Several years ago, analyzing the nutritional table for a few minutes before making a purchase was seen as something odd and uncommon, unless you were a shopper with some sort of contraindications and you had to see if the said product had that ingredient that you were not supposed to consume. Nowadays it is the opposite, rare is that person does not stop to analyze and look at what they are eating. 

The fact is that there are many reasons for this to happen: the growing popularity of fitness culture, healthy eating habits, or simply the fact that currently, people are a little more informed about the manufacturing processes and they want to check out what they’re consuming. 

Nevertheless, let’s review a little bit what is, by definition, the nutritional table. 

What is a nutritional facts table? 

A nutritional table gives exact information about the food that a person is consuming, in a clear and understandable way that does not leave an inch of confusion. The consumer can make an informed decision about which product to buy. Some products are advertised as «no added sugar» so that the person believes that the food has no sugar, but if we go to the nutrition facts table, we find it does have sugar; because it has no added sugar, it does not mean that it did not have sugar in the first place.

Learn to detect marketing tricks.

The same applies to products labeled as «light». If we go to the nutritional facts table, we could find a very high sodium content product, which already contradicts the idea of a «light» product. 

But since we are talking about the nutritional facts table, let’s make a brief explanation of each of the elements that it consists of: 

Source:  FDA

Let’s break down the nutritional table into sections to make it easier to explain. Let’s start from the very top and go down to the servings per container and serving size. This information is included for foods that, by their nature, can be eaten right away, but which actually contain more than one serving. If, for example, we buy a 200-gram package of peanuts and the recommended serving size is 50 grams, this means that the bag contains 4 servings. 

Keep in mind that the information shown in the nutritional table from now on will be valid for one serving and not for the total contents of the package.

Next, we will find the calories and these are simply a unit of measurement to represent the energy that our body receives when consuming the product in question. It is essential to know this since not all diets are the same: there are people who want to gain weight, lose weight or maintain it and for this, they must measure their caloric intake. 

Then we find the macronutrients and micronutrients contained in the product and their percentage contribution to the recommended daily value. 

On the left of the column are those nutrients that our body does not have the capacity to produce on its own, so it is essential to acquire them from food as they are vital for the functioning of our body. The macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) and the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals are on one side. 

On the right side of the column, there is the percentage of recommended daily intake value, that is, the percentage of the nutrient provided by that food with respect to what the FDA suggests consuming in a day. It should be noted that neither trans fats nor sugars have a recommended daily value.

Understanding the nutritional facts table will give you a clear idea of what you are really going to consume. As it is the true source of information about the reality of a product, outside of advertising, it is very important that you know, read and know how to compare a nutritional table, so that you can make an informed and conscious choice about a product.

Being familiar with this information is your right and your obligation. Keep in mind that responsible and balanced consumption will ensure a healthy and integral diet.

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