Every food item you buy must list the
nutritional food facts somewhere on its label. The trouble is, most
of us have no idea how to read them. Sure, the label may say the
food we've chosen has 10g of sodium, but what does that really mean?
Let's take a look at some common nutrition food facts to find out.
Nutrition food labels clearly outline the nutrients found in foods
using grams (g) or milligrams (mg). Milligrams are very small. As a
matter of fact, you could fit 1,000 milligrams in a single gram.
In addition to listing the grams of nutrients found in the foods we
eat, nutritional fact labels also give the daily percentage of that
nutrient a single serving of that food includes. Keep in mind that
these percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet, so if you
are eating less than that the percentages would actually be higher.
Now, let's take a closer look at individual nutrition facts listed
on most food labels:
Serving Size:
Serving size is the amount of food being detailed within the
nutrition label. It is very important to always check the serving
size since one package or container may contain several serving
sizes, so if you eat the entire thing the nutritional facts need to
be multiplied accordingly.
Calories and Calories From Fat:
The number of calories in a single tells you the amount of energy
that is found in that particular food. While the number of calories
is important, the calories from fat is even more important since
they will be harder for your body to burn.
Percent Daily Value:
A daily allowance is the percentage of food/nutrient you should
consumer in a day. So, if you eat a food with 445% of your daily
allowance of sodium, you must be careful not eat more items with
high sodium content for the rest of the day. Staying within these
limits ensures that you are getting just the right amount of each
nutrient every day for optimal health.
Total Fat:
Everyone needs to eat a certain amount of fat to remain healthy and
strong - but eat too much and you'll become sluggish, depressed and
unhealthy. Food labels list several different kinds of fat for
better regulation: saturated, unsaturated, and trans fat.
Cholesterol and Sodium:
Cholesterol and sodium (salt) are usually measured in milligrams and
are featured on food labels for those people who must restrict their
intake of these nutrients.
Total Carbohydrate:
You need carbohydrates for energy. But too many can make you fat and
cause other health concerns. Carbohydrate levels are usually broken
down into grams of sugar and grams of dietary fiber on most food
labels.
Protein:
Protein helps the human body build and repair essential parts of the
body, such as muscles, blood, and organs. It is usually measured in
grams.
Vitamin A and Vitamin C:
These list the amounts of vitamin A and vitamin C, with each amount
given as a percent daily value.
Calcium and Iron:
Calcium and iron are essential for a healthy body. These minerals
are usually listed as daily percentages per serving.
Now that you can understand your food labels better, start checking
out what you're eating and how much of a good thing (or not so good
thing) you're getting with each meal and snack.
