✱ Any ingredient that ends in ‘ose’ will be a type of sugar
NUTRI T ION
Food Labels,
Decoded
FUELLING UP (Carbohydrates)
They’re your body’s fuel source, so eat more clean, low-GI carbs on training days. “I’d recommend 5-7g per kilo per day – the higher end for endurance training and the lower for weight training,” says Natoli. Spend most of your day sitting? Make that 4g per kilo of body weight. Low-GI Rye bread, plain yoghurt, baked beans, sweet potato, legumes High-GI White bread, potato, rice crackers, white rice, instant porridge
BY Cassie White
Like a Russian sci-fi movie, nutritional info can leave you scratching your head. Here’s how to make sense of what you’re eating
PURE, WHITE AND DANGEROUS (Sugars) Avoid anything containing over 10g per 100g or millilitres. The exception is yoghurt, which naturally contains the sugar lactose and usually added sugars, too. “For flavoured yoghurt, keep the total sugar content under 12g,” says Natoli. High Juice, condiments, most breakfast cereals Low Dried apple, fruit teas
FILLING YOUR TANK (Energy)
Refers to total kilojoules. The quantity you need depends on how much you weigh, how much you move and whether your metabolism is more like a furnace or a puddle of water. As a rule, to lose weight eat 7000-8000kJ a day, while to build muscle add an extra 30-35kJ per kilo of body weight, advises Sharon Natoli, dietitian at Food and Nutrition Australia. High Nuts, oils, flavoured yoghurt, processed and toasted cereals Low Fresh fruit and veg, oats, skim milk
SEASONAL ISSUES (Sodium)
Consume no more than 4g of salt (1600 milligrams of sodium) a day, says the National Health and Medical Research Council. Some healthy foods, such as cheese, will be naturally high in salt. “Ensure they contain less than 600mg per 100g or millilitres,” says Natoli. High Pizza, deli meat, canned soup and canned veg Low Oats, fresh fruit and veg, ricotta cheese, herbs and spices
BUILDING UP (Protein) For a meal, fill up on 40-50 grams, which equates to about 250g of meat or fish. For snacks, go with 5-10g. After exercise, your body’s crying out for 20g of animal protein, which contains essential amino acids for muscle repair. You can get that from two eggs and a glass of milk, or 100g of tuna. High Lean meat, eggs, legumes, dairy Low Pasta, cereal, bread, fruit
Tricks of the trade
How manufacturers try to make problem foods sound healthy
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“If it’s high in fat, salt or sugar, the manufacturer may make the serving size less so the numbers look better,” says Natoli. A CHOICE survey found that, on average, men eat 49 per cent more cereal than recommended.
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In a review of 200 products with natural or healthysounding names, almost half were high in fat, sugar or sodium. Companies use words like “natural”, “healthy” and “fresh” to make a product sound better, says CHOICE.
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Cereals that claim to be a “source of dietary fibre” often contain miniscule amounts of fibre, says CHOICE. Look for products with at least six per cent fibre per serving.
IN THE MIX (other Ingredients)
They’re listed in order of prominence. “A product that lists white flour, sugar or honey among the first few ingredients will be mainly refined carbs,” explains Burrell. The fewer the ingredients, the better, she adds. “Be suspicious of anything with more than 20 ingredients.”
OILING THE MACHINE (Fat)
The sum of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Between 60g and 80g a day is enough for an active guy, says dietitian Susie Burrell. “Anything over 10g of total fat per 100g or millilitres is a high-fat food.” The bulk of your fat intake should come from 2-3 serves a day of “good” fats. The good Oily fish, avocado, nuts, olive oil
(Saturated)
Keep it to less than 3g per 100g or millilitres, says Natoli. “If saturated fat is less than one-third of total fat, then the food is low in saturated fat.” Subbing in small amounts of saturated fat from dairy instead of meat decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease by 25 per cent, reports the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The bad Chocolate, ice-cream
Trans fatty acids can send your LDL “bad” cholesterol skyrocketing. Your best course: restrict your intake to the small quantities you get from meat and dairy. The ugly Fast food, doughnuts, commercially baked goods such as biscuits and cakes, products containing hydrogenated oils
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Y A H O O 7. c o m . a u / m e n s h e alt h
edward urrutia
(Trans Fats)
m ar c h 2 0 1 3
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