First a question – when shopping in the pantry, do you ever look at the nutrition labels?
If yes, great job! Reading and understanding nutrition labels are very important. If no, don’t worry, we are here to give you an overview and what to look for when reading nutrition labels.
So, what is a nutrition label? A nutrition label is a label that is located on the packaging of a food item. The label breaks down the amount of calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, protein, and vitamins per serving of the food.
Reading the nutrition labels are important when shopping for food in the pantry because it gives you an overview of the nutrition product you may consume. Nutrition labels are a great resource when trying to compare the nutritional components of similar products.
What are the components of a nutrition label? A nutrition label houses a ton of information. Certain information is easier to understand than others. The main components of a nutrition label are serving size, calories, carbohydrates, proteins, and fat.
- Serving size: a serving size is a set, measured amount of food on a label. The serving size will tell you the amounts of nutrients in that one serving. If you eat more than what that serving is on the box, you will consume higher amounts of nutrients.
- Calories: the calorie section of the food label tells you how many calories are in one serving size of that product. An average person needs about 2,000 calories daily. The section is good to use to determine if the product is nutrient dense or not.
- Carbohydrates: a carbohydrate is a sugar molecule. Your body uses carbohydrates as the main energy source. We need carbohydrates to function, however, many times we eat a diet of too many carbohydrates. A good rule of thumb to remember is to eat about 15 grams of carbohydrates for snacks and about 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per meal.
- Protein: Protein is another nutrient your body utilizes. Protein helps build muscles and repair cells. the amount of protein someone needs per day is different for every person, however, most people need around 75 to 100 grams a day.
- Fat: Your body also utilizes fat! Fat can be used for energy, however, it is mainly used to absorb essential vitamins that we need. We usually eat more fat than we need, so be mindful and choose products with a lower fat amount.
- Sodium: As Americans, many of us eat way too much sodium. However, we do still need smaller amounts of sodium. Sodium helps your muscles properly work and aids in hydration of your body. You only need about 2,300 mg per day. A good tool to remember is to use the daily value percent. 5% or less of sodium is considered low, while 20% DV or more of sodium is considered high. Eating too much sodium for a long period of time can lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure makes the heart work too hard and leads to other health problems in the future.
This was a quick overview of a nutrition label. Next time you are shopping in the pantry, flip your items over and check out the nutritional content! If you have questions, head over to https://www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/how-understand-and-use-nutrition-facts-label.
A very informative and useful blog. Thank you for breaking down the information and explaining its purpose.