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The Chemicalz!
The Chemicalz!
What's really going in your body!
The first thing on the label is always the serving size;- the basis for all additional information. You may determine how many portions there are in an entire box, package, or can by looking at the servings per container. Take note: a lot of items come with multiple servings.
Keep an eye out for fat— Verify the food's trans and saturated fat content. Seek for foods with the lowest amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat and zero grams (g) of trans fat. Aim to avoid products that include "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" among their ingredients. Better options are foods prepared with good unsaturated oils (olive, canola, safflower, etc.).
Compare the number of calories and sodium in each dish. Look for goods where the sodium level is equal to or less than the calories per serving if you want to limit your intake of salt. A food should ideally have no more than 250 mg of sodium per serving for every 250 calories.
Aim for foods that have 5 g of fiber per serving, or at least one gram of fiber for every 10 grams of carbohydrates.
Avoid additional sugars: Sugar is mostly made up of carbohydrates ; consuming large amounts of sugar puts stress on your body's ability to maintain a healthy blood sugar level, fills you up with empty calories, and prevents you from consuming nutritious meals. Agave nectar, brown sugar, dextrose, maltose, fruit juice concentrate, and glucose are some healthier variations.
Nutrition Facts!
Nutrition Facts!
The Nutrition Facts label is a requirement of the FSSAI for the majority of packaged foods and beverages. The serving size listed on the label is not a suggestion for how much food to eat; rather, it is based on how much food people may normally eat at one time.
Have a look at the example on the right to get a better idea on how to read these labels!
You will consume twice as many calories, nutrients, sugar, and fat in an entire container of food that has two portions!
Recognizing Daily Value Percentage (%DV)
Recognizing Daily Value Percentage (%DV)
The amount that a nutrient in a portion of food or drink contributes to a daily diet of 2,000 calories is indicated by the percent Daily Value (% DV). 2,000 calories a day on average are needed by an individual to maintain their weight, however depending on their lifestyle, some people may require less or more. Your percentage DV will be higher than what is stated on the label if you are eating less calories per day and consume one serving.
Keep an eye out for words like brown sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, and high-fructose corn syrup that suggest added sugar. Consuming artificial sweeteners in moderation is likewise advised for sucralose, saccharin, aspartame, and acesulfame.
Tricks for treats!
Tricks for treats!
Don't fall for these 8 marketing buzzwords!
Don't fall for these 8 marketing buzzwords!
"Sugar-Free": Ingredients are listed on food packaging in descending order of quantity, and a tactic is to flavor foods with multiple sweeteners so that "sugar" doesn't appear prominently on the list. If a product maintains it contains no high-fructose corn syrup, it might still contain an abundance of other sugars and might, in fact, be sweeter.
"Low-calorie": soft drinks and desserts may include sugar alcohols (such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, or isomalt) that can still lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels or artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame, saccharin, or sucralose) that may trigger increased food consumption.
"Low Sodium": A "reduced sodium" product must contain at least 25 percent less sodium than its regular version, but this doesn't guarantee it isn't still high in salt. And be cautious: Foods labeled "salt-free," "no sodium," or "sodium-free" can still contain up to 5 mg of sodium.
"Fat-Free": Putting aside the quality of the fat, a "fat-free" designation doesn't imply a product has absolutely no fat; it simply means it contains a smaller amount, typically 500 mg per serving. "Low fat" signifies a product has no more than 3 grams per serving, while "reduced fat" indicates a food has at least 25 percent less fat than its regular counterpart. Similar regulations govern the advertising of lower saturated fat, cholesterol, calorie content, and terms like "lean." However, it's important to remember that if a product touts reduced fat, it usually compensates for the loss in flavor with other ingredients like salt or sugar.
"Gluten-Free": The absence of gluten in a product doesn't necessarily equate to its healthiness. For instance, one of the most popular gluten-free flours, rice flour, has a high glycemic index and is not particularly nutritious, especially when compared to nut and seed flours. "Gluten-free" food can also be loaded with sugar, salt, or fat to compensate for its lack of flavor or texture.
"Superfood": This is a marketing term frequently attributed to a product by growers' councils (based on studies funded by the council) or trendy health experts. As of 2007, the European Union prohibited making such claims unless there's credible scientific evidence – and so far, most "superfoods" do not meet this standard.
“Organic products”: Recall that the caloric, fat, protein, and carbohydrate content of organic foods can be identical to that of non-organic foods.
“Multigrain products”: Although it just indicates that a product has multiple types of grains, this seems healthful. It's conceivable that the grains are all refined grains, which have probably lost vital nutrients during processing unless the product is specifically labeled as whole grain.
https://www.nytimes.com/article/how-to-read-a-food-label.html
YOUR nutritional priorities!
YOUR nutritional priorities!
Calories: Aim for approximately 2,000 calories a day.
Saturated Fat: Keep it below 20 grams and prioritize replacing it with healthy (unsaturated) fats, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Trans Fat: Avoid it entirely, as it's no longer considered safe. Check product labels for compliance dates.
Sodium: While the Daily Value is 2,300 mg, consider following lower recommendations, like 1,500 mg, as suggested by health organizations. Most sodium comes from processed or restaurant foods.
Dietary Fiber: Aim for 28 grams, as it's vital for digestive health and can help control calorie intake and potential weight gain.
Added Sugar: Aim for 25-36 grams per day, as recommended by the American Heart Association, and be mindful of the excess sugar consumed on average by Americans.
Know your sugars!
Know your sugars!
Total Sugars on the Nutrition Facts label encompass sugars that occur naturally in many nutritious foods and beverages, including those found in items like milk and fruit, in addition to any extra sugars that may be introduced during the production of the product.
Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts label encompass sugars introduced during the manufacturing of foods, such as sucrose or dextrose, sweetening agents like table sugar, sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.
Note: The presence of the term "includes" before Added Sugars on the label indicates that the amount of Added Sugars is part of the overall grams of Total Sugars in the product.
https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/article/how-to-read-misleading-food-labels/
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