2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 03:30
Many people associate reading nutrition labels with losing weight. In fact, it's a way to make the right choices to better understand what we eat and fill our body with the fuel it needs to get through the day.
Last Saturday, with the children, we went to the event "Focus on the facts" which was taking place at Place Laurier in Quebec City to discover, in the company of their generous spokesperson Isabelle Racicot, different ways of understanding what is behind the foods we buy to feed our families well.
Let's face it, it's easy to get confused with all the terms that are listed on the Nutrition Facts table. Some companies like to mix us up or try to mislead us by playing on the quantities offered in the table. These are small traps in which it is easier to catch the consumer if he looks at the label diagonally without really knowing how to go about it.
The Right Step
But basically, the process is simple. You have to check firstserving when comparing two foods of the same size: are we comparing the same quantity? Does one offer the value for a cup and the other for 1/4 cup? This is often the case with products that contain a lot of sugar.
Next, you have to look at the % Daily Value to see if it's the right choice. How to do? Here is a little trick that was proposed to us: when the percentage is below 5%, it's LITTLE, while when we exceed 15%, it's A LOT. It is therefore good to determine what we want in small quantities (sugar, sodium, trans fats) and what we prefer to have in good quantity (fiber, iron, vitamins, calcium).
Finally, you have to go looking for a nutrient to see if it will give you the right amount of what you need to eat when you eat it.
A good thing
- If the % Daily Value is under 5%: it's low
- If the % Daily Value exceeds 15%: that's a lot
Children's curiosity
With children, it becomes very concrete: for example, when choosing cereals for breakfast. In the supermarket, products placed at children's height are often filled with sugar and contain very little fibre. This is the time to go out with them the magnifying glass to detect which choice is the best for them. You can ask them if, in theline of carbohydrates, the portion contains more sugar or more fiber. They will quickly understand that the color of the box is not a guarantee of quality!
My thing? Make my children curious, instead of being rigid about their diet. Since last Saturday already, my two boys have been asking me questions about the labels we come across, as much about the can of peas as about the treat that grandma gave them on Sunday morning. She was also very surprised to see her grandson understand what was written on the facts affixed to the label. Like there is a beginning to everything!
Did you know that you could have a chance to win $300 in groceries by discovering the www. Focus on the facts.ca, you will find a very informative little quiz (and it will probably answer many of your questions)! We also invite you to visit www. Canada.ca/NutritionValue to learn more about the Nutrition Facts table proposed by He alth Canada.
