Nutritional values: what they are and why they are important
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the philosopher Ludwing Feuerbach coined what would become his most famous phrase over the years: "We are what we eat". In fact, the foods we eat daily define our body both physically and psychologically. Some foods have a beneficial effect on our mind, while others act more on the internal health of the organism.
Whatever product it is, however, each food has so-called nutritional values that we very often neglect and which, on the other hand, can reveal important information about what we are about to eat.
What are the nutritional values?
With the wording of "nutritional values" s "we mean all the information on the chemical composition of a food, where the nutritional and caloric content is recognized. The nutritional values are expressed by referring to 100g or 100ml of product and must indicate the" caloric intake and the so-called macronutrients, while it is often at the discretion of the manufacturer to also report the micronutrients.
Let's see in more detail what are the nutritional values always shown on the label:
- Energy value or calories: they are found with the words in KJ and in Kcal.
- Carbohydrates
- Fat: s "means all lipids, including the subgroups of fatty acids
- Proteins
- salt
Micronutrients with optional information include:
- Fibers: are those substances that are neither absorbed nor digested by the body but which have a beneficial effect on the functionality of the intestine. However, experts advise against taking it in the presence of certain diseases, such as that of irritable colon.
- Vitamins: if in important quantities, it is sometimes specified which vitamins are, such as vitamin A, B3 or C also called ascorbic acid.
- Mineral salts: such as, for example, potassium, calcium, phosphorus. They are present on the label only if the food in question has a significant content.
- Monounsaturated fatty acids
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids
- Pilioli: sweeteners with fewer calories than traditional sugars
- Starch
See also
What's the difference with calories?
Nutritional values are very often confused with calories. First of all, we specify that the caloric content of a food represents one of the various data that are part of the nutritional values themselves. Furthermore, if the latter indicate the entire chemical composition of food, the calories express the so-called energy value. This means that the calorie is the unit of measurement of how much energy food supplies to our body.
We cannot speak of different "types" of calories, because they are the same in any food and there are special tables to check the quantity in each food. What changes and that must be observed more carefully are precisely the nutritional values because, it can happen that a particularly caloric food is still healthy and beneficial for our health: it will be enough just to take it in the right quantities and not completely banish it from your diet.
The regulations of nutritional values on food labels
Given that they provide us with such important information, there are regulations that regulate the presence of nutritional values on the label of various food products. As we have said, today their presence is mandatory and is sanctioned by EU Regulation No. 1169/2011. , before this date, each producer could choose whether to insert it or not. Furthermore, this regulation is constantly updated and over time a "other series of data has been introduced to be reported on the labels. Here are the main ones:
- The presence of any allergenic substances: there are foods or nutrients that can arise with a certain frequency of allergies and for this reason they are defined allergens. The most common are: peanuts, nuts, milk, eggs, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans and molluscs and soy.
- When a food product contains oils and fats, the type must be indicated, such as, for example, sunflower oil, palm oil or hydrogenated fats.
- In the case of fresh meat, the origin of the animal and, obviously, the type must always be expressed.
When can they be omitted
However, according to the European Regulation and the Ministry of Health, there are cases in which the nutritional values can be omitted. In fact, their presence is mandatory for packaged products, while they may not appear in a few exceptions, such as:
- Foods sold in bulk: for example, when we buy directly from the deli counter in a supermarket.
- Unprocessed products: means that they include only one ingredient or a single category of ingredients, such as a piece of meat purchased from a butcher's or fruit taken directly from the greengrocer.
- All types of coffee and tea.
- The aromas, intended as aromatic plants and spices.
- The water.
Because we need to know the nutritional values of the foods we eat
We are used to living in a hurry and we use the same speed of all our activities even when we do the shopping. However, by not checking the nutritional values and, in general, the labels of the foods we buy, we risk eating foods that are not good for our health or that are not suitable for the diet we are following.
In fact, especially for diets designed to lose weight, checking the calorie content of products is essential, but it is also necessary to check the various nutritional values. For example, walnuts and hazelnuts have a high energy intake, but this does not mean that they should be completely excluded from your diet: the recommended daily dose is shown on the package which can help you regulate yourself.
Additionally, several products rely on advertising slogans to catch the attention of consumers. When we find written on the label "sugar-free" or "an ideal food against cholesterol", then we should always check that there are no other nutrients however unhealthy for our body and that are not suitable for a correct diet.
