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In today's world, convenience often takes precedence, it is very important to make healthy choices about the food we consume everyday. Nutritional labels on the product are key factors for us in search of healthier options.
By decoding those food labels you get an insight of nutritional content in that particular food product you are buying. This makes it easy to decide food choices to achieve your nutritional goal.
In this article, we will understand the food labels and what they want to say and navigate you towards your overall optimum health.
Table of Contents
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| Checking food labels |
Decode the Size They Serve:
The very first step to understand the nutritional labels is serving size. Checkout the portion they are giving on which the nutrient intake can be determined. Hence by being mindful about serving portions you cannot mis-judge the nutrients intake and get an Idea.
Calories Count:
Calories are the key content in any nutritional label, they give an insight about the energy present in that particular serving product.
Just be mindful about the total calories from fats and as excessive fats consumption can lead to numerous health issues.
Breakdown of nutritional values:
There will be a chart stating breakdown of crucial nutrition that will contain fats (saturated, unsaturated), carbs, and the presence of nutrient like fiber is good for making healthy choices.
If the amount of fats (saturated, unsaturated) is higher and other nutrients are less that means it's a red flag for you about that product.
Vitamins and Minerals:
Specifically these contents are very rarely mentioned on food products but if you are buying healthy ones it must be present.
You can aim for the products which are high in vitamins and minerals; some crucial ones you can look for are Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron, Potassium. And enhance your health.
Percent Daily Values (%DV):
It is specially listed on the healthy products and gives you snippets an idea of your daily aimed nutritional requirement.
Generally its %DV is a guide to know how many percent of it can fulfill your nutritional requirement from that product daily. It should be balanced according to your consumption goals.
Watch Out for Added Sugars:
This content is found generally on all the labels, and individuals should identify it if they want to manage and control their sugar intake.
Sellers use alternate names to display it like sugars, sucrose, glucose, high fructose, corn syrup and others. Added sugar is very bad for human health and can lead to various health issues so be mindful about this content on the food label.
Sodium Awareness:
Excessive sodium is bad for your health hence its necessary to manage sodium intake to maintain healthy blood pressure.
Always look for sodium content on food packages because excessive intake of it can lead to various cardiovascular diseases.
Allergen Information:
Nutritional labels also contain allergen information and some commonly used allergen are present in the food products.
If you are allergic to specific content then make habits of checking food labels and the section where that particular product is safe for you or not.
Preservatives:
Generally every food package uses preservatives but you should check for it and prefer natural preservatives over synthetic that will be a better choice for your health.
Expiry Dates:
Always look for the expiry dates on the food packages then only buy it. By making these habits you will save your health and families too.
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| food label |
In the Bottom line:
Your journey towards a healthy lifestyle will be more effective by understanding the nutritional labels on food packages.
By mastering the art of reading food labels and making it an everyday habit while buying products will make your choices healthy and will keep you aligned towards your nutritional goals.
Take time and decode food labels, prioritize nutrients dense food products, and walk on the way of making you healthier and vibrant.
Keep in mind that well aware consumers means a step closer to healthier and happier lives.
