READING FOOD LABELS

WHY READ LABELS? It is important to know exactly where ingredients come from and if anything has been added to them, even when we buy raw ingredients like meat, fish fruit and veggies.

HOW DO WE READ LABELS?, WHERE DO WE START?

SERVING SIZE It’s important to know how many servings are in your food item first. Portion control is really important when it comes to ensuring that you are not over-eating so it’s worth knowing how much of the item you should eat.

CALORIES This is the one that most people read on food labels and you can often tell straight away if this is a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ food by the number of calories it contains.

FATS Usually we see a whole list of different fats. Why? Because some of these are ‘good’ natural fats, which are heart-healthy, while others are ‘bad’ fats manufactured or added during processing. Bad fats : Saturated fats, trans fats. Good fats : Polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats. Choosing food that’s higher in ‘good’ fats is always preferable.

CHOLESTEROL AND SODIUM Low-cholesterol foods, on the whole, are usually best, so if there is a high cholesterol content on the label, it’s usually best to avoid it. Foods with a low salt content are always preferable as an excess of sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.

CARBOHYDRATES AND SUGARS People have start to see them as ‘the bad guy’ of weight gain where once it was fat. However, we need carbs for energy and to fuel our mind and body so cutting them out altogether isn’t advisable. While many foods contain natural sugars (such as fruit), many processed foods have sugar added. Sugar can affect our insulin levels and can cause weight gain so must be monitored carefully.

PROTEIN AND VITAMINS Protein is vital for the growth and building of muscle, bone, blood and internal organs so getting your daily portion is important. This is where the good stuff is! Calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and all the vitamins are contained in this section and the longer the list, the better.