Do You Overlook Nutrition Labels?
To eat healthy you must know the rules. The first one is to grab what is healthy and eat it. However, a lot of us do not know what actually is healthy, because a lot of us do not even bother to look at what we are eating. A full stomach is the only thing we desire out of our eating. Eating is good but knowing what you are eating is better. By this, we mean the actual ingredients in the food you’re eating. You do not know what might be going into you or what consequences you might have to face eating something.
Knowing your food means that you know how much calories that particular food would provide you. How much fat, carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins does the food have to offer you? A lot of us fail to take a look at the product which we are consuming. Why is it important to look at the nutrition table? If you are unable to figure out the answer, ask yourself what harm can looking at the nutrition label cause. Well none at all! When you see the nutritional value of the food that you are eating you actually get to know the amount of calories you might be consuming. Maybe you require less carbohydrates and more of proteins and vitamins. Not looking at the label might cause you to consume more carbs instead, so who is at loss? Obviously you, who else?
A journal published in the American Dietetic Association covered a study which said that people do not pay any attention to the nutrition label printed on the products. Now that is not good at all! The study also showed that even though people think that they have read the label, they still do not pay closer attention. The reason might not be only the ignorance of us as consumers, but the positioning of the label also affects the amount of attention we pay. If it is positioned in a right way, it might grab attention from the buyers. The study also showed that only one third of the buyers under consideration for the study looked at the calorie content and the amount of fat present in the products while buying. One fourth checked on the sugar contents and the size of the serving, while one fifth only looked at the Trans fat.
If the nutrition table is positioned on the product in such a way that it is easy to see and also read then the buyers might pay a little more attention. The Institute of Medicine has thus recommended a new system of labeling the products so as to grab the attention of the consumer thus encouraging them to read the nutritious value of what they are buying. According to it information about calories, serving size, fat, sodium and sugar would be written in front of the package while vitamins, fiber, minerals and protein would be provided at the back of the package.
Checklist for Healthy Nutrition on Labels
Make sure potassium is on the label and in your diet as it is one nutrient we cannot survive without, potassium keeps our heart healthy and beating. As we increase the intake of potassium, it helps us in lowering the blood pressure. Another important nutrient is fiber which prevents us from constipation and keeps our digestive system working properly, and reduces cholesterol levels. Calcium is a nutrient that keeps our bones working, that helps in our blood clot. Calcium is needed by our bodies to function properly as if we do not consume right amount of calcium, our bones would be weak.
