Food labels - a vital friend in the fight for easy weight loss

It is very easy to under estimate the benefits of the information found on food labels these days, and it certainly pays to understand the basic concept behind this idea, as it is a very simple way to understand both the good and the bad of the food that we eat.

With food labels you can clearly understand the amount and kinds of nutrients provided in the food that you buy.Usually it contains information on sugars, fat, saturates and salt (sodium) and possibly cholesterol as well. This can be specified in either information per serving (say 45 grams) or per 100 grams, either in the form of "traffic light labelling" or % of the Guideline Daily Amounts for adults.

It is natural when you first being to look at the various labelling techniques to become easily confused about how much a normal serving should consist of, how much is in 100 grams, or indeed the different styles of label. You will find that supermarket chains stick to one form of labelling or the other on a consistent basis, but it doesnt make it any easier for the consumer if you are in the habit of visiting various different stores.

At the start you will probably be very surprised by how different you think a normal serving should be compared to what is stated on the label.Obviously you cannot measure every morsel that passes your lips, but it is a good idea to measure more foods and beverages until you get a feel for portion sizes - most people are surprised to find that their idea of a single serving in actually two or three.The only tools you really need are a simple and inexpensive gram scale, dry and liquid measuring cups and an idea on reading food labels.

To have a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of the items stated on the label, here is a list of things you need to know:-

1.Traffic Light Labelling

Consists of a chart in three colors - red orange and green.

Shows sugars, fat, saturates and salt per 100 grams.

Shows what content is high (red)- Take care - should be eaten in moderation - possibly infrequently and not on a daily basis. Maybe a treat?
Be aware how often you chose these foods.
Eat in smaller portions.

Shows medium content (orange) - Will not be particularly beneficial but neither will it cause any problems.
Can you change from orange to green?

Shows low content (green) - Beneficial content. Always look for labels showing much more green than the other colors.
The more green the healthier the product.

This is very easy guide, and with very little practice you will soon be able to pick out the healthiest and most beneficial foods without too much difficulty.

2.Guideline Daily Amounts

Slightly more difficult to follow and usually shows the % GDA per serving and per 100 grams.Usually shows calories, total sugars,fat, saturates, salt and fiber.

Both systems can also show energy (kJ), protein, carbohydrates and vitamin and iron content.

All very useful for watching your weight and helping you to assess whether to buy or not!

3..Serving size

Tha amount shown on the label refers to the quantity of food people usually consume.It might not, however, reflect your own food intake, and say you ate a pack equivalent to 4 servings and the lable say 250 calories per serving then you would have eaten 1000 calories!

You do need to understand quickly portion sizes!

4.Ingredients

This refers to the list of ingredients used to manufacture the product.
Usually arranged by weight or % of total from the largest to the smallest.
This simply means that the actual quantity of the food includes the biggest of the main ingredient (or the first item) and the minimum amount of the very last ingredient

You must also be aware of the nutritional claims made on labels.
For instance, if a product says it is sodium-free, it has less than 5 milligrams per serving of salt, or a low fat product actually contains 3 grams of fat or less per serving.

It is understandable that reading food labels can initially be time consuming, tedious and confusing.
Nevertheless, once you get the hang of it you will be able to regulate your diet with confidence, as you will control the amount of food you eat.

Dont, however, forget to watch the drinks as well, as these can be very high in sugars, and these labels need to be read and actioned just as much as the food labels.

You will find the effort is well worth it.