How to read nutrition labels... In a prefect world if we were all to eat perfectly we wouldnt ever buy anything out of a Packet with a label... But there are a few exceptions (breakfast cereals,milk, snacks for the kids lunches ect ect) and if your going to do it anyways then you may as well know how to make the best choice right? So heres a quick rundown... Lets start with NZ + Australian labels (2nd pic) I recommend comparing the food labels on products and choosing foods that are: Higher in fibre Lower in saturated fat Lower in sodium Lower in sugar If you are watching your weight, also look for foods that contain less energy/calories (kilojoules). Knowing how to read food labels is especially important if you have health conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, and need to follow a special diet. It also makes it easier to compare similar foods to see which is a healthier choice. The more practice you get reading food labels, the better you can become in using them as a tool to plan your healthy, balanced diet. The Food Code, administered by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), specifies the things that must be included on food labels. Most packaged foods must have these labels, but there are some exceptions. Examples of exempt foods include: tea coffee herbs and spices, which have little energy (kilojoules); unpackaged foods like fruits and vegetables foods packed where they’re made, like in a bakery foods in very small packs foods sold at fund-raising events Additives Natural or synthetic food additives must also be identified no matter how small the amount used. Food additives must be listed by both their name and a number (e.g. food acid (331)), so that people who are sensitive to additives can avoid them. Allergens Any ingredient that is known to cause severe allergic reactions in some people (e.g. nuts, seafood, milk, eggs, soybeans) must be declared on the label, even if there is only a very small amount of that ingredient in the product. Some food labels must also contain an advisory or warning statement if the food contains a substance that has associated health risks that people may not be aware of (e.g. the bee product, royal jelly, which can cause severe reactions in people with asthma). Many manufacturers also voluntarily print a warning that there may be traces of some allergens in the food, even if they are not listed in the ingredients. This is usually because those allergens are used in other products made in the same factory. Genetically-modified (GM) foods Any genetically modified foods or ingredients must be identified on the label with the words genetically modified. Also, any foods that have been irradiated must be identified. Additional information Food packaging may also display a symbol or stamp from an organisation to highlight particular nutritional information. Foods that have a Heart Foundation ‘Tick’ on their label are healthier and generally lower in saturated fat and sodium than other foods in the same category...this only applies to comparable foods. Foods displaying a ‘Glycemic Index (GI) Tested’ symbol on their packaging have been evaluated for their effects on blood sugar levels. Foods that have a low glycemic (or glycaemic) index (GI) tend to raise your blood sugar levels less than medium or high-GI foods, and eating these low-GI foods can help control diabetes and may help with weight loss. All foods that display this symbol (whether they are low, medium or high GI) are generally a good nutritional choice for that food group. Don’t be fooled There are some descriptions that can be misleading, so you should always check that claims that are made about foods are backed up by the information in the nutrition panel. �Lite’ or ‘light’ Foods that are described as ‘light’ or ‘lite’ may not be light in kilojoules or fat, but instead light in taste, colour or texture. The characteristic that makes the food ‘light’ must be stated on the label. Low-fat Additives Natural or synthetic food additives must also be identified no matter how small the amount used. Food additives must be listed by both their name and a number (e.g. food acid (331)), so that people who are sensitive to additives can avoid them. Allergens Any ingredient that is known to cause severe allergic reactions in some people (e.g. nuts, seafood, milk, eggs, soybeans) must be declared on the label, even if there is only a very small amount of that ingredient in the product. Some food labels must also contain an advisory or warning statement if the food contains a substance that has associated health risks that people may not be aware of (e.g. the bee product, royal jelly, which can cause severe reactions in people with asthma). Many manufacturers also voluntarily print a warning that there may be traces of some allergens in the food, even if they are not listed in the ingredients. This is usually because those allergens are used in other products made in the same factory. Genetically-modified (GM) foods Any genetically modified foods or ingredients must be identified on the label with the words genetically modified. Also, any foods that have been irradiated must be identified. Additional information Food packaging may also display a symbol or stamp from an organisation to highlight particular nutritional information. Foods that have a Heart Foundation ‘Tick’ on their label are healthier and generally lower in saturated fat and sodium than other foods in the same category. Foods displaying a ‘Glycemic Index (GI) Tested’ symbol on their packaging have been evaluated for their effects on blood sugar levels. Foods that have a low glycemic (or glycaemic) index (GI) tend to raise your blood sugar levels less than medium or high-GI foods, and eating these low-GI foods can help control diabetes and may help with weight loss. All foods that display this symbol (whether they are low, medium or high GI) are generally a good nutritional choice for that food group. Don’t be fooled There are some descriptions that can be misleading, so you should always check that claims that are made about foods are backed up by the information in the nutrition panel. �Lite’ or ‘light’ Foods that are described as ‘light’ or ‘lite’ may not be light in kilojoules or fat, but instead light in taste, colour or texture. The characteristic that makes the food ‘light’ must be stated on the label. Low-fat Very low-fat foods must contain less than 0.15 per cent fat. Low-fat solid foods must contain less than 3 grams of fat per 100 gram serve; low-fat liquid foods must contain less than 1.5 grams of fat per 100 mL. And remember, if a food claims to be 90 per cent fat-free, that food is actually 10 per cent fat. �No cholesterol’ or ‘low cholesterol’ Only foods derived from animals contain cholesterol, so ‘no cholesterol’ or ‘low cholesterol’ claims on foods derived from plants are meaningless, because all plant foods contain virtually no cholesterol. �Use by’ and ‘Best before’ dates ‘Use by’ dates are displayed on packaged foods that must be consumed before a certain date for health and safety reasons. It is not safe to eat such foods once the use-by date has passed. A ‘best before’ date can be found on products with a shelf life of less than 2 years; after this date, the product may lose some of its nutritional value or quality, but it may still be safe to eat. Storage requirements The packaging should also display information on how to store the product if specific storage conditions are required so that the product will remain safe until its use-by or best-before date (e.g. store in a cool, dry place). Dont be fooled!... Fortified, enriched, added, extra, and plus. this Means vitamins have been added in processing, beware though as it may also mean fibre and other minerals have been lost in the processing. Look for 100% whole-wheat bread, and high-fiber, low-sugar cereals and well as the those key words not instead of. Fruit drink. This means theres probably little or no real fruit and a lot of sugar. Instead look for products that say 100% Fruit Juice. Even then go for water if possible, especially if watching your weight. Made with wheat, rye, or multigrains. These products have very little whole grain. Look for the word whole before the grain to ensure that youre getting a 100% whole-grain product. Natural. The manufacturer started with a natural source, but once its processed the food may not resemble anything natural. Look for 100% All Natural and No Preservatives. Organically grown, pesticide-free, or no artificial ingredients. Trust only labels that say Certified Organically Grown. Sugar-free or fat-free. Dont assume the product is low-calorie. The manufacturer compensated with unhealthy ingredients that dont taste very good and, heres the kicker, have no fewer calories than the real thing. Ok lets look at the most common labels we see on food products first (1st & 3rd pic) Serving Size Start your label reading adventure by looking at the serving size printed right under nutrition facts. Portion control is an important part of weight management, but dont expect food manufacturers to make it easy for you. Pop-Tarts, for instance, come two to a package. The label says one serving is 200 calories. The catch is thats for one pastry. Also keep in mind that the weight in the package may actually be more than what the serving says on the package as legally it cant be less but maybe more, sometimes up to 50% more!! Label reading is easy when a package states there are one or two servings. Its the fractions that will send you to the calculator. For example, the label on a 6-ounce can of StarKist Tuna in water says one serving is 2 ounces (drained) so you might think the can holds three servings. But because you drain off some weight, the can actually contains 2.5 servings...And how realistic are those printed serving sizes anyway? The South Beach diet recipe for South Beach Chopped Salad With Tuna calls for a 6-ounce can of water-packed tuna, and thats for a single serving of salad. Calories and Calories From Fat Next youll see how many calories are in a serving and how many of those calories come from fat. A 2-ounce serving of tuna has 60 calories, 5 of which come from fat. If you eat the whole can, multiply these amounts by 2.5 for a total of 150 calories and 12.5 fat grams. Nutrients by Weight and Percentage of Daily Value (%DV) If youre counting fat or carbohydrate grams, youre familiar with this part of the label. It shows how much of each nutrient is in a single serving by weight in grams and by %DV. This symbol refers to the recommended daily allowance for a nutrient based on a 2,000-calorie diet (youll see that some nutrients, such as sugar and protein, dont have a %DV). Fats are listed as Total Fat and also broken down so you can see how much is saturated fat, i.e., the kind you especially want to limit. Unfortunately, the label doesnt distinguish between natural sugars, such as those found in fruit, and added sugar. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition says the first nutrients listed on the label --total fat, cholesterol, and sodium -- are the ones most Americans get enough of or too much of in their diets. And one of the most overlooked nutrients essential for good health is fiber. Vitamins and Minerals Vitamins and minerals are listed by %DV only. Pay particular attention to vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Theyre listed first. The FDA says most Americans dont get enough in their diets. Ingredients Ingredients are listed in order from the greatest amount to the least. Just how much of a fruit breakfast bar is fruit? leavethe product on the shelf if the terms enriched wheat flour or sugar appear before fruit. rule of thumb: the fewer the ingredients, the better. If theres a long list of scary ingredients you cant pronounce, you might want to put it back. Some labels also show you the total recommended daily allowances of nutrients for a 2,000-calorie diet. A desire to lose weight may be the main reason you pay attention to what you eat. But eating to promote good health should be a consideration as well. Labels can help. In 1993, the FDA required manufacturers to list saturated fat and cholesterol on nutrition labels. Now the bigger issue is trans fats. Studies show these trans fats sabotage good cholesterol and boost bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoproteins that clog arteries and cause heart disease. Theyre also suspected of playing a role in diabetes and cancer. code words to watch for in the labels ingredients list are partially hydrogenated. Trans fats are everywhere you find processed foods. Label Reading on the Run On your way home from work you stop at the grocery store to pick up dinner. Researching labels isnt a priority. You want to grab the goods and go. Heres a label-reading shortcut. First, ignore the sell on the front. Go straight to the back and look at %DV. According to the FDA, you should look for nutrients you want, such as fiber, to represent 20%DV or more, and nutrients you should limit, such as fat, to represent 5% or less. Next look at serving size. If youll eat twice that amount, then double the %DV numbers, or if youll eat half the amount, then halve the %DV numbers. Remember that DV is based on 2,000 calories a day. In general a diet containing 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day is what is recommend for most women trying to lose weight and a diet containing between 1,200 and 1,600 should be chosen for most men trying to lose weight. When youre in a hurry, maybe the best you can do is compare three brands of the same product, such as chili. Thankfully, manufacturers tend to standardize serving sizes. For chili, its 1 cup. So when you check the different brands for %DV its easy to see which packs more of the nutrients you want and less of those you dont want.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 08:49:42 +0000
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