How To Read The Nutrition Facts
Learning how to read the nutrition facts is one of the most important things most people don’t know how to do. Many of you just look at the box and if it looks nice or says “healthy” you throw it in the cart. The nutrition facts are intended to help you make healthier choices but if you don’t know what to look for it won’t do you any good. Here is what you need to look for.
Serving’s size - helps you compare similar foods.
Servings per container – Helps you calculate the calories for the entire package. So if a serving size is 1/3 of a bag and you eat the whole bag, you can easily calculate the calories.
Calories - amount of calories per single serving. The average female caloric intake should be between 1500-2000 calories a day depending on factors such as age, metabolism, height, and lifestyle and for a male the number jumps up to 2,500-3,000 calories a day.
Fats are broken down into:
- Saturated – Low Come from dairy and animal products and harden at room temperature. You want to keep this fat to a minimum as it leads to heart disease and many other health ailments.
- Trans fat – Low Increases shelf life and reduces the refrigeration requirements of foods. The majority comes from processed foods and consumption should be kept to a minimum. It raises the level of bad cholesterol in the body and leads to heart disease and obesity.
- Polyunsturated – Moderate found mostly in fatty fishes, nuts and some seeds. It stays liquid in room temperature and can help reduce the risk of heart attack.
- Monounsaturated – Moderate Found in nuts, seeds, and high fat fruits. Monounsaturated fats begin to turn solid in chilled temperature and are ok to have moderate amounts of this fat as long as it comes from plant sources like avocados and olives.
Cholesterol:Low You want to keep this to a minimum as it can lead to high cholesterol in your body which leads to cardiovascular disease. Foods usually high in saturated fat is also high in cholesterol.
Sodium: Low Sodium diets are linked to an increase in blood pressure and a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. The average American consumes over 3,500 mg of sodium a day. Try to aim for less than 1,500 mg a day.
Carbohydrates:Moderate The common source of energy in all living things; however if you do not use the energy it will be stored as “fat” to be used later. About 40 - 45 % of your daily energy should come from carbohydrates .
Fiber:High You want to eat high fiber foods. It reduces the risk of heart disease, regulates blood sugar, makes you feel full longer and keeps your regular.
Sugar: LowKeep this to a minimum. Raises insulin levels, which promote fat storage. The average American consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds of sugar a week.
Protein :Moderate The body does not store protein so it should be eaten with every meal. It helps keeps muscles strong and your metabolism high. A woman should have .75 grams of protein a day per body weight they want to be and a man is 1 gram or protein per body weight they want to be. So if you are a woman and you want to be 130 lbs you need to eat 130 * .75 = 97 grams of protein a day.
Lastly you must look at the ingredients. You want the ingredient list to be short and if it’s loaded with words you cannot pronounce then you want to stay away from it.
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