While choosing what to buy, standing in an aisle for food items at a grocery store, how do you decide to buy something? Do you go by brand, your regular food item, taste, or price? Well, okay, price we all check, what else do you check for before putting an item in your shopping cart? Do you read food labels? Apart from the manufacturing date and expiry date section, there’s an ingredient section on the package. Do you check that before buying your food items?
Well, if you don’t please start doing it. Understanding food labels is essential for making informed and wise decisions about your diet and overall health. Food labels are your gateway to understanding the nutritional content of the foods you eat. They provide valuable information about the ingredients, serving sizes, and nutrient content of packaged foods. Now how to understand the food labels to make healthy dietary choices?
US Food and Drugs Department stated, “The information in the main or top section (see #1-4) of the sample nutrition label (below) can vary with each food and beverage product; it contains product-specific information (serving size, calories, and nutrient information). The bottom section contains a footnote that explains the % Daily Value and gives the number of calories used for general nutrition advice.”
How To Decipher Food Labels
Reading and understanding food labels is no rocket science and once you get the hang of it, you will never add anything in your cart without checking it to enhance your health.
1. Know What You're Eating
Food labels list the ingredients used in a product, helping you understand what you're putting into your body. This is important if you have any food allergies or intolerances.
2. Nutritional Information
Food labels provide information about the nutritional content of a product, including the amount of calories, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, fibre, and protein per serving. This can help you make choices that match with your dietary goals and as per your health needs.
Also read: 10 Food Combination That You Must Avoid As Per Ayurveda
3. Portion Control
Serving sizes listed on food labels can help you manage portion control, which is important for weight management and overall health. Many people underestimate the size of a serving, leading to overeating.
4. Comparing Products
Food labels help you in comparing similar products to make healthier choices. For example, you can compare the sugar content of different brands of yoghurt to choose one with lower sugar content.
5. Understanding Health Claims
Food labels often include health claims such as "low fat," "high fibre," or "reduced sodium." Understanding these claims can help you choose foods that are as per your health necessities.
Also read: Superfoods That Can Help Your Child Increase Their Height
6. Hidden Ingredients
Food labels can help you identify hidden ingredients that may not be obvious from the product's name or appearance. Some foods labelled as "healthy" or "natural" may contain high levels of added sugars or unhealthy fats. For instance, the food product reading sugar free might contain an ingredient reading sucrose or maltose. Now, sucrose and maltose both are forms of sugars. So here, your sugar free diet is compromised if you don’t read and understand the ingredients.
How to Read Food Labels
- Start by looking at the serving size and the number of servings per package. This will help you understand how much you're actually consuming.
- Check the total calories per serving and the breakdown of macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and protein).
- Pay attention to the ingredients list and look for added sugars, unhealthy fats (such as trans fats), and artificial additives.
- Use the % Daily Value (%DV) to determine if a food is high or low in a specific nutrient. Aim for foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and high in fibre, vitamins, and minerals.
Conclusion
Understanding food labels is essential for making informed decisions about your health and diet. This practice will impact your health greatly and your diet would not be compromised. You can choose foods that support your health goals and avoid factors that may affect your well-being.