Consider your diet as a bank account, and healthy meals or snacks and a healthy lifestyle is like a good investment. You must have heard, “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips!”
Your diet must suit your body. Few common tricks are eating your veggies, getting enough fiber from your diet, and keeping gluten-free.
This article will enlighten you about the facts of what to watch out for on food labels if you are trying to eat healthy frozen meals.
Are you a health enthusiast?
Are you a mother, and you want to maintain a good diet?
Do you not have enough time to cook your meal and prefer easy meals or snacks?
Get all your answers in this article once you consider the following points to check on the food label:
1) Check the Serving Quantity
Analyze the serving size mentioned in the food label and compare it to your consumption capacity. If it says the food is for two people and you consume alone, it means you are receiving two times the fats, calories, and other nutrients.
The correct quantity of food consumption is always essential. If you wish to calculate the number of calories you consume, multiply the serving number given on the label by the number of times you consume that food.
You will be in a hurry while making and eating food, which is predominant in this fast-paced life, but this little meal hack can save you from over-eating.
2) Watch the Calorie Count
Calories are a way to check how much energy you are taking in while consuming food. If the calorie intake is more than the amount you burn, it can prove unhealthy. Calorie requirements can differ from person to person depending on your age, sex, height, weight, and intensity of physical activity.
Check the calorie count in your easy meals against healthy nutrient consumption. Higher calorie intake and lesser helpful nutrients might directly result in obesity. Your diet should fulfill the requirement of good nutrients and avoid excess calorie intake.
3) Control Sugar Consumption
Sugar-loaded food does severe damage to a human body. Sugar comes by many names. Food products can contain many forms of sugar you might not notice at a glance. It is advisable to learn about the various form of sugar added to a packaged food.
Here is a list of few common names of sugar:
- Kinds of Sugar: brown sugar, buttered sugar, organic raw sugar, beet sugar, vaporized cane juice, muscovado sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, golden sugar, invert sugar, Etc.
- Kinds of Syrups: honey, maple syrup, oat syrup, malt syrup, rice syrup, golden syrup, Etc.
- Kinds of Added Sugar: glucose, galactose, maltose, fructose, malt powder, dextran, molasses, corn sweetener, Etc.
If you find these names, then your food is high on sugar. To diminish sugar cravings, choose protein-rich diets.
4) Check Out the Sodium Level
Another thing to pay attention to is the sodium level when you scan the nutrition facts label. A high concentration of refined salt can mean a high sodium level that could lead to hypertension and heart issues. Consider the food containing white sea salt and Himalayan salt as they are good sources of sodium.
Heart-healthy snacks and mini-meals will be low on sodium.
5) Say No to Bad Oils and Bad Fats
Your quick meals and quick snacks may contain hydrogenated oils. It can lead to the consumption of trans-fat or bad fats. These bad fats can lower your good cholesterol.
A terminology 0% trans-fat means fat less than 1 gram. However, if you consume such foods, that tiny amount of fat can add up and increase your fat content.
Avoid consumption of saturated fat and rancid oils, and choose healthy frozen meals.
6) Keep an Eye on the Percentage Daily Value
The Percentage Daily Value (or %DV) is the amount of each nutrient in the food served. The %DV shows how much a nutrient contributes to a portion of food. It helps you determine the nutrient content of the food.
Generally, 5%DV or less implies a food with low nutrients, and 20%DV or more means food with high nutrients.
- Opt for food that shows a high %DV for Vitamins, Calcium, Iron, Fiber, and Potassium.
- Refrain from food that shows high %DV for saturated fats, sugar, and sodium.
Always calculate the %DV mentioned on the nutrition food label to the serving size. Low fat and sugar content can lure you, but if the consumption quantity per serving is high, you will accumulate weight.
7) Scan the Ingredient list
The ingredients are what contribute to your diet. Usually, the chronology used to mention the ingredients on the food label is in descending order. It means the top three to four ingredients make up the central part of your meal. So, take a look at what you are consuming the most.
Written by guest blogger Laura P.
Opt for whole food and avoid chemical-induced food while buying frozen appetizers.
Your top ingredients should be the following:
- High in Fiber, Vitamins, Minerals, Calcium, and Potassium
- Rich in protein
- Low on fats, calories, sodium, and sugar
- Low on additives and colors
Many of you may be lactose intolerant and hence check out if your food is dairy-free or not. You certainly don’t want to pick up a fight with your stomach after you satisfy your hunger.
In a Nutshell
A healthy lifestyle is the need of the hour, mainly because obesity in Americans has become a common issue. A busy life does not allow us to introspect on our diet plan, and checking the food package label is essential.
Choose food which is healthy, lower in sugar, lower on calories, keto-friendly, and rich in essential ingredients. With Appleton's Market, we ensure nothing but natural, fresh, and healthy food.