Many people are under the impression that reading nutrition labels is a waste of time since other considerations like taste, texture and price of the food items are more important. Unfortunately, this can prove harmful to physical health in the long run mainly because not every ingredient in food items bought from the supermarkets is beneficial to the body.
Understanding nutrition information starts with knowing the terms on the front of the labels. Keep in mind that the more important nutrition information is typically printed in small fonts on the back or sides of the product’s package while the front part features marketing hype in bold fonts.
When you know the true meaning behind these oft-deceptive terms, you will not be so easily deceived into thinking that the food products are healthy when these are not so. Reading nutrition labels should become a habit lest these front label terms get the best of your money.
• Fortified, Enriched and Added – The natural minerals and fiber present in the raw material have been removed and then replaced by synthetic vitamins during the manufacturing process.
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• Natural – Yes, the raw materials were natural but when manufacturing processes were applied, the final product is anything but natural.
• Sugar-Free and Fat-Free – These are the most commonly used marketing words since consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of sugar and fats. But these are often used so liberally that warning bells must ring as soon as you see these words on a food product.
These are just a few of the marketing words used on store-bought food products. To avoid falling for these sweet but empty words, you must look at the back or sides for the more truthful information.
With that being said, you are now ready to start reading nutrition labels and then knowing that the words and figures mean for your health. It should be an easy task when the contents of the nutrition labels are divided into categories as follows:
• Serving Size – It refers to the quantity of food that the succeeding information on calories, fat and other substances pertain to. For example, a serving size can pertain to one piece of pastry, a tablespoon of sauce or a quarter cup of juice, all of which are expressed in a definite measurement. Thus, a package can contain anywhere from one serving size to 5 servings.
• Calories and Calories from Fat – These terms pertain to the number of calories in one serving as well as the number of fats in these calories. For example, one serving of tuna equals 2 ounces, which has 60 calories with 5 calories coming from fat.
• Nutrients by Weight and Percentage of Daily Value (%DV) – Basically, nutrients by weight show the amount of nutrients contained in each serving as expressed in grams. The percent of daily value is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
• Vitamins and Minerals – These are also listed in %DV with Vitamins A and C along with the minerals calcium and iron as the main nutrients to look out for.
• Ingredients – These are listed according to the order of quantity from the greatest to the least amount.
Indeed, the nutrition labels contain all the essential information to make an informed judgment about your food purchases, thus, emphasizing the need to be reading nutrition labels now.
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