How to Read Nutrition Labels If You Want to Lose Weight

If you want to lose weight, it’s important you understand how to read nutrition labels. Nutrition labels can help you choose or ignore food that can help you achieve your goal.

More specifically, it will help you that the quality of food you consume.

For example, you will be able to tell the macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins) you’re taking.

This simple skill of learning to read nutrition labels can help you eat healthy meals and get closer to your ideal weight.

What is a nutrition label?

A nutrition label is required by governmental authorities on packaged food and applied by manufacturers. The essence of a nutrition label is that it describes what that packaged food contains. 

If you understand the role of these nutrition elements easily, you will be able to choose food without any issue. A general overview of the nutrition is bold and indented text. 

The bold text signifies the overall analysis of dietary contents while the indented one will break it down further. 

For example, Total Fats will be in bold text, and the category of fats i.e., trans of saturated fats, will be in indented format. 

In general, calories will be the most significant factor in whether you gain or lose weight.

What are the essential things to look for on nutrition labels?

If you are trying to lose weight, you need to read nutrition labels carefully before buying any packaged food. 

A recent study revealed the recent trends to add nutrition labeling on packages to avoid obesity.

Are you not aware of what you should see in the nutritional label? Worry no more! We will guide you on how to read nutrition labels. 

1. Serving Size

There are usually two important things written on package; serving size and the number of servings in the package. Whatever is written on the nutrition label, it is based on per serving. 

Do not take it collectively or for the whole food.

If you take two servings, you will be increasing the intake of fats, sugars, or whatever the package contains. Wrong reading cannot help you if you are trying to lose weight. 

Remember that eating too much sugar can pose some serious health risks bot for your body and mind.

2. Calories Per Serving

You need to see what the number of total calories in a single serving is. If it matches your goal of calorie intake, you can buy it. 

3. Percent Daily Values

DV, as the name reveals, measures the nutrition of the food you take the whole day, not just one snack or meal. 

Use percent Daily Values (DV) to help evaluate how a particular food fits into your daily meal plan. DV are average levels of nutrients for a person eating 2,000 calories a day.

4. Cholesterol

While you read a nutrition label, make sure that your cholesterol intake does not exceed 300 milligrams per day. The lesser your cholesterol intake is, the more chances you have to lose weight. 

5. Ingredients list

Some food packages claim to be healthy. However, they are not actual. 

The actual poor quality is due to the ingredient’s presence. The ingredients are listed on the package. 

Those who are high in quality are listed above. The whole list of ingredients goes by quantity. If you are trying to lose weight, do not take added sugars, for example.

Why reading nutrition labels is important

So why can’t you just pick up any food and eat it? Why so many restrictions? The answer is simple: to maintain good health.

For example, the people who are suffering from heart diseases need to choose foods that contain less saturated foods.

Those who are suffering from diabetes will look for foods with minimal sugar. 

If you are trying to lose weight, we recommend you look at your daily calorie intake.

It is estimated that if a woman wants to lose weight by one pound, she shall take 1500 calories per day. You’ll need to replace junk food with healthy meals.

The key is to set your goals. Specific goals help a lot. So that you’re not overwhelmed each day by what to eat. For example, you can also set aside time to exercise. Working out consistently can help you lose weight.

Related: Easy Vegetarian Meal Plan for Beginners

Takeaway

Even heard of that you are what you eat? Well, this is very true when you want to achieve a certain ideal weight.

And often we underestimate the simple skill of reading nutrition labels well.

Take the time to understand what each of the nutrition label items we’ve discussed here means. And make sure you’re eating the right kind and amount of food to help you lose weight.