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What the Nutrition Contents in a Product Mean |
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Want to know what goes in your food? Read the crash course on the nutrition contents being labeled in every product:
Serving Sizes: How much of the product the manufacturer defines as a serving. (In this case, ¾ cup.) All the nutritional information that follows is based on this serving size.
Servings per Container: Number of servings in the entire box. (In this case, 8. So if you're planning to eat the whole box, multiply the values by 8.)
Calories: Number of total calories per serving. The specified "calories from fat" figure allows informs you as to exactly how much of the total calories are fat calories. The higher the number, the fattier the food.
Percent Daily Values: Based on a 2,000-calorie fat diet, it's an average computation of nutritional value. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your minimum caloric requirement.
Total Fat: Amount of fat per serving. By law, food manufacturers must reveal how much fat goes into the product. What is not specified is whether it's saturated (from animal resources, associated with high cholesterol levels and heart disease) or unsaturated (from plant resources, considered heart-healthy), so read the list of ingredients, too.
Cholesterol: Amount of cholesterol per serving. Sodium is often linked with high blood pressure. The recommended daily consumption is 2,400 mg, about 1 tsp. Remember, salt-free doesn't necessarily mean sodium-free.
Total Carbohydrates: Amount of carbohydrates per serving.
Dietary Fiber: Total fiber content. Soluble fiber, found in fruits and beans, help lower your cholesterol levels and control your blood sugar levels. Insoluble fiber, contained in all plant food, especially grains, encourage regular elimination of wastes. Experts recommended 25-30g daily.
Proteins: Amount of protein per serving.
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