooks4families.biz
Here are some articles to start with.
Dog Food Allergy – Saving Your Dog From Food Allergy Threats By Michael Lee If you’re allergic to any kind of food, then you already have a good idea how uncomfortable it is. At its worst, it’s even dangerous. So you can probably imagine how terrible dog food allergy can be Read more...
Negative Calorie Foods Myths And Facts In Weight Loss By Dr John Anne Possibly there are no foods on earth that contain no calories. There are no foods that can be named as negative calorie foods in the sense that they contain calories with negative valence. Read more...
