Understanding Nutrition Labels - A Simpler Approach

3 Things to look for when reading Nutrition Labels

You’re at the supermarket fridge, and there’s 100 different varieties of yoghurt. Firstly, why are there 100 different varieties of yoghurt, and secondly, how do you read the label at the back to decide which one is better for you? If you find nutrition labels confusing, don’t get down on yourself because you are one of many who are scratching their heads over how to read them. Nutrition labels contain a lot of information and can be quite confusing, and in some cases, the ingredients mentioned on these labels can even be harmful to you and your family.

This article provides some tips that can make shopping for healthy food simpler. If you are aware of what you are looking for, you can make a healthy choice and avoid unnecessary saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and kilojoules.

While food labels can carry many different types of information, the main things to look at when choosing healthy food can be seen on the nutrition information panel. It is mandatory that labels on packaged food should meet strict requirements and information for people with food allergies should be provided. Food additive listings and food storage instructions are also given.

How to read a Food Label

At its very basic level, the information on the food label provides the expiry date, price, and net weight of the product. Busy working professionals, and those also involved in sport, the lack of time in a day, means food preparation needs to be simple and fast, and unless you know what you’re looking for, you may miss out vital information like added (and hidden) fats, sugars and salt. When you check the food label properly, you will be able to choose products to meet your health and fitness goals.

The Basics:

• Serving Size: Although figures usually show a single serving, serving sizes differ between manufacturers. The quantity is mentioned on the package and refer to the ‘Per 100g’ serving to compare against other products as each serving size differs.

• Unit of the ingredients: The quantity of each nutrient is expressed in grams or milligrams.

• Percent Daily Values: The percent daily values of a single serving differ for all people depending on body size and physical activity levels. Instead, follow the values of a particular ingredient per 100 grams. For example, the ideal daily intake of sodium per 100g should not exceed 120 mg grams.

What to look out for:

Sodium

Higher sodium levels can result in elevated blood pressure and other related cardiovascular issues, such as stroke. This is especially true for those over 50 years of age, as the walls of the blood vessels harden. For all people, the kidneys have difficulty in processing excess sodium in the bloodstream. This results in an increase in body fluid including blood, which creates an added load on the cardiovascular system, and may lead to hypertension.

Therefore, at a young age, it is advisable to consider lower levels of sodium in your daily diet, to prevent the onset of diseases, hypertension or stroke. When meal planning, your sodium intake should be limited to 1,600 mg sodium per day, which is the equivalent of about 0.75 teaspoons.

Sodium can be found in the following ingredients:

·       Monosodium glutamate (MSG)

·       Baking soda (also called sodium bicarbonate)

·       Baking powder

·       Disodium phosphate

·       Sodium alginate

·       Sodium citrate

·       Sodium nitrite

Alternative

There is a variety of foods marked as ‘low sodium’ available. You can also ensure low sodium intake by preferring fresh fruit and vegetables, to processed foods, as the potassium level is naturally higher and will counteract or help manage the effects of sodium intake. One of the first steps to reduce excess sodium is not to add extra table salt to your food at home.

One of the biggest culprits for high sodium intake is processed food, especially meats like bacon, deli meats, packet chips and biscuits. Cut down on these, and instead, opt for fresh lean meat, preferably white meat like chicken or fish instead of red meat, or vegetable protein such as beans, legumes, and tofu. Replace biscuits with fresh fruit or vegetables.

Sugar

Sugar is present in almost all food products. You can find it in soft drinks, fruit juices, sports drinks and almost all processed foods, even baby food. Excessive sugar impacts the metabolism, elevates blood pressure, interferes with hormone functioning, increases obesity and malnutrition. The key to healthier sugar intake is to minimize daily consumption and look for food labels that mention natural sugar. Other names for sugar include dextrose, fructose, glucose, honey, syrup, maple syrup, sucrose, malt, maltose, lactose, brown sugar, castor sugar, raw sugar.

Alternative

Avoid unnecessary sweet foods and drinks and opt for water in almost all cases. You will be surprised at the number of food and drink products that contain high levels of sugar.  Yogurt with fruit for instance, contains up to 19 grams of sugar per cup of yogurt. Instead opt for plain unsweetened yogurt and add some fresh fruit and/or some maple syrup or honey as a replacement for refined sugar.

Saturated Fat

This describes fat that is solid at room temperature. Saturated fat causes an increase in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol which results in heart disease and stroke. Foods include butter, cream, full-fat milk, cheese, meat, coconut milk, chips, cakes, biscuits and pastries and takeaway foods. The simplest way to reduce intake of saturated fats is to avoid them, however in reality this is not as easy to do. A healthier approach is to avoid consuming saturated fat 90% of the time. To further assist with reducing saturated fat intake, check the saturated fat content of the food you purchase. Ideally, saturated fat should make up less than 3g per 100g of a certain food.

Alternative

The more processed and take-away food you eat, the more saturated fat you are likely to consume. Try to stick to home-cooked meals as much as possible and add healthier fats such as avocados, tahini for spreads, nuts and seeds for extra protein and cook with olive oil. While shopping for ingredients for your family meals, try to buy natural products. Most products in packets include saturated fat, so check the nutrition label prior to purchase.  

For people who both work and lead a hectic executive lifestyle, ExecFuel can support you to create sustainable nutrition goals. If you are careful about what ingredients you put into your meal preparation, you and your family will be better off in the long-term. Start applying some of these small changes today!  

ExecFuel is specialized nutrition for Everyday Athletes and Busy People. If you need further support on how to create a healthier path for your future, visit https://www.execfuel.com.au for more detail on where to start.