Essay about Understanding Food Labels

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As cliché as this might sound, many of us have heard the term you are what you eat. It is very important to recognize that not all food contains the same calories and serving size. Also, the nutrients may vary from one product to another. Therefore, it is crucial for consumers to understand fool labels effectively as it has greater effects on one’s health.
Starting with the serving size, will indicate the number of calories one might consumes. In addition, the number of servings per package will determines the number of calories and other nutrients in the entire package. For example, if a can of tuna only contain 90 calories per serving, and there is 2 servings per can, that’s mean there is 180 calories in the can. These calories are the main dominators which measure the energy anyone gets through each serving. The more food we consume the more calories we gain. In addition to the total calories, one must pay attention to the number of calories from fat in each serving (FDA, 2012)
Contrarily, some nutrients are extremely healthy. Many fail to recognize its importance. These nutrients consist of different vitamins, such as, A and C, calcium, dietary fiber, iron, and protein. Unlike fat and cholesterol, increasing the intake level of these nutrients will promote a healthy diet and may decrease the risk of diseases. Similarly, the 5/20 rule could be applied here. However, if a product contains less than five percent of daily Value of good nutrient, such calcium, them this product is not a good source of vitamin. In fact, if a product contains 20 percent or more of calcium, then this product is an excellent source of calcium (FDA, 2012).
Finally, there are the Footnote and the Percent Daily Value. These two are one of the most important indicators on food labels. Footnotes are always the same on all products. It does not relate to any particular product, but serves as general information on the recommended daily dietary. This daily dietary is based on 2000 calories a day. However, it does collaborate with the recommended Daily Value. For example, if the Daily Value of Saturated fat is 20g, 20 being 100% of Daily Value, one must stay below the 20g recommended Daily Value and the percentage of Daily Value (FDA, 2012).
To understand how clearly Nutritional Food Labels works, I will provide three random items with their nutritional facts. I will also provide a brief examination of each item and its nutrients.

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