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Food Facts Listed On Food Labels
By Julia Taylor-Fernandez
Food facts on labels of food products, may not contain all the
nutritional information you need, to make an informed decision.
Some labels do not state all the ingredients and additives included
in your food products.
Some of these ingredients may be dangerous to your health and
you may not know that these ingredients are included in the food
products you purchase at your local food store.
A Dietitian Can Help You Meet Your Nutrition Requirements
For example, you may be allergic to wheat. You need to review
your options and see your medical doctor for a referral to a dietitian,
who will inform you how to purchase products that do not include
wheat and which foods to avoid. You may be given a list of wheat
free food. So now you know how to buy wheat free food without
needing to look at the food facts on all your food products.
You may notice the range of healthy food in your average food
store is rather limited and some of the labels do not contain
all the food facts you need, to make an informed decision on your
food purchases. Your best option is to go to a health food store
and find the healthy food you need to maintain your health.
Reading Food Labels On Every Food Product
If you have a medical condition with dietary restrictions, you
probably check the food label for the amount of sodium, or carbs
and such. Even if you’re perfectly healthy, you may think you’ll
stay that way by reading the food labels. Inspecting every food
label can get time consuming. The problem is that these food fact
labels don’t tell you much at all.
For example, people with severe allergies are well advised to
not eat processed or prepared foods. Why? Although recent legislation
required that processed and prepared foods must list known allergens,
this list is not comprehensive.
In other words, that food may contain an allergen that will sicken
you. As for additives, the food fact label does include these,
but who knows what all those chemicals are or do?
Knowing About The Nutritional Value Of Your Food
If you really want to get a handle on a healthy diet, you need
to become more familiar with the foods you eat. Of what nutritional
value is a potato? Mushrooms? Fish? Is one variety better than
another? What does potassium do for your health? There’s one easy
way to find out. Get a good food facts reference book.
There are many good books, written mainly by nutritionists and
nutrition researchers. You’ll find a variety of formats and presentations.
Choose one which is organized in a manner that’s easy for you
to use. Almost all such food fact reference books are written
in layman’s language – you don’t have to be a scientist to understand
the material.
You’re best off getting the newest publications, especially if
you’re interested in the latest research findings on various foods.
Selenium In Mushrooms
In addition to giving a complete rundown on the nutritional content,
such books explain the health benefits of each food. Did you know
that mushrooms are a rich source of selenium, a trace mineral
in which many older people are deficient?
Some of these books also include information on culinary herbs
and spices which have medicinal benefits as well. For example,
turmeric, a main component of the so-called curry mixtures, is
of great benefit to the digestive system and may also help lower
blood sugar. Rosemary has terrific benefits to your cardiovascular
system, as does cayenne.
On top of all of this useful information, food fact references
provide information on choosing, cooking and storing foods, along
with tips on retaining nutrients when you prepare these foods.
Food Additives In Food
If you really want to know what you’re eating, it’s recommended
that you also get a food additives reference book to add to your
knowledge. These books list most, if not all, of the additives
used in processed and prepared foods, with a brief description
of its known effects.
Knowing your food facts is not as easy as reading the food labels.
Your health will benefit from your education in just what you
are eating.
Shopping For Food To Suit Your Dietary Requirements
Having access to information about nutrition and additives in
food can help you find the food that will help you maintain your
health. But to find out about the best food to suit your nutritional
requirements, you may need to change your shopping habits to ensure
you do not suffer adverse health consequences.
For example, if you have an allergy to nuts and you know many
foods at the food store contain nuts and traces of nuts, then
you may avoid going to the food store altogether and go to health
food store instead.
Discussing Your Food Requirements With A Dietitian
Your best solution, would be to discuss your food requirements
with a dietitian who will advise you on the best food to suit
your dietary requirements and then you can buy the food as recommended
by the dietitian.
You can then go to a health food store and find the healthy food
you need. Staff will be able to show you products specifically
made for people with your requirements. For example, there are
nut free, low carb, sugar free and wheat free food products. If
you are allergic to wheat, then you will need to look for wheat
free products.
This is why you need to buy food from a reliable source as not
all food facts are on the food labels of food products.
About the Author:
Julia Taylor-Fernandez has written a number of articles on dieting, nutrition and cooking including
General Nutrition,
Meal Plans,
Teapot Cake,
Low Carb Cheese Cake,
Fresh Fruit,
Nutritional Information,
Healthy Appetizers,
Low Carb Dinners,
Health Food Store.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles on this website.
Did You Know?
We are a nation obsessed with finding ways to become healthier.
From hair to nails, the herbal product market is growing larger
daily. Herbal supplements can be purchased in pharmacies and even
the local supermarket.
Nutritional supplements offer more than just a new trend in finding
a healthier lifestyle. They represent ways to implement additional
vitamins and nutrients and in a fast food world, we need ever
little bit we can get.
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