With any new piece of furniture,
form of technology, or mechanical item, you’d read the instructions first. Why
do a large majority of people put food in their bodies without even scanning
food labels? It seems logical? After 20 plus years, the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has made a needed overhaul on the nutrition facts label in the majority
of packaged foods sold in the U.S. From calories to carbohydrates, and from
proteins to sodium levels, let’s properly deconstruct a typical food label and
consider the nutritional content of the foods we’re eating so we can all be
healthier.
Consider Calories-Most folks blast right past the serving size
and right onto the calorie content of any label. It’s not that caloric content
isn’t important. It certainly is. Calories represent the energy in the foods we
eat, and our daily allowance depends on several factors (i.e., gender, weight,
height, and your level of physical activity). However, it’s a common misnomer
to assume a food product is healthy because it’s low calorie or “fat free,”
which isn’t always the case.
Our main sources of calories come from
protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Ideally, the calories we consume will fill us
up and provide adequate energy for the day. Excess calories taken from fat
(which is higher in calories than carbohydrates or proteins), carbohydrates
containing sugars (which we tend to eat too much of), and alcohol (which
contains more calories per teaspoon than carbohydrates) only sustain you for
the short term before you’re tempted to eat again and add more calories to your
daily diet.
Contemplate
Carbohydrates-The total
carbohydrates listed on any regulated food label should indicate all forms of
carbohydrates present in the food product—including carbohydrates from fiber,
sugar, and complex carbohydrates. The most important carbohydrate for extremely
active individuals and athletes is starch, a complex carbohydrate that breaks
down into glucose and is stored by the liver and muscles as glycogen. The
amount of carbohydrates needed in a daily diet vary between individuals
according to activity level, age, gender, existing conditions, and blood
glucose levels.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) warns
that all carbohydrates affect blood glucose. This is why keeping track of total
daily carbohydrates (in grams) is important particularly for diabetics (with
hyperglycemia or high blood sugar) and hypoglycemic (low blood sugar)
individuals so as not to overeat certain carbohydrates (i.e., grains) and
ignore others (i.e., fruits and starchy vegetables). The ADA recommends first
considering the types of carbohydrate you can eat, and then measuring out the
portion size to match.
Daily Value of
Vitamins and Nutrients-Look at any product
food label and you will see %DV listed. This refers to the percent daily value
(or %DV), which indicates the nutrients and vitamins within any food based on
an average 2,000 calorie diet. Many of us don’t follow a 2,000 calorie diet. You
can utilize the %DV on food labels to decipher high and low sources of fiber
and sodium as well as certain vitamins and nutrients. Keep in mind that many
foods are fortified with vitamin additives and synthetic nutrients. Whenever
possible look to products made with whole or fresh foods that naturally contain
vitamins and nutrients and few synthetic additives and salt.
Deliberate Dietary
Fiber-A simple way to find
out if a food product really is a healthy source of whole grains is to check
the amount of dietary fiber within it. The truth is right there on the food
label. If a product contains less than 20 percent of the %DV of dietary fiber
it’s not an excellent source of dietary fiber at all. Even though fiber is not
considered a nutrient, nutritional scientists say that most North Americans
don’t get adequate amounts. Prime sources of dietary fiber include
soluble (water-dissolving) and insoluble (non-water dissolving) fibers that
come from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and complex carbohydrate grains that are
not digested, but excreted from the body.
Determine the
Serving Size-Typically the top
item on your food label is the serving size. This portion is what all of the
nutritional information on the entire label will be based upon. Sadly, serving
size is an item often overlooked by consumers causing many to mistakenly eat
twice or three times the suggested portion. Many of us confuse healthy food
choices for poor food choices when we ignore the posted serving size. How many
times have you devoured an entire bag of chips or 3 servings of ice cream in
one sitting? The truth is that we’re all guilty of neglecting the serving size
before digging into a favorite junk food at one time or another. Remember, it doesn’t
matter how few calories or how little sodium or saturated fat is in product if
the serving size is miniscule.
Food Labels: The
Big Picture-If you’re watching
what you eat or trying to shed a few pounds, your doctor will likely recommend
creating a daily meal plan that consists of all the calories, fat, protein,
carbohydrates, sodium, vitamins, and nutrients you’ll need for the entire day
based on things like your age, weight, and activity level. This is why, when
you initially scan any food label, you should do so with consideration of how
that food item will fit into your food consumption for the entire day. This big
picture approach to eating will help you decide if it’s a healthy food worth
eating.
Ponder Protein-The great thing about North American food
labels is that regulations by the FDA and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA) mandate that all ingredients be listed on product packaging in
descending order, by weight. This means that you can quickly decipher how
rich the food is in protein and what the exact source of protein is—which is
vital for those with food allergies or intolerances, as well as vegetarians,
vegans, and those with religious adherences.
Proteins in our food come from either plant
(i.e., nuts, tofu, beans, lentils, seeds, and plant-sourced milks) or animal
sources (i.e., meat, fish, cheese, yogurt, and animal-sourced milk). This
essential macronutrient is necessary for proper growth, body function, and
energy. Too little protein in the diet can cause protein deficiency and
associated blood clots (or deep vein thrombosis), muscle atrophy, gallstones,
sleep deprivation, chronic fatigue, depression, and edema (or swelling) of the
belly and legs.
Reflect on Fat
Content-I’ve already
mentioned that fats are higher in calories than carbohydrates or proteins,
which is the main reason why many cut down on fat consumption first and
foremost when trying to lose weight. It’s wise to remember that not all fats
are created equal. When consuming fatty foods, fat type is always more important
than fat content.
Healthy dietary fats (i.e., polyunsaturated
fats, monounsaturated fats, and omega-3 fatty acids) are essential for energy,
sustaining appetite, and for supporting several bodily functions (i.e., heart
health and vitamin absorption) when consumed in moderation. Trans fats and
saturated fats are linked to increasing low-density lipoproteins (LDL) “bad” cholesterol, and increasing
weight gain as well as the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,
and should always be consumed in small amounts whenever possible.
“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who
you are.” (Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin) [i]
[i] Sources used:
“5 Things You Need to Know About
the New Nutrition Facts Label” By Kylie Gilbert
“LDL: The ‘Bad’ Cholesterol” by MedlinePlus
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