Food nutrition labels are almost unintelligible for most people. It is an unfortunate fact considering that this little label contains all of the information we need to calculate how much we are eating of what we need and what we need to cut back on.
What is serving size? This represents the amount that the average person should consume at one time. All of the nutrition facts after this are based on the portion of the serving size. When comparing two foods that are similar, such as two different brands of cereal, the serving size is usually the same, making it easier to compare nutrition facts to determine which cereal you need more.
The percent of daily value shows how much of each nutrient is in the serving size of the food you are eating. Each person should consume 100% of each nutrient, vitamin and mineral to stay healthy. That percentage is based on a diet of 2000 calories each day, which is the amount that an average adult should be eating.
The nutrients listed in the center of the label indicate vital nutrients that the average adult must eat every day to stay healthy. Some of the vital nutrients are sodium, fats, and protein. When you keep track of the amount of each nutrient you eat each day, you can make sure that you are eating 100 percent of the recommended daily value.
The vitamins and minerals section appears below the protein information and helps you to calculate how much vitamins and minerals a serving of the food item contains. This will help you to achieve 100% of your daily value needed to function properly.
Once you understand how to interpret a food nutrition label, you will be able to calculate how much vitamins, minerals and nutrients you are consuming on a daily basis and can adjust your intake accordingly to achieve optimum health. Not getting enough of a certain vitamin or mineral can, in time, cause a variety of ailments that arise due to deficiencies.
Kansas or Kentucky families or individuals earning a low income might be eligible to receive food stamps in Kansas, or Kentucky food stamps.