How do I read food labels?
Hey there! I am completely new to this about healthy diets but Im trying hard to learn. And I would appreciate some help on how to read food labels. I am happy with my weight and my goal by eating healthy is to get more energy, build more muscles, better immune system, sleep better, live longer and so on. What I wanna do is basically only to eat lot of vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, fish and chicken, beans. I guess I am trying to avoid too much sautered fats, trans fats, cholestorol, too much sugars and sodium.
What I dont get is how to read food labels. For example, if you look at pringles it has 12% (8 g) Fats of which 10% (2g) is sautered fats. So my first question and i feel stupid asking it.
1. 2g does not equal 10% out of the total of 8g which is fat. 2g of sautered fats out of the total of 8g of fats equals 25% and not 10%. What am I getting wrong?
2. The 12% fat, 0% cholestorol and 6% Sodium in Pringles doesn't sound like a lot to me. I understand that it is called "empty calories" because it has barely no minerals or nutrients. But how can I by the food label tell that it is bad and not just "neutral" as it seems to me now? Or am i simply wrong? Is 6% sodium and 12% fat considered a lot?
3. In the products that i buy i rarely see products that has more than 18% sautered fats. So I wonder, how much sautered fats is considered to be a lot in a product? To me most products in the food store seems great when it comes to sautered fat.
4. I have some sunflower seeds here and it says Total fat 13g 20%. Sautered fats 1,5g 8%. Trans fat 0g. What kind of fat is the other 11,5g and why don't they write it on the label?
5. I understand that theres a debate on which kinds of food you should eat and whats considered healthy. But am I generelly correct if i want to be more healthy by avoiding products which has a lot of sautered fats, trans fats, sugar, cholestorol and sodium?
I realize that it is me who lack the knowledge in this and thats why im embarassed to ask these basic questions. But for so far the food labels just doesnt make sense and the unhealthy food just doesnt seem so bad to me by looking at the food label.
Thanks in advance.
Last edited by Hansen88a; 11-19-2013 at 08:18 AM.
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