Typically,
the busy shopper scans the brand, the price and if time permits, the expiry
date. The nutrition blurb on the back, usually goes unnoticed. If you're in
this category, change now! Labels help us compare similar products, choose
better foods based on their nutritional value and are particularly helpful when
one has to follow a special diet. Reading labels is an excellent habit that
adds to a healthy lifestyle.
So
what should you look out for? What do all those names and numbers mean? Here's
a breakdown to help you navigate your way through the sea of products.
Serving Size: Always check this first as it
tells you the quantity to eat. And if you stick to that, you will know the
exact amount of calories and nutrients you are consuming. So, if you double
your intake, you need to double the counts, it is that simple.
Calories: Monitor your intake; the
amount we consume in a day should be lower than the amount we burn off. For a
sedentary lifestyle (18-60 years of age), your limit should be about 1,600
calories, and for your husband about 2,000 calories per day. Remember, it is
vital that you balance your meals through the day. Food items of 150 calories
or less would be 'low-calorie'. Those between 150-400 calories would be medium,
and anything beyond that would be high calorie.
Total Fat: This reading needs to be kept
to a minimum. One gram of fat has 9 calories. So, if your food has 10 grams of
fat, it contains 90 calories from fat alone. It is best to keep calories from
fat to less than 25 percent of the total calories. Also keep a look out for
this break-up: Saturated fats (which are bad for the heart) should be less than
one-third of the daily total fat intake (that is about 8 percent of the total
calories).
Trans
fats are the worst type; the magical number you are looking for there is zero.
If you see 'hydrogenated', 'shortening' or 'partially hydrogenated' on the
label, the food item contains trans fats; avoid it. Polyunsaturated and
monounsaturated fats are good fats, but most labels do not have these listed.
Cholesterol: This is not as bad as trans
fats but it is best to keep this low as an excess can clog your arteries. Limit
the consumption of egg yolk, cheese, pastries and junk food.
Total Carbohydrates: This reading usually includes
carbohydrates, dietary fibre and sugars, so make sure to check the break-up
given carefully. As long as the fibre content is high (say 3gm or more per
serving) the product has sufficient complex carbohydrates for it to be good for
you. A low-fibre figure means it's refined, so it's best avoided.
Sodium: This value refers to the salt
content in the product. The ideal daily intake should not be more than 2,400mg
per day (1tsp). Approximately 500gm of salt/month for a family of 4.
Protein: The daily requirement is
between 50 and 75gm for most people. So if you buy something that contains
12-15gm of protein, you have consumed about one-third of your requirement.
Note: 1 x 300gm chicken breast contains approx 60gm protein. 1 litre milk
cotains approx 30gm protein.
A closer look at the 'buzz
words':
Added Flavour + Preservatives: Contains chemicals such as
sorbic acid, propionic acid, monosodium glutamate (MSG) and butylated
hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Zero Fat: No more than 0.5gm fat/serving
Low Fat: No more than 3gm fat/serving.
(Remember, low fat does not necessarily mean low calorie)
No Added Sugar: This doesn't mean the product
doesn't contain any form of sugar. It may contain natural sugar (i.e. if it has
fruit, it is likely to contain fructose)
Zero Cholesterol: Less than 20mg of cholesterol
Low Calorie: Less than 40 calories/serving
High Fibre: 5 or more grams of
fibre/serving
Low Sodium: Less than 140mg of
sodium/serving (about a pinch of salt)
Source:
www.wonderwoman.in
