Posted by Unknown at 11:08
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Yesterday I had someone on Facebook ask about reading nutritional labels. While I'm no expert, I've compiled a list of what are the most important sections for me and my diet. I'm not a nutritionist so everything I've found out is just what works for me!
1. Serving Size: In my opinion, this is the most important part of the nutritional information and also the most tricky to understand. Usually when you look at the label, the first thing you check out is the calories. This is important too, which I'll talk about next. But the serving size is important to wrap your head around. In this case, the serving size is 20 crackers or 20 grams. Remember that 20 grams is really not all that much. Compare the serving size to the total amount for the package and use this to get an idea of just how many calories are in the whole package and if it's really worth it. 'Healthy' snacks try to reel you in by giving a low calorie count for a small amount of food. Example: In this case, there are 80 calories in 20 grams, however for 20 grams of All Dressed Ruffles chips, there are only 108 calories! You get more chips for these because they weigh less, but it's good to put into perspective.
Another tip: It's waaaaay more accurate to weigh serving sizes rather than use the '20 crackers' estimate.
2. Calories: This is the second most important label when counting calories (obviously). It gives you the total calorie count for the serving size. Remember that this is for only a portion of the package unless the serving size is for the entire thing.
3. Fat: This section and it's subsections are also important, though to me, less important than others. 0 grams trans fat is what you are striving for, and for me, the lower the fat the better!
4. Sodium: The amounts for sodium always look scarily high, but remember these are given in milligrams, not grams! Sodium intake is important to monitor because too much sodium can lead to many health issues like heart disease and stroke. For weight loss, too much sodium leads to water retention.
5. Carbohydrates: When watching your carb intake, this is of course another important label! Remember that breads, pastas, and rice are all high in carbs so these numbers will be higher. However this number is for the serving size amount as well, so a high carb number on the label isn't necessarily bad, as long as you monitor your carbs and lower them in other foods - or have a smaller serving!
6. Sugar: This is the part of the label that I've been paying closer attention to lately. I'm watching my sugar intake, and currently my limit is at 24 grams. This particular label has 0 grams of sugar in it, but there are some with upwards of 20 grams per serving! Yikes! Treats like pudding, yogurt, ice cream, etc. are all high in sugars. Sugar is not horrible for you, and naturally occuring sugars in things like fruit are an important part of a balanced diet. I know myself that after a few low sugar days I feel very tired and blah - usually something a pudding cup can fix!
7. Protein: Protein is so important for weight loss, fitness, and a balanced diet. Typically the recommended protein intake for women is 46 grams/day and 56 grams/day for men. This is before any exercise like cardio or strength training. Exercise increases your intake levels for the day, and protein is important to feed your muscles, preserving muscle mass and increasing with losing fat - just what we want!
8. Ingredients: This is a section I often overlook, but there are a lot of people who have ingredients they like to steer away from or have to avoid entirely. Remember to check your ingredient list if you have any intolerances or allergies!
1. Serving Size: In my opinion, this is the most important part of the nutritional information and also the most tricky to understand. Usually when you look at the label, the first thing you check out is the calories. This is important too, which I'll talk about next. But the serving size is important to wrap your head around. In this case, the serving size is 20 crackers or 20 grams. Remember that 20 grams is really not all that much. Compare the serving size to the total amount for the package and use this to get an idea of just how many calories are in the whole package and if it's really worth it. 'Healthy' snacks try to reel you in by giving a low calorie count for a small amount of food. Example: In this case, there are 80 calories in 20 grams, however for 20 grams of All Dressed Ruffles chips, there are only 108 calories! You get more chips for these because they weigh less, but it's good to put into perspective.
Another tip: It's waaaaay more accurate to weigh serving sizes rather than use the '20 crackers' estimate.
2. Calories: This is the second most important label when counting calories (obviously). It gives you the total calorie count for the serving size. Remember that this is for only a portion of the package unless the serving size is for the entire thing.
3. Fat: This section and it's subsections are also important, though to me, less important than others. 0 grams trans fat is what you are striving for, and for me, the lower the fat the better!
4. Sodium: The amounts for sodium always look scarily high, but remember these are given in milligrams, not grams! Sodium intake is important to monitor because too much sodium can lead to many health issues like heart disease and stroke. For weight loss, too much sodium leads to water retention.
5. Carbohydrates: When watching your carb intake, this is of course another important label! Remember that breads, pastas, and rice are all high in carbs so these numbers will be higher. However this number is for the serving size amount as well, so a high carb number on the label isn't necessarily bad, as long as you monitor your carbs and lower them in other foods - or have a smaller serving!
6. Sugar: This is the part of the label that I've been paying closer attention to lately. I'm watching my sugar intake, and currently my limit is at 24 grams. This particular label has 0 grams of sugar in it, but there are some with upwards of 20 grams per serving! Yikes! Treats like pudding, yogurt, ice cream, etc. are all high in sugars. Sugar is not horrible for you, and naturally occuring sugars in things like fruit are an important part of a balanced diet. I know myself that after a few low sugar days I feel very tired and blah - usually something a pudding cup can fix!
7. Protein: Protein is so important for weight loss, fitness, and a balanced diet. Typically the recommended protein intake for women is 46 grams/day and 56 grams/day for men. This is before any exercise like cardio or strength training. Exercise increases your intake levels for the day, and protein is important to feed your muscles, preserving muscle mass and increasing with losing fat - just what we want!
8. Ingredients: This is a section I often overlook, but there are a lot of people who have ingredients they like to steer away from or have to avoid entirely. Remember to check your ingredient list if you have any intolerances or allergies!
hahahahahah craquelins.
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