If you are conscious about the content of packed foods, you definitely have to check the nutrition labels.
The nutrition label that can be seen in a packaging can give you an idea of the amount of servings per fats, calories or nutrients that contain in a consumable product. If you are counting calories on your diet, you may have to check first the nutrition facts before you lay the food item on the shopping basket or cart.
The nutrition facts label can give you an idea how healthy the food is. It can also provide the consumer the knowledge of the contents of the food in terms of fat, sugar and sodium contents and the integration of vitamins and minerals.
With the onset of many diseases and the presence of carcinogenic ingredients, it is not just worthwhile but very relevant to scan the nutrition label in a food item. Checking the food items for nutrition, calorie content, fats, sugar and sodium is one of the steps for a healthy lifestyle.
What constitutes the nutrition label?
The nutrition label provides the information about the serving size per gram or ounce, the amount per serving of calories, percent daily values and amount of saturated fat, trans fat, total fat, cholesterol that contains in a food item. It also lets the consumer know the percent daily value and grams of sodium, sugars, total carbohydrates, and dietary fiber contents of the item. The amount of protein, vitamins and minerals are also integrated in the label, which may prompt the consumer about the healthiness of the packaged food or beverages.
The serving amount of nutritional needs may be expressed in gram, ounce or milligram.
Moreover, consumable products whether dry food or liquid item may also include on the label the suggested daily requirements.
How to read the nutrition labels?
Packaging sells. Even those unhealthy foods may be found appealing to consumers. However,
if you are overly conscious of your health, what appeals to you is the nutrition label and not the cartoon character, the color or the texture of the packaging.
It is seldom for food items to have nutrition label placed on their face. Mostly, the nutrition facts label is found on the side or at the back of the packaging. Finding the nutrition label may seem very easy. However, when you come to deciphering the percent daily value of the food content, there may be difficulty.
As you may see on the nutrition label, it indicates the amount per serving and percent daily values in the food item. It can provide you information about the amount of nutritional values you may be getting in a serving size and if it is adequate or not in achieving the daily recommended nutritional needs.
The nutrition label may be an indication of how much you may be benefiting from the food item. It cannot only provide the good that is in the food item but also the bad. If you have idea of your daily calorie needs and the required amount of sodium and sugars, you must check on the label if the serving amount is good enough or adequate for you. The label may also indicate the kind of fat that is in the food item. If you want to cut out or limit the bad fat, which is the saturated fat, you probably avoid yourself buying food items with high amount of that fat by looking at the nutrition labels.
The nutrition label is also helpful for those who are counting their nutritional level. Aside from calories, some individuals may also check on the label if the food item can provide them the adequate percentage or amount of nutritional needs such as carbohydrates, protein and micro-nutrients. It may have certain significance to bodybuilders, fit individuals, and fashion models.
If you want to have better knowledge about determining the contents in the nutrition facts, you may have to ask reputable health professionals on this.
Aside from nutrition labels, you should also check the ingredient label of the food items for presence of known carcinogens.
Related Articles From WebMD:
- Nutrition Fact Secrets: How to Read Food Nutrition Labels
- Nutrition Labels: Track Sodium, Carbs, Trans Fat, and More on Your Way to Healthy Eating
- How to Read a Nutrition Label
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