Most women are concerned about limiting their food intake because they do not want to put on extra weight. As important as it is to watch how much you eat, it is more pertinent to know what you eat. One of the ways to know what you are eating is to read, understand and use the labels on foods. The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 mandated that nutritional information appear on almost all packaged foods after May 1994. The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has therefore required food processors to place labels on food ever since. The little panel you find on most food products that you buy from the supermarket is called the Nutrition Facts Panel. A typical one looks like the image above.
A look at the Nutrition Facts Panel shows six facts you should pay particular attention to: serving size, calories, percent daily value, total fat, cholesterol and sodium, the footnote and nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. In addition, any nutrients that are naturally present or are added to the food must be declared on the Nutrition Facts label.
The portion under the Nutrition Facts Panel tells you the quantity or serving size that the food product contains. By convention, about 230g is equal to a one cup serving. A quick calculation can be made from this to tell you how much food you are consuming on the whole. The measured quantity of this food is what determines the total calories consumed in that food. The higher the quantity consumed, the greater the calories obtained. If the serving size is 345g and you eat everything, then you have consumed one and a half cups of the food in question. Is that how much you really want?
After knowing how much food you have, you may want to know how many calories it contains. This is shown under “Amount per Serving.” Worthy of notice are the calories from fat. Generally, fat should make up more than 30% of your foods content so you do not want the majority of your calories for the day coming from fat. High caloric intake has been linked to being overweight or obese.
Total fat consists of saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and trans fat. On most labels you will see saturated fat and trans fat under the total fat. This is because the FDA requires that saturated and trans fatty acids be listed in nutrition labeling since studies have shown that their intake increase bad cholesterol. You are supposed to limit the intake of these nutrients. Beside these, you will see the cholesterol and sodium content also listed. These are nutrients you have to limit in addition to total fat, as they have the tendency to increase one’s chances of falling prey to chronic diseases including cancer, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
The “% Daily Value” that follows on the right of the Nutrition Facts Panel is the amount of the daily recommended value that the food satisfies for each nutrient mentioned. Your goal is to meet 100% of each nutrient for the day. So if the food gives only 40% of the nutrient, you will need 60% more to satisfy the daily recommended amount of that nutrient for the day. As a rule of thumb, getting less than 5% of the nutrient from a specific food is low but if you are getting greater than 20%, that is high.
While examining the daily intake, see also that there are enough vitamins and dietary fiber. Vitamins are like the icing on the cake: required for the smooth functioning of your body. Dietary fiber decreases risk ofcoronary heart disease, reduces blood pressure, enhances weight control,and reduces risk of certain forms of cancer like colon cancer. You need between 20-35 grams a day.
Another feature you may see on a food label is the health claim. Health claims are authorized by the FDA and are one of several ways food labels can attract the attention of health-conscious consumers. They inform shoppers of a product’s health potential by declaring that the presence of certain foods or food substances in an overall healthy diet may reduce the risk of certain diseases; for instance, the claim that the presence of calcium in dairy foods increases bone strength is an example of a health claim. Other terms you may see in health claims are “low fat,” “high fiber,” and “low calorie.” Remember, however, that food substances can qualify for health claims only if they have a scientific basis and meet the FDA requirements.
There are many advantages of using the Nutrition Facts Panel. In one study, participants who used it recorded lower fat intake and this is one of the common mistakes made when utilizing this information. You cannot focus solely on the fat content and disregard the presence of other nutrients. Sodium and cholesterol also have important health implications. Vitamins are required in little quantities but their importance in bodily functions cannot be overemphasized. Therefore, check the presence of other nutrients and compare multiple products to determine which is best. But more women than men look at nutrition facts. People who lack the motivation to take note of the nutritional content of the foods they consume do not really believe in the importance of diet in maintaining overall health. This may stem from the food choices made in the home where a person grew up. Families that tend to be overweight make consistent bad choices for high-fat diets, whereas those that can be classified as lean do not. The food you eat plays an important part in your overall health and everyday that you fail to meet your nutritional needs, a vacuum is created for that day. Over time the lack of these nutrients can create deficiencies that may become very disastrous and even fatal. You do not have to get to that point, because you can always read the Nutrition Facts Panel.