Nowadays, food labels are not just found on food items in the
supermarket. You can now see food labels on just about anything that can
be eaten. As a matter of fact, they can also be seen on fast food and
restaurant menus. This is why it has become a lot easier to know exactly
what you are putting in your mouth and whether or not it is healthy.
However, keep in mind that although food labels can give you plenty of useful information, you need to know how you can use them to plan your nutrition and diet. For instance, most food labels have RDA percentages which are based on a daily diet of 2000 calories. This is usually the RDA for a 170-pound man so if you are a 110-pound woman, you might need to calculate the information which are on the food label to make it accurate for you and your nutritional needs.
You should also know what the different information on the food label means. Here are some which should always be found on food labels.
1. Serving Size
This is important because not all food items have only one serving, which is the entire bag, box or container. Sometimes, there are two or four servings in the package so you need to check first before eating a bag of chips thinking that you are only eating 200 calories when in fact you are eating 800. Check the serving size and compute how many calories, grams of sugar and grams of fat you are consuming with each serving.
2. Servings per Container
This is usually right below the serving size information and is also important to check to make sure that you are only taking in what you should.
3. Calories and Total Calories from Fat
This part is important, especially if you are trying to regulate your calorie intake to lose weight. The calories from fat number is also vital to help you to limit your intake of fat, especially of saturated and trans fats. Keep in mind that the ideal number of the calories from fat must not be over 30 percent of the total calories per serving. For instance, two tablespoons of peanut butter typically has 210 calories and about 16 grams of fat. This means that 69 percent of the calories per serving come from fat.
4. % Daily Value
This is usually the percentage of the recommended daily allowance or RDA that is based on a 2000-calorie diet. These numbers would help you in knowing whether the food you are about to eat has enough or too much of the things that you need.
5. Total Fat, Protein, Carbohydrates, Cholesterol and Sodium
These numbers are also crucial to help you if you are cutting down your fat, sodium and cholesterol intake. They are also helpful if you have a medical condition which requires a limited intake of certain nutrients.
6. Other Vitamins and Minerals
These would include vitamin and mineral content of the food. Make sure to go through these as well to whether the food you will be eating is nutritious enough or not.
However, keep in mind that although food labels can give you plenty of useful information, you need to know how you can use them to plan your nutrition and diet. For instance, most food labels have RDA percentages which are based on a daily diet of 2000 calories. This is usually the RDA for a 170-pound man so if you are a 110-pound woman, you might need to calculate the information which are on the food label to make it accurate for you and your nutritional needs.
You should also know what the different information on the food label means. Here are some which should always be found on food labels.
1. Serving Size
This is important because not all food items have only one serving, which is the entire bag, box or container. Sometimes, there are two or four servings in the package so you need to check first before eating a bag of chips thinking that you are only eating 200 calories when in fact you are eating 800. Check the serving size and compute how many calories, grams of sugar and grams of fat you are consuming with each serving.
2. Servings per Container
This is usually right below the serving size information and is also important to check to make sure that you are only taking in what you should.
3. Calories and Total Calories from Fat
This part is important, especially if you are trying to regulate your calorie intake to lose weight. The calories from fat number is also vital to help you to limit your intake of fat, especially of saturated and trans fats. Keep in mind that the ideal number of the calories from fat must not be over 30 percent of the total calories per serving. For instance, two tablespoons of peanut butter typically has 210 calories and about 16 grams of fat. This means that 69 percent of the calories per serving come from fat.
4. % Daily Value
This is usually the percentage of the recommended daily allowance or RDA that is based on a 2000-calorie diet. These numbers would help you in knowing whether the food you are about to eat has enough or too much of the things that you need.
5. Total Fat, Protein, Carbohydrates, Cholesterol and Sodium
These numbers are also crucial to help you if you are cutting down your fat, sodium and cholesterol intake. They are also helpful if you have a medical condition which requires a limited intake of certain nutrients.
6. Other Vitamins and Minerals
These would include vitamin and mineral content of the food. Make sure to go through these as well to whether the food you will be eating is nutritious enough or not.
Shaz has written hundreds of articles online for almost 3 years.
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