"Check The Label, Mommy!" How To Read Nutrition Facts?

In the Philippines, we often hear the tagline "Check the label, Mommy" from a TV commercial of a popular milk brand.

The “label” that the advertisement is referring to is the nutrition facts of the product.

But why is this important?

Before we start, here’s an important reminder: Don’t take this as a piece of professional advice. I’m not a nutritionist-dietician nor a fitness coach. I only share what I learned from watching countless fitness videos online.

Let’s get it on!

Nutrition Facts 101

From bread to milk to chocolates and even sweet beverages, every food item in the grocery store contains a detailed table of the nutrients that you can get from eating them. You can usually see it at the side or back of the packaging.

But for many, it’s just numbers and letters that don’t make sense.

We can’t blame people who are ignorant of nutrition facts because no one teaches us about it, not even in schools. This leads to malnourishment aside from the lack of nutritious food.

We sure know about “Go, Grow, and Glow” food that our grade school teachers have taught us. But reading nutrition facts is another thing.

It may look intimidating and confusing, but nutrition facts are easy to read. Let me guide you.

What’s On The Nutrition Facts

Let’s use this pack of my favorite mixed nuts as an example.

Since we’re all beginners, we will only focus on 6 simple things on the table. These are the serving per container, serving size, calories, and the three macronutrients: fat, carbohydrates, and my personal favorite, protein.

1. Serving Per Container

It refers to the number of servings that a whole pack has. Our example shows that it has 3 servings of mixed nuts.

But how much are 3 servings? That question leads us to number two.

2. Serving Size

This refers to the recommended amount of food that the manufacturer indicated on the label after its thorough measurement and evaluation of the food.

Going back to our example, it shows that 1 serving of mixed nuts is 30g. This means 3 servings or a whole pack of mixed nuts is 90g.

Knowing the serving size is important to our next item.

3. Calories

This refers to the energy that we get from the food we eat. In the photo above, we can see that 1 serving of mixed nuts has 157 calories. This means, that 3 servings or the whole pack contain 471 calories.

Why are we counting the serving size and calories?

Because exceeding your calorie intake will make you fat.

For example, your daily calorie requirement is at 1,500. If you’ll eat three packs of these mixed nuts, that’s already 1,413 calories! You’re almost hitting your calorie requirement for the day without even eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

This is why knowing calories is important.

Now, let’s move on to the macronutrients behind the calories.

4. Fat

Every individual has a macronutrient goal. Mine is different from yours, and yours is different from the others. It depends on your height, weight, age, and daily activities.

There are online calculators that you can use to measure your macronutrient requirement. But it is better if you consult a professional.

In my case, I don’t compute them anymore. I just pick the food that is low in fat because too much of it will lead to excessive pounds. In weight loss, our goal is to bring down our fat rate and replace the fat with muscles.

Going back to our example, 1 serving of mixed nuts contains 9 grams of fat. This is considered high because nuts are a good source of fat. But this is lower compared to butter, oil, and some chips.

5. Carbohydrates

Some people are afraid of this macronutrient because they believe that it makes them fat. But it’s not, overeating does.

Carbohydrates are the lead source of energy from food. Without this, you'll most likely end up feeling dizzy and unwell the whole day. Our body “burns” carbohydrates that “fuel” our movements and activities.

In this case, 1 serving of mixed nuts has 14 grams of carbohydrates.

6. Protein

This is my personal favorite, and for those who are also in the bulking phase of their fitness journey.

I always choose food that is high in protein because it helps in muscle building. I admit, I only look at the protein content of food whenever I’m at the supermarket.

As mentioned above, our goal is to replace fat with muscle. More muscles mean a stronger body and immune system.

So in our example, 1 serving of mixed nuts contains 5 grams of protein. This is higher compared to chips and other junk food like French fries.

Why Is This Important

Maybe you're thinking, what about the food that don't contain nutrition facts? For example, fruits, vegetables, and street food?

You can check them out on Google. Simple search "apple nutrition facts" then scroll down for the results.

Now that you have an idea of how to read the nutrition facts, it can help you decide what food to eat in your fitness journey. It is also a gentle reminder to think twice before wanting to finish a whole pack of chips.

Always remember that food is not your enemy. We shouldn’t completely remove a food group – whether they’re fat, carbohydrates, or protein - because every macronutrient has a role to play in our overall health. We can eat anything we want as long as it’s in moderation.

What do you think of this blog? Will you be able to read the label after reading this? Leave a comment below.

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