What’s on a chart?
Charts of nutrition information are available for most prepared food, and can give consumers a much better grasp of what exactly they are eating and what kind of nutrients it is providing for their bodies. Most charts of nutritional information can be easily located on boxes or bags of food bought in stores. Many popular chain restaurants have nutrition information charts for all of their menu items available in brochures or fliers, and many also have easily-accessible charts on their Web sites. Restaurants that are not chains or do not have Web sites should be able to provide a nutrition chart upon request to anyone who asks for one.
Charts of nutritional information can include a variety of different specific pieces of information. Any good nutrition chart will show the calorie count and how much fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and sodium one serving of the food has. These nutrients are the main ones that many people commonly try to base their diets on. People who follow guidelines like the food guide pyramid or recommended dietary allowances may prefer to keep track of their intake of nutrients like these, and this can be easily accomplished by looking at a product’s chart of nutrition information.
Some of these charts will provide additional information about other nutrients. Many food labels include facts about the food’s content of certain minerals, such as iron and calcium. Many also give information about vitamins; vitamin C is listed on many charts. Fat is also often separated into the categories of saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated. This is great news for people who like to keep track of exactly how much they are getting each day of certain nutrients, but even people who just like to make sure they stay roughly within reasonable guidelines can use these charts of nutritional information to help them accomplish their goals.
What’s important?
Figuring out which entries or items on a nutrition chart are most important can be a somewhat individual decision. Everyone has basic needs to prevent vitamin and mineral deficiencies and for basic body health and maintenance, but individuals may have slightly different goals or certain specific nutrients that they are more concerned about their intake of than others.
It is important to note that different people may have different nutritional needs based on factors like their age, gender, and activity level. Pregnant women also have slightly different needs than the general population. Many resources are available to people who want to find out exactly what they need. Doctors and nutritionists are always a reliable option if you prefer to speak to someone personally about your lifestyle and health background. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration can provide a lot of free, easily-accessible information on its Web site or in printed brochures.
Once you determine what your personal nutritional needs are or at least what healthy ranges of certain nutrients are for you, using and understanding a nutrition chart can only help your diet and overall health.
By Kristin Cleveland