How many of us actually pay attention to labels when shopping for groceries and other food items? Typically we scan the brand, price and if we have an extra second, we glance at the expiry date. The nutrition sticker, however, usually goes unnoticed.
All foods have nutrition stickers on them, some detailed, others basic but more often than not we skip looking at them. Or even if we do, the jargon confuses most of us.
But the fact is that, so many of us buy and eat foods out of packet and cans these days that it is absolutely essential to get ‘Label Wise’ - to be able to compare products more easily, choose better foods according to their nutritional value. This is also particularly helpful when one has to follow a special diet like say have low sodium foods (to prevent hypertension) or have a high fibre diet (to say treat constipation). Reading labels correctly is an excellent skill that adds tremendously to a healthy lifestyle.
So what should you look out for? What do all those names and numbers mean? Here’s a basic primer.