8 Ways to Read Nutritional Value Information Labels on Food Packaging
Alias nutritional value information nutrition facts is a label that is usually on a food packaging, containing information on the nutritional content of the food. The nutritional value information label is useful for your consideration as a consumer to buy an item. The information listed is very useful for someone with certain medical conditions or someone who is limiting the amount of calorie intake. This information is very necessary to find out the nutrition of the products that you will buy and consume.
But if you are confused by all the information listed on the label, what is the most important thing to pay attention to in reading the nutrition label?
1. Number of servings per package
One food package (one packet or one box) usually has more than one serving. The number of servings per package shows the number of serving sizes contained in one food package. For example, a packaged food has the description “8 servings per package”, which means that each one package can be divided into 8 servings or can be consumed 8 times with each consumption frequency consuming one serving.
Well, what you need to know is, each nutritional value information label represents the nutritional content for one serving, not one package. If you eat two packets of one serving per pack, you will get twice the amount of nutrients listed on the nutritional value information label. Therefore, you need to pay attention to how much the nutritional content of packaged food is, and compare it with the amount you eat.
2. Total calories per serving
Total calories show how much energy you will get from each serving of food. The more servings you eat, the greater the number of calories you will get. Writing calories is usually accompanied by calories from fat that are calculated separately, because it does not include total calories.
For example, one packet of macaroni and cheese has 250 calories per glass, and 110 calories from fat. So, if you eat two glasses, you get 500 calories, plus 220 calories from fat.
Daily calories usually refer to the number of calories needed per day or as large as 2000 calories. The FDA classifies the calorie content in the package as follows:
- Low, if the calorie level is close to or around 40
- Moderate, if the calorie level is close to or around 100
- High, if the calorie level is close to or around 400
3. Nutritional Adequacy Rate (RDA)
The RDA, or what is sometimes written as Daily Values (DV), refers to the average daily energy requirement of 2000 calories. RDA shows the amount of nutritional content both in units of weight such as milligrams (mg) or grams (gr), as well as a presentation in the form of a percentage (%) RDA.
Each nutrient has a recommendation for the amount of daily consumption of each, while the RDA percentage is obtained based on the proportion of nutritional content in the serving, compared to the recommended amount of daily consumption. Daily nutritional needs are said to be met if the% RDA of these nutrients reaches 100%.
4. Nutritional content that must be limited
Some of the ingredients that must be limited from the consumption of packaged foods are saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and salt (sodium / sodium). This nutrient content is usually easily fulfilled from various types of food. If in excess, it will increase the risk of various chronic diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, and cancer.
Therefore, look for packaged foods whose nutritional content is not good for less than 5% RDA. Keep in mind, some nutrients such as saturated fat or trans fat do not have a% RDA, so limit your intake to less than 20 grams per day.
5. Nutritional content that must be met
Several nutrients such as vitamins, protein, minerals, and fiber are needed to maintain a daily nutritional balance, preventing various diseases and health problems. For example, meeting the RDA for calcium can prevent bone loss, iron (iron) can prevent anemia, and vitamin C is needed to strengthen the body’s immunity.
Therefore, to meet these nutritional needs, choose packaged foods / drinks with a nutritional adequacy label of around 20% RDA or more.
6. Additional nutritional content
Carbohydrates and sugars, fructose and sucrose are additional nutrients and are not needed in large quantities because the body can easily meet the daily needs of these nutrients. For example, carbohydrates can be met from sugar, fibrous vegetables, whole grains, and rice, while fructose and sucrose can be obtained from consumption of fruits.
7. Also pay attention to the list of food ingredients
Foods that are made from more than one food ingredient usually have a list of compositions, and in general, a list of compositions is ordered from the highest to the least amount.
The composition level also usually lists food ingredients that have their own nutritional content. For example, if you want to reduce sugar consumption, also avoid foods that use artificial sweeteners or added sugars such as aspartame and aspartame corn syrup.
8. Compare the nutritional value information labels between the two food products
If you are confused about choosing between two packaged foods, both the type and the brand, you can compare the nutritional content on the food label. This aims to identify differences in the levels of nutritional intake in a product, which one is higher or lower.
For example, a food may have the same levels and% RDA of minerals, but have different fat and calorie content. By comparing them, you can find the calorie count that suits you better.
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