As the saying goes, “…you are what you eat…” is really true. This is one of the reasons that vegetarian weight loss diet plans are so popular. But how much do you really know of the food that you are gulping down that esophagus? How much do you really know about the nutrients that you are getting? Is it enough, is it too much? Those questions are difficult to answer for just the typical person.
Sure we read those nutrition fact labels plastered over those grocery food, but do you really understand what those mean? Learning to read and understand nutrition fact labels is actually one of the quick weight loss tips many dietitians have advised their clients. So learn to read nutrition labels as well, for you own sake.
Sure we read those nutrition fact labels plastered over those grocery food, but do you really understand what those mean? Learning to read and understand nutrition fact labels is actually one of the quick weight loss tips many dietitians have advised their clients. So learn to read nutrition labels as well, for you own sake.
Food labels are actually on those grocery items to guide us to make healthy choices, but more often than not, these labels are ignored, unfortunately. So what does a typical nutrition fact label include? A valid food label should include the following:
· Common, or the general name of the product
· Name and address of the manufacturer
· Net contents with its weight, measure and count
· Ingredients of the product and Nutrition Facts
The list above shows the suggested items as recommended by the USDA and the FDA. With the things listed above, it should be a sensible guide for consumers to buy healthy food. So let’s understand the components of those food labels.
Serving size – this is the amount of food in the label containing the nutrients and calories listed. So for instance, a chocolate bar, if the serving size says 2, you have to double the amount of those in the nutrition facts section if you consume the whole pack.
Nutrition facts – nutrition facts include very common nutrients such as total fat, cholesterol, and sodium. As a matter of fact, those mentioned above are required fields in every food label. Other nutrients are just optional and depend on the product manufacturer if they like to add it.
Calories – this is the amount of Kcal or energy you obtain in every serving size. This part is very important especially if you are counting calories for you weight loss.
Nutrients Listed – this includes total fat including saturated fats, total carbohydrates, protein, Vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. These are also mandatory fields on the food label.
There are actually still a lot of parts like the percent daily values, footnotes and etc. But those listed above are the most important parts for one to know if he is getting a healthy type of food or not.
