Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Updated : July 12, 2016 1:25 PM IST
The liking for ready-to-eat food calls for a look at the nutritional information of every packaged food that you eat. Why? Because the increasing cases of lifestyle diseases like heart disease, obesity and diabetes can be attributed to the excessive consumption of ready-to-eat foods. And since every other individual is concerned about either losing weight or maintaining cholesterol or keeping blood glucose under control, it's important to understand what the nutritional label has to say about the calories, proteins, fats and other essential nutrients like sodium, potassium, etc. Here are a few tips from our expert Ms Sonali Saxena, Senior Clinical Nutritionist, Fortis La Femme, GK-II, New Delhi to help you on how to check the nutritional label. Read more about ready-made diet snacks healthy or a marketing gimmick?
Serving size: The first and foremost thing, look at the serving size mentioned on the back of every pack. All the nutritional information listed on the label accounts for a particular serving size, which is 100 g in most cases. Hence, if you eat more than that, the overall caloric count increases, putting you at a risk of obesity and other conditions. Here's more on how packaged foods are silently killing you.
Fats: The next important thing to look out is the fat content in a serving. There are two types of cholesterol - 'Good cholesterol' or High-density lipoprotein (HDL) and 'bad cholesterol' comprising of triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). Hence, if you are buying a packaged food and want to keep your cholesterol in check, choose the ones that have no trans fat and are low in saturated fats. Because, trans fat and saturated fats increase the overall intake of bad cholesterol, whereas those with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) exert heart-healthy effects and aid in keeping your cholesterol in control.
Proteins: The daily recommended dose of protein is 0.8 gms of protein per kg body weight. Hence, carefully check the protein content of the packaged food before you start eating, as excessive intake of protein might further worsen chronic kidney disease (CKD). If you are suffering from CKD, then check with your nutritionist about your daily intake of protein and follow it correctly. Here's a list of 10 so-called healthy foods that are actually bad for you.
Electrolytes: The electrolytes that should be taken into consideration if you are suffering from CKD are potassium, phosphorus and sodium. Depending upon the condition, patients are recommended either potassium-free diet, low-potassium diet or high-potassium diet. Packaged foods containing less than 100 mg of potassium fall under low-potassium category and those with more than 300 mg of potassium are known to be high in potassium content.
Make it a habit to carefully read the nutritional label (and not just the brand or the price) before you pick any packaged food as making healthy food choices is the key to eating and living healthy.
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