Label reading and food safety
I found an interactive label on health Canada's website, you can highlight the most important nutrition facts for more information!
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/cons/index-eng.php
some general information
Calories:
calories are the amount of energy that found in food, fats, carbohydrates, and protein are sources of calories
Fat:
fat is a source of energy for your body, your body needs fat but try to choose foods with unsaturated fats rather than foods with saturated and trans fat.
Saturated fat:
this is a fat that is found in some foods, try to avoid foods with high levels of saturated fat, this type of fat is not good for your health
Trans fat:
trans fat is a type of fat found in processed foods. Trans fats are man made and they do not benefit your health, this type of fat should be avoided.
Sodium:
sodium is the amount of salt that is contained in food, although we need some salt in our diets to maintain the balance in our bodies, most adults consume much more than is needed! Salt should be consumed in moderation, the recommended amount of salt that an adult should consume in one day is about 2300 mg (1 teaspoon) or less per day.
Carbohydrate:
Carbohydrates are starches and are the bodies main source of energy, consuming carbohydrates is an important part of balanced meals.
Fibre:
is a complex carbohydrate and can be "soluble" or "insoluble" both are good! but soluble fibre (found in vegetables and fruit, as well as some nuts and seeds) is especially good for lowering cholesterol!
sugars:
sugars are a type of carbohydrate and also give your body energy. look for foods with naturally occurring sugar, rather than foods with added sugar. Too much sugar (especially added and processed sugar) in your diet can cause excess fat storage and lead to increased health risks.
Protein:
proteins are what help your body build and repair tissue damage (like after going to the gym), proteins are also a good source of energy and you should choose food items that are high in protein.
I have attached some resources at the bottom of this page that can help you understand nutrition labels and help you use them!
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/label-etiquet/nutrition/cons/index-eng.php
some general information
Calories:
calories are the amount of energy that found in food, fats, carbohydrates, and protein are sources of calories
Fat:
fat is a source of energy for your body, your body needs fat but try to choose foods with unsaturated fats rather than foods with saturated and trans fat.
Saturated fat:
this is a fat that is found in some foods, try to avoid foods with high levels of saturated fat, this type of fat is not good for your health
Trans fat:
trans fat is a type of fat found in processed foods. Trans fats are man made and they do not benefit your health, this type of fat should be avoided.
Sodium:
sodium is the amount of salt that is contained in food, although we need some salt in our diets to maintain the balance in our bodies, most adults consume much more than is needed! Salt should be consumed in moderation, the recommended amount of salt that an adult should consume in one day is about 2300 mg (1 teaspoon) or less per day.
Carbohydrate:
Carbohydrates are starches and are the bodies main source of energy, consuming carbohydrates is an important part of balanced meals.
Fibre:
is a complex carbohydrate and can be "soluble" or "insoluble" both are good! but soluble fibre (found in vegetables and fruit, as well as some nuts and seeds) is especially good for lowering cholesterol!
sugars:
sugars are a type of carbohydrate and also give your body energy. look for foods with naturally occurring sugar, rather than foods with added sugar. Too much sugar (especially added and processed sugar) in your diet can cause excess fat storage and lead to increased health risks.
Protein:
proteins are what help your body build and repair tissue damage (like after going to the gym), proteins are also a good source of energy and you should choose food items that are high in protein.
I have attached some resources at the bottom of this page that can help you understand nutrition labels and help you use them!
looking at ingredients
one way to tell that a food item is probably not the healthiest is by looking at the list of ingredients! Have you ever noticed long lists of ingredients with fancy chemical names that you can't even pronounce? These foods are likely to be highly processed and will not do very much for your health. some ingredients to watch out for are:
Glucose-fructose:
this is a fancy name for high-fructose corn syrup, this is an additive to processed foods and beverages that makes them sweeter, it is a cheaper alternative to sugar and should be avoided, opt for 100% juice drinks instead of juice sweetened with glucose-fructose.
Sodium: sodium means salt, sodium is often added during food processing to enhance flavor and as a preservative to increase shelf-life
MSG (mono sodium glutamate):
this is a flavouring agent, it is added to processed and some cooked food to enhance flavour.
Aspartame:
this chemical is added to artificially sweetened beverages and foods, as well as some chewing gum products.
Glucose-fructose:
this is a fancy name for high-fructose corn syrup, this is an additive to processed foods and beverages that makes them sweeter, it is a cheaper alternative to sugar and should be avoided, opt for 100% juice drinks instead of juice sweetened with glucose-fructose.
Sodium: sodium means salt, sodium is often added during food processing to enhance flavor and as a preservative to increase shelf-life
MSG (mono sodium glutamate):
this is a flavouring agent, it is added to processed and some cooked food to enhance flavour.
Aspartame:
this chemical is added to artificially sweetened beverages and foods, as well as some chewing gum products.
Food Safety
making sure your food is safe to eat is important! the last thing that anybody wants is to come down with food poisoning!
here are some tips to make sure you are making, packaging, and storing your food safely!
1. HAND HYGIENE: always wash your hands before you handle food
2. CHECK: expiry dates on food products (expiry dates are usually in month, date, year format)
3. COOK: food thoroughly, and serve right a
4. STORE: food safely (bacteria grow best at room temperature)
5. DEFROST: under cold running water, or in the fridge, and always make sure raw meat, or defrosting products are on the BOTTOM shelf so they don't leak onto other foods
I attached a website that has so many resources for food safety including food handling, food storage, safe barbecue and lots more!!
here are some tips to make sure you are making, packaging, and storing your food safely!
1. HAND HYGIENE: always wash your hands before you handle food
2. CHECK: expiry dates on food products (expiry dates are usually in month, date, year format)
3. COOK: food thoroughly, and serve right a
4. STORE: food safely (bacteria grow best at room temperature)
5. DEFROST: under cold running water, or in the fridge, and always make sure raw meat, or defrosting products are on the BOTTOM shelf so they don't leak onto other foods
I attached a website that has so many resources for food safety including food handling, food storage, safe barbecue and lots more!!