When you go to the supermarket, do you ever look at food packages and wonder what they mean? When you see words like "low fat", "sugar-free", "organic" do you wonder what they mean? The most important thing is to know exactly what they mean and choose the best for your health. Don't worry, let's talk about this simply, as if you were talking to a friend.
That box at the back of the packet... what's in it?
When you buy something from the store, make it a habit to read the Nutrition Facts box on the back. If you look closely, you can learn a lot from it.
- Ingredients: This list is made by weight. That means the ingredients that are most abundant are listed first . For example, if you're buying a whole-grain bread, the first ingredient on the list should be "whole grain flour." If things like sugar and salt are listed first, that means they're in the majority of the ingredients in the food.
- Serving size: This is very important. This refers to the amount that a person usually eats at one time. Sometimes, a single package can have multiple servings. Therefore, to find out the total calories and nutrients in the entire package, you need to multiply the number in this 'serving size' by the number of 'servings' in the package.
- Percent Daily Value (%DV): This tells us how much of a nutrient a person with an average daily calorie intake of 2,000 calories will get from a single serving of this food. A %DV of 5% or less means that the nutrient is low in quantity, and a %DV of 20% or more means that the nutrient is high in quantity . This helps us compare brands of food and choose the best one.
- Nutrients: These are the ones that directly affect your health. Let's see what you need to reduce and what you need to increase.
| Things to reduce | Things to buy more of |
|---|---|
| Saturated Fat, Trans Fat | Fiber |
| Sodium - that means salt | Vitamin D |
| Added Sugars | Calcium |
| Cholesterol | Iron and Potassium |
- Calories: This number is per serving. If you are not very active, are female, or are older, you may not need 2,000 calories a day. You can control your calories by reducing the amount you eat. Labels no longer list "calories from fat." This is because it is more important to know what type of fat you are consuming than the total amount of fat you are consuming.
What do the words printed in large letters on the packet really mean?
Some of the words printed in large letters on the front of food packages have specific rules. But some don't. Let's see which of these can be trusted and which ones you should be careful about.
Remember, the nutrition label on the back of the package is always more accurate than the big print on the front.
Types of labels you can trust
These usually have specific definitions for what they mean.
| Claim/Label | Simple Meaning |
|---|---|
| Organic | These are made as naturally as possible, without artificial fertilizers or pesticides. |
| Made with organic ingredients (Made With Organic) | This label can be used if an ingredient is at least 70% organic. For example, "Made with organic oats." |
| Gluten-Free | This is very important for people with gluten allergies or Celiac disease. In most cases, this label can be trusted. |
| Cage Free vs. Free Range | Cage free: The hens are kept indoors, but have room to roam. Free range: They have room to roam. Organic eggs come from free-range, organically fed hens. |
| Wild Caught vs. Farm Raised | Wild caught: Fish caught from natural reservoirs such as the sea, rivers, and lakes. Farm raised: Fish raised in tanks or net cages. |
Words to be a little careful about
Since these words do not have a specific legal definition, they can sometimes be used to mislead the consumer. So if you see these words, read the nutrition label on the back carefully .
- "Lightly sweetened": Since there is no specific law for labeling as "low sugar," companies use words like this. What "lightly sweetened" means can vary from person to person. So be sure to check the label for the amount of 'added sugars.'
- "Healthy": This definition is still being updated. Currently, a food can be labeled as healthy if it contains mostly good fats (mono- and polyunsaturated fats) and contains some nutrients like potassium and vitamin D.
- "Natural": This doesn't have a specific definition. So it's very misleading. "Natural" usually just means that nothing artificial has been added to the food. However, it doesn't say anything about whether pesticides were used when it was grown or how the production process was done.
- "Hormone free": All animals have hormones in their bodies. Look for a label that says "no added hormones" on beef, lamb, or dairy products. It is illegal to add hormones to things like chicken, eggs, and pork. So even if you put this label on something, it doesn't mean anything special.
Take-Home Message
- Always read the ingredients list first when buying food. Be careful if things like sugar and salt are listed first.
- Be especially mindful of serving size . If you're eating the entire packet, calculate the calories and sugar content accordingly.
- Use %DV values to choose the best between two similar foods.
- Don't be fooled by vague terms like "natural." Always trust the label on the back.
- If you have a medical condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, or cholesterol, it's best to talk to your doctor about your diet and seek advice.
💬 අදහස් (0)
තවමත් කිසිදු අදහසක් පළ කර නොමැත. ඔබේ අදහස පළමු වරට මෙහි එක් කරන්න.
ඔබේ අදහස එක් කරන්න