09 May 2020
PSV WORKOUT PART 7
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Reading labels
Beautiful texts and chats on packaging sell better and can put you, the consumer, on the wrong footing. If the packaging says 'traditional', 'fresh' or 'natural', that sounds nice. But it says nothing.
For example, a 'traditional' bread may as well have been made in the factory. Or it says 'source of vitamin C' while all similar products in that category contain vitamin C. And forget the idea that 'light products' are healthier. In such products, fat is often replaced by sugars!
The manufacturer usually prefers not to put the real information on the label. On the contrary, they often do everything they can to disguise what is in their product. That starts with the font size. It is not for nothing that many people need reading glasses to be able to read the important information. And it doesn't stop there.
What exactly must appear on the label is laid down in the European Food Information Act and in the Dutch Commodities Act. We have listed a number of tips on how to decipher such a label.
List of ingredients
First read the list of ingredients: it immediately shows how much of something is in it. Watch out for products that have many unknown /chemical names on the list of ingredients. This often means that the products have been processed a lot and are therefore less "real". What is at the top of the list of ingredients is the most important. If, for example, sugar, fructose or glucose or another -ose is mentioned as one of the first ingredients, then the product consists mainly of sugars. As a donkey bridge you can also use "the shorter the list" the better (note: this is obviously not always true).
Nutritional value table
The nutrition table shows how many kilocalories, proteins, fats, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugars and salt a product contains per 100 grams or 100 milliliters. You do not always eat 100 grams. Depending on the provider, sometimes a column is also shown per portion.
Is that portion size correct? And is there also 1 portion in the packaging or are there more? Many packs also have a reference intake (RI). This RI indicates how much an average adult needs per day or what fits maximum within a healthy diet. This can be confusing. For vitamins it is fine if you reach 100%. But for carbohydrates and sugar, the less, the better. Do you want to compare products? Compare them per 100 grams and not per portion, because that's not always the same and consider how much you will eat.
Compare produts
Compare the same kind of products from the same shelf from different manufacturers. You will immediately see the differences in carbohydrates, proteins and fats or the presence of certain ingredients.
For example, Vifit drinkyoghurt red fruit and Optimel drinkyoghurt raspberry resemble each other in taste and type. Nevertheless, Vifit contains significantly more sugar per 100 millilitres (8.1 grams) compared to 3.6 grams of Optimel. However, it appears that Optimel again contains more sweetener. You will only find this out if you really start comparing the products. You can make a lot of profit choosing the right products if you consume them every day. You notice little difference, but it can still mean a lot to your body. Think carefully about your goals and choose the right products.
Author: Nina de Rooij, PSV lifestyle coach