Nutrition Labels?

Options
bellevie86
bellevie86 Posts: 301 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Ok. So I'm having trouble knowing which "Nutrient", let's call it, is the most important? In the sense that avoiding it or eating as little of it as possible, is the most important.

Is it the number of cals? Or the fat content? Type of fat? Is it the carbs? Or is it sugar?

I'm guessing most people will say sugar, however there's always "new opinions" or fads I guess, about which is more important or what to stay away from?

I guess I'm asking because just because something can fit into my calorie goals it can still cause damage to my weightloss....

So people, what's the first thing you look at on a label?

Replies

  • bellevie86
    bellevie86 Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    Buuuuuummmp!
  • Topher1978
    Topher1978 Posts: 975 Member
    Options
    I just try to hit 40% carbs and 30% each of fat and protein for my intake throughout the day. I am always high with carbs, though...
  • hufflypuff
    hufflypuff Posts: 185 Member
    Options
    what are you trying to achieve? If you are trying for weight loss the most important will be calories. Calories in < calories out will achieve weight loss. However if you are looking to be healthy while doing that it requires a balance of all nutrients. I'm over on my sugar intake every day because I eat fruit. Fruits are high in vitamin C that help the immune system. Fiber helps digestive. Iron is important for your blood. Carbs give sustained energy. Protein helps build muscle. All important.
  • bellevie86
    bellevie86 Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    what are you trying to achieve? If you are trying for weight loss the most important will be calories. Calories in < calories out will achieve weight loss. However if you are looking to be healthy while doing that it requires a balance of all nutrients. I'm over on my sugar intake every day because I eat fruit. Fruits are high in vitamin C that help the immune system. Fiber helps digestive. Iron is important for your blood. Carbs give sustained energy. Protein helps build muscle. All important.

    Mainly trying to lose weight....I'm almost always over on sugar. But i eat alot of fruit. Should i cut that down?
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
    Options
    I read the ingredient list first
    Lower calorie. lower fat products are often full of additives and things I don't like to eat.

    So I eat the good stuff but stay in goal.

    I guess I like to avoid added sugar, but when it comes to jam for instance I take the ones with sugar.
    There are some foods where sugar belongs
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Options
    Ok. So I'm having trouble knowing which "Nutrient", let's call it, is the most important? In the sense that avoiding it or eating as little of it as possible, is the most important.

    Is it the number of cals? Or the fat content? Type of fat? Is it the carbs? Or is it sugar?

    I'm guessing most people will say sugar, however there's always "new opinions" or fads I guess, about which is more important or what to stay away from?

    I guess I'm asking because just because something can fit into my calorie goals it can still cause damage to my weightloss....

    So people, what's the first thing you look at on a label?
    The only things you should be "avoiding, or eating as little as possible" are artificial trans fats.
  • eatrainsmile
    eatrainsmile Posts: 220 Member
    Options
    I read the ingredients. If it has processed sugar, corn syrup, starches, hydrogenated oil in it. I also don't buy it if it has artificial ingredients.
  • bellevie86
    bellevie86 Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    See i like to think I buy pretty consciously....I'm a vegetarian and eat mostly organic food. I shop at an organic market that's right down the block from my house. I don't know it just seems like I avoid one thing but then I'm high in another. Balance can be hard, like me eating way more carbs because I don't eat meat. Plus alot of sugar, as I eat banana in my smotthie every morning, afternoon I may have an apple, and often at night an orange.
  • bellevie86
    bellevie86 Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    And yes I try to avoid hydrogenated oils like the plague. Pulled my margarine and everything.
  • bellevie86
    bellevie86 Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    Ok. So I'm having trouble knowing which "Nutrient", let's call it, is the most important? In the sense that avoiding it or eating as little of it as possible, is the most important.

    Is it the number of cals? Or the fat content? Type of fat? Is it the carbs? Or is it sugar?

    I'm guessing most people will say sugar, however there's always "new opinions" or fads I guess, about which is more important or what to stay away from?

    I guess I'm asking because just because something can fit into my calorie goals it can still cause damage to my weightloss....

    So people, what's the first thing you look at on a label?
    The only things you should be "avoiding, or eating as little as possible" are artificial trans fats.

    Agreed. I go to look at a certain chains nutrition, looking at their veggie burger specifically. I'm thinking as a treat you know? 9 GRAMS OF TRANS FAT. How in the hell do they get away with that exactly?
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Options
    Protein.
  • bellevie86
    bellevie86 Posts: 301 Member
    Options
    Protein.

    So protein is gthe most important. Makes sense. I guess I was asking what't the most important to LIMIT.
  • animemoon5
    animemoon5 Posts: 55 Member
    Options
    My two cents..... There's always been an ongoing battle between carbs and fat... some people advocate low carb high fat diets, others advocate high carb low fat diets....... Some people speak of "Good fats" and "Complex Carbs" that blur the lines a bit, and it's not as simple....... However, the one thing anyone from any diet can agree on, is that sugar is bad.... If you must pick one nutrient and try to limit it, I'd have to say sugar........

    Now for me personally, I believe rather than looking to limit one of the "Nutrients" (Calories, fat, fiber, sugar, carbs, protein) I would say the most important thing to limit, would be on the "Ingredients" label...... Things aren't always black and white, 100 calories of veggies isn't the same as 100 calories of cookies, 10 grams of fat from peanuts isn't the same as 10 grams of fat from hydrogenated oils, sugar from fruit isn't the same as refined table sugar, and carbs from whole grains and veggies aren't the same as carbs from refined white flour......

    Look at the ingredient list, hydrogenated oils should *Never* be there..... Trans fats are the worst, and even if a label says "0 trans fat" they are legally allowed to say "0" if there is less than .5..... the only way you'll know trans fats are there is by looking at the label........

    the shorter the ingredient list, usually the healthier the food........ if you are buying bread, your best bet is not to look at the calories, carbs, fat or sugar.... look at the ingredient list..... are there 100's of items there, most of them chemicals and things you've never heard of? The bread is garbage..... a good bread should have few ingredients, and whole wheat should be the first on the list......... Same thing with things like peanut butter...... should only have 1-3 ingredients max...... eating healthy is more than just numbers........
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    Options
    Protein.

    So protein is gthe most important. Makes sense. I guess I was asking what't the most important to LIMIT.

    I don't limit anything. If I had a medical reason to, I would, but in the absence of medical necessity I don't need to limit anything listed. (with the exception of trans-fats, that I want none of). What I do is prioritize my protein goal, then make sure I hit my fat goal (both protein and fat being MINIMUMS) and then the rest can be whatever- carbs, extra protein, more fat are all fine. I guess by default this is limiting carbs, but I don't really look at labels as anything to limit. I see my whole diet as a puzzle and each thing is just a piece of the puzzle. But, for example, if I were to eat 3 bagels early in the day, I would use too many calories to hit my protein goal, so I wouldn't do that. I see no reason to watch sugar, sodium, fat, cholesterol, or any of the other things people make a big deal about unless you have a specific reason to. I don't believe in treating everyone for diseases that some people have.

    TL;DR, if you hit protein and fat, they all fall in to place OK.
    P.S. I suppose fiber would be something else I might watch to hit as a minimum if I was coming from a largely processed food diet. I personally already have a high fiber diet, so it's not something I pay attention to, but I can see the merit.

    Edit: Just for clarity, everything I wrote assumes you're staying within range of your calorie target.
  • lirr10185
    lirr10185 Posts: 37 Member
    Options
    I am all about the "if it fits in your macros" concept. If you make healthier choices you can eat more but every once in a while if a burger fits with in my calorie range, I am going to eat it. Don't make anything off limits because you will never stay satisfied.
  • DawnEH612
    DawnEH612 Posts: 574 Member
    Options
    As far as macro nutrients i think its important to get enough protein. I am largely vegetarian (will eat seafood about once per month) and thus i struggle with my goal of 25% of my daily calories. I have my fat set at 25% a day and my carbs at 50% a day.
    As far as fats... Im actually much less concerned about fat than simple carbs and sugar. I think, again, being a vegetarian i naturally tend to eat less fat and very little cholesterol (only found in animal products), so i never el i need to watch that so closely.
    Simple sugars and carbohydrates from processed foods, tend to set me off on an eating binge so i try to avoid them as much as possible. Outside of prompting binges, sugar increases your triglyceride levels and can also lead to diabetes. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates (while ultimately converts into simple sugar- glucose) such as steel cut oatmeal, multi and WHOLE grain products are a good source of fiber and energy as well as good sources of micronutrients such as iron and B vitamins.
    Good luck... Ad my suggestion is to read a small articles on healthy and nutrition at least once a week to educate yourself on this MFP journey.. Best of luck!
  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 921 Member
    Options
    Simplified version = calories is the most important thing to watch for weight loss. "Calories in versus calories out".
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Options
    Ok. So I'm having trouble knowing which "Nutrient", let's call it, is the most important? In the sense that avoiding it or eating as little of it as possible, is the most important.

    Is it the number of cals? Or the fat content? Type of fat? Is it the carbs? Or is it sugar?

    I'm guessing most people will say sugar, however there's always "new opinions" or fads I guess, about which is more important or what to stay away from?

    I guess I'm asking because just because something can fit into my calorie goals it can still cause damage to my weightloss....

    So people, what's the first thing you look at on a label?

    All nutrients are equally important, we need a balance of them all, macros are not the whole story. Weight loss can be done in a healthy way or an unhealthy way, the two concepts are not interchangeable. First thing I look at is the ingredients not the macronutrient split, if I don't like the quality of the ingredients I won't be purchasing regardless how low fat/ low carb/ low cal it is.

    Most experts agree that added sugars and white refined carbs have no health benefits, they are empty calories and can even damage health by promoting systemic inflammation, feeding the bad bacteria in your gut etc. There is evidence for negative effects on health and weight management for excessive intakes of saturated animal fats and omega-6s polyunsaturates, however a little of each is essential so I limit both of these. Most experts also agree that long chain omega-3s primarily found in oily fish (also in omega eggs and marine algae supplements for veggies and vegans) have broad health benefits and have been linked to reduced body fat in studies.

    New research is published all the time yes, fads are often based on the results of one or two interesting but tiny studies, scientific fact is generally based on a body of research. Where there is not enough research to make a definitive claim you should find scientists using words like 'link' and 'suggest' and 'may' but unfortunately journalists, laymen and health writers can erroneously paraphrase or leap to conclusions.
  • MariaMariaM
    MariaMariaM Posts: 1,322 Member
    Options
    I read the ingredients. If it has processed sugar, corn syrup, starches, hydrogenated oil in it. I also don't buy it if it has artificial ingredients.

    I do this too.

    First thing I look is the ingredient list. It has to be all natural for me and in some instances I look for the GMO free label as well. In theory if buying organic, it should be GMO free.

    I then look at the Protein and Fat. The main thing in Fats for me is that I want to keep saturated fats to a minimum. I am not afraid of buying good fats. Finally, I look at the carb content. High carb count but with decent fiber gets an easy pass from me. If it is full of sugar I might think about it a bit more (depending on what I am buying. If I am buying sweets of course it is going to have sugar!). Calories are the last thing I look at.

Categories