Nutrition

Calculate Nutrition

Keeping track of the nutrition data of your food can be extremely important to someone who is looking to improve or maintain a particular diet. However, unless you’re exclusively eating food that is completely pre-packaged (which is not a great idea), it can be very hard to determine the nutritional value of your food. In order to keep track of your nutritional intake, then, it’s important to use other means to determine the nutritional value of your food.

1. Look at nutritional facts

Keep track of the nutrition data of the foods that you use to cook. If you’re combining a number of different foods while cooking, figure out the nutritional value of the food you use and add them together to make the correct value of all your foods. This is particularly important if you are trying to keep track of one type of nutrient, such as fat or iron. It is also important when combining nutrition data to be sure that you are using the correct serving sizes.

2. Research cooking

Cooking can sometimes change the nutritional value of the food you consume. Besides simple additions, like using cooking oils, cooking food can break down some nutrients, causing your body to absorb various aspects of the food differently. Similarly, cooking meats in certain ways can sometimes reduce the fat content by causing the fat to melt off. You may even research cooking utensils, since some people suggest that cooking in iron pots and pans can add iron to your nutrition data, while some Teflon pans can actually add toxins, reducing the nutritional quality of your food.

3. Research nutrition data

Many foods that you buy in stores will not have the nutrition data on them. This is particularly true for fresh fruits and vegetables, or for freshly baked breads and the like. In order to get an accurate idea of the nutrition data of the food you consume, do research into the average nutritional value of the foods you eat. The internet is chock full of nutrition data, and many grocery stores will have nutrition data on hand, even if it’s not displayed.

4. Refrain from condiments

Adding condiments such as salt, ketchup, mayonnaise, etc. to your food can throw off your nutritional calculations. The nutrition data of these foods is difficult to calculate because amounts are often so small that they seem negligible. Moreover, it’s easy to forget that these have been added, though they often have nutritional values that severely augment the negative aspects of your food.

Nutrition Guide

When you pick up a pack of Skittles at the local convenience store, it is likely that you are not thinking about the nutritional facts in the nutrition guide the side of the pack. This nutrition guide is placed on food to provide a quick, informed summary of what you are ingesting. It may seen like common sense to know what you eat, but looking at the nutritional guide is often forgotten by consumers.

The information included in the nutrition guide include most if not all of the nutritional facts that one would need regarding the food product. Being conscious about this nutrition guide can help you control your calorie, fat, sodium or sugar intake, enabling you to follow all of the nutritional facts of the foods you are eating. This can be particularly useful when on a diet or when you are watching what you eat.

The truth is, however, that many consumers do not read the nutritional facts in the nutrition guide, and many more do not fully understand every thing that is listed. It is important to understand each section of the nutrition guide, as the label is nearly universal in its format, as well as the specific nutritional facts listed. The rest of this article will break down all of the nutritional facts listed on this label.

1. The Serving Size

This part of the nutrition guide is the first thing you see. This section lists the serving size and the number of servings in each package. All serving sizes use standardized measuring systems to allow easy comparison of other foods. Always pay attention to the serving size, as it is often a recommendation of how much you should eat. For example, if one serving of Pringles is 12 chips, do not finish the whole can!

2. Calories (and calories from fat)

This section of the nutrition guide lists the amount of calories per serving. Calories measure how much energy you will get from each serving. You should note the calories from fat section, as these calories are much more harmful to your body. For one serving, a low calorie count is approximately 50; a high calorie count is 400 or more. Be aware of this section, as eating too many calories is directly linked to gaining excess weight.

3. Nutrients

This part of the nutrition guide shows how many nutrients are consumed with each serving. There are typically two sections, one section of nutrients to limit (such as cholesterol and sodium) and one section of nutrients to aim for (vitamins or calcium, for example). Most Americans consume too much of the top section and not enough of the bottom section of nutrients. These nutritional facts can be used not only to limit bad nutrients, but to increase nutrients that help your health.

4. The Percent Daily Value (%DV)

The % Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Following this section of the nutrition guide is subjective — if you are trying to gain weight, you will likely eat more then 2,000 calories a day as an adult. Conversely, an individual who is dieting will eat less than the recommended 2,000 calories a day. This section of nutritional facts assists you in determining whether the serving of food is high or low in a particular nutrient. The percentage that you see on the label is the percentage of that particular nutrient, recommended for an adult on a 2,000 calorie diet, daily.