Knowing the basics of reading food labels is vital to a healthy lifestyle. A food label is a nutrition label that is a necessity on the packaged foods in many countries. In the US, food labels disclose the necessary percentage of nutrients supplied in an average day of intake. The basis for this is the average diet consisting of 2,000 calories. The Daily Values information on food labels is one of the most important parts of the label. These are called, more specifically, the reference daily intake values, and these are based on recommendations from 1968. The purpose of the Daily Values information is to ensure that every person's gender and age requirements are met.
Limit Some Nutrients
On a food label, there will always be a section devoted to listing the food's proportions of total fat. This is one of the most important sections to read, because you need to keep your fat intake at no more than 78 grams per day. More specifically, you must limit your intake of saturated fat to 16 grams, your intake of trans fats to no more than 2 grams and your intake of cholesterol to no more than 300 milligrams. Keeping your total fat intake below these recommendations will help to keep your waistline trim and your heart healthy.
Sufficient Intake of Nutrients
Look for a section on the food label that refers to essential nutrients that you need every day. This section will be identifiable by its listing of nutrients like dietary fiber, protein, different kinds of vitamins, and iron. You should make it a point to ensure that you get 100 percent of all these vitamins and minerals that you require. Nutrients like dietary fiber help your bowel movements, and they also help your colon stay cleaned out. This reduces your chances of developing colon cancer later on in life. Getting enough iron in your diet is essential for your metabolism and your body's ability to transport oxygen. Getting enough protein is vital to the composition of each cell. Protein is also used by your body to both build and repair certain tissues. Chemicals in your body like hormones and enzymes are made from having a sufficient supply of protein. Look for foods that contain a good amount of nutrients for a healthy intake of what your body needs.
Daily Values
The daily values section of a food label allows you to eat more or less of certain nutrients in your food. This section of the food label is devoted to exposing the percentage amount of each nutrient relative to the advised daily amount. To eat fewer harmful substances like saturated fat, just choose foods with a lower percentage of its daily values, like less than five percent. To eat foods with more of a certain nutrient (like fiber), choose foods with a higher percentage of its daily values. 20 percent or more is considered high.
