Whether you are single, in a relationship, a single parent raising your kids, or a couple of parents trying to feed the unfeedable, we all struggle and wonder: how on earth can we eat healthily? Where do we start? Educating yourself on the basics of nutrition is a great way to begin your journey. With basic nutrition knowledge, you will start to understand why some foods are better than others. Learning about nutrition will set a solid foundation for your new journey.
Below you will find a list of goals for your first week. Goal 1 is to master a nutrition label, providing basic information on reading a nutrition label—from calories to ingredients. On page 2, Goal 2 is to increase your understanding of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Lastly, on page 3, Goal 3 focuses on understanding the facts behind fiber, cholesterol, and saturated fats. I highly recommend subscribing to our email list and following us on all social media platforms for educational articles and updates.
The Learn section will broaden your knowledge of nutrition and prepare you for a healthy life! Enjoy the lessons, and test yourself with a fun quiz at the end of each page. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
Goal 1: Master A Nutrition Label and Ingredients List
The FDA mandates that all packaged food items must have a food label. Each food label must include specific elements, such as the nutrition facts, which provide information on the nutrients in the food (calories, fats, protein, etc.), an ingredients list indicating what items are in the food, and daily values, such as the calories generally recommended for a healthy diet. The food label is crucial for those aiming to lead a healthy lifestyle. Continue reading to learn how to read a food label and to uncover small details you may have never known about. For a complete list of what is required on a food label, visit the following web page published by the US Food and Drug Administration: Click Here
Topic 1: Understanding “The Nutrition Facts”
Nutrition facts are on every packaged food, providing a snapshot of what you’re ingesting. These labels help you identify high-calorie or high-sugar items and allow you to compare products of the same type. For example, there are many brands of orange juice, but the nutrition label will help you distinguish between 100% orange juice and those made with high fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring. Mastering this section is crucial for making healthy choices while grocery shopping. Dive in below!
First, let’s talk about Daily Values (DV), as noted in box 6. Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet, which can be a bit tricky to understand. Simply put, the percentages you see on the right of each nutrient are recommended values set by the USDA. For example, it is recommended that you consume about 275 grams of carbohydrates on a 2,000-calorie diet. If a food contains 37 grams of carbs, you are consuming 13% of the recommended 275 grams. Typically, these numbers are ignored because not everyone should eat 2,000 calories per day. However, if you are one of the lucky ones who should, just aim to avoid exceeding 100% for each nutrient each day.
Next we will take a look at box #1 (green): Notice there are 8 servings in this package (or container), this means it can be split between 8 people.
The next item is the Serving Size which is the amount in the package 1 individual should have. In this example, the serving size is 2/3 cup. So, with that being said all facts after the green box are based on 1 serving or 2/3rd cup; if you eat the whole package you must multiply these numbers by 8, so 230 x 8 is a whopping 1840 calories! Woah! Depending on your calorie allowance for the day the serving can be adjusted, but eating this whole package would take away from other nutritious foods you need in a day, so I do not recommend this.
So now that you know what a serving is, you will see 1 individual serving contains: 230 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g of cholesterol, 160 grams of sodium, 37 grams of carbs (4g fiber, 12 g of sugars – this does not always add up to total), and 3 grams of protein
Take a look at box 4 (blue): This section shows there are 10 grams of added sugars in this food. If there is a number here, this means sugars were ADDED and are not originally found in the food. This will increase calories in the food item. As you will see when you learn about protein, carbs, and fats, each of these nutrients contain their own calories therefore increasing them in a food will increase your calorie intake and can put you at risk for excess weight gain.
Once you master a nutrition label, shopping for healthy foods becomes second nature.
Topic 2: Understanding the Ingredients List
The ingredients list reveals the most about what we are eating, ordered by weight. This means the first ingredient makes up the largest proportion of the item, with subsequent ingredients contributing progressively less.
While earning my degree in nutrition, my professors all agreed on one thing: “The more ingredients a food has, the more processed it is.” They recommended limiting packaged items to five ingredients. There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as organic cereals, organic granola bars, and multigrain bread without added sugars and other additives. These items contain different nuts and grains, increasing the ingredient count. So, I suggest sticking to the 5-10 ingredient rule. Use your best judgment and consider avoiding ingredients that sound like chemicals, typically found in processed items as additives.
Additives are substances added to food to preserve its quality, enhance its flavor, or change/preserve its color. Some additives, like beet juice for red color, are organic. However, there are chemically processed additives allowed in small amounts in our food.
You shouldn’t have to question the items on the ingredients list. For example, whole grain corn is clearly corn, but what is Trisodium Phosphate? It doesn’t take a nutritionist to recognize that this is not a typical food item. (Click here to learn more at Snopes.com, a fact-checking website that provides a detailed response about this specific preservative: What is Trisodium Phosphate?)
The goal is to understand each ingredient. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, contact me or use Google for a definition. As you move forward, educate yourself on the additives in your food, and decide whether you are willing to consume the item or not.
Topic 3: Understanding Calories
Now let’s talk about box #2 of the nutrition label in detail: Calories.
Calories are present in all foods in some way, shape, or form! Protein, carbohydrates, and fats are the only nutrients that contain calories. Your body breaks these nutrients down to create calories, or energy, to use.
Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, so when a food has 30 grams of carbs, that adds up to 120 calories from carbs alone. Protein also contains 4 calories per gram, while fat contains 9 calories per gram. This means that a diet high in fat, protein, or carbohydrates could cause weight gain if these nutrients are consumed in excess. All fad diets restrict your calorie intake, whether it’s a keto diet, low-carb diet, or balanced diet. Therefore, despite the various speculations, calories are one of the most important aspects of a healthy and balanced diet!
Now, it is important to note that our body’s favorite form of energy is the carbohydrate. The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) recommend that carbohydrates make up 45-65% (▪) of our diet, protein 10-35%, and fats 20-25%. I know what you’re thinking: “Wait, that’s a high percentage! Aren’t carbs and fats the cause of my weight gain?” Although this is a common belief, it’s not entirely accurate. The true cause of weight gain is increased calorie intake, also known as overeating carbs, proteins, and fats. Even if you avoid carbs, eating large amounts of meat and fats can still lead to weight gain. This is where a balanced diet comes in.
While calories can cause weight gain when consumed in excess, they are also essential for providing us with energy. Calories are the energy we harness for all actions performed by the body. If we eat more energy (calories) than we use, the excess is stored as fat for later use. Unfortunately, if this stored energy is never used, the body will continue to store more and more energy. Your body doesn’t realize it is doing you a disservice! Therefore, it is crucial to understand calorie intake, which varies among individuals due to factors like metabolism and physical activity. We will discuss adult intakes below. If you want to see the intakes for children, skip to the planning section.
General Calorie intake for Women to Maintain Healthy Weight
Naturally, women tend to convert calories to fat more easily than men (thanks, Mother Nature…). Business Insider has a great article on the amount of calories the average sedentary American consumes daily, which is about 3,600 calories. When you compare the numbers, it’s easy to see where we’re going wrong. However, a healthy calorie intake should generally be as follows based on activity levels: (This will be covered in more detail when you graduate to the planning section).
| Age | Sedentary | Moderately Active | Active |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19-30 | 1,800-2,000 | 2,000-2,200 | 2,400 |
| 31-50 | 1,800 | 2,000 | 2,200 |
| 51+ | 1,600 | 1,800 | 2,000-2,200 |
General Calorie intake for Men to Maintain Healthy Weight
Men tend to release fat easily when active, but even when sedentary, they still require a large amount of energy to power their metabolism. However, despite a higher calorie allowance, men often exceed this number. It’s important for men to be aware of the adverse effects weight gain can have on their hormones. For instance, testosterone levels may decrease as weight increases, making it crucial for men to educate themselves on preventing weight gain.(Read More) Refer to the same Business Insider article, and you’ll find that men are also consuming around 3,600 calories daily. For general recommended calorie intakes for men, see the table below: (This will be covered in more detail when you graduate to the planning section).
| Age | Sedentary | Moderately Active | Active |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19-30 | 2,400-2,600 | 2,600-2,800 | 3,000 |
| 31-50 | 2,200-2,600 | 2,400-2,600 | 2,800-3,000 |
| 51+ | 2,000-2,200 | 2,200-2,400 | 2,400-2,800 |
Another word on calories…
There are 3,500 calories in a pound.
I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t you just say the average American eats 3,600 calories daily?” Yes, I did—thank you for paying attention. So, let’s do some simple math (see, algebra matters…):
Question:
If 30-year-old Mariah eats 3,600 calories a day but is sedentary and should only have 1,800, how many calories does she eat in excess? How many pounds will she gain?
Answer:
3,600 – 1,800 = 1,800 excess calories per day. Multiply that by 7 days in a week, and you get 12,600 extra calories. Multiply that by 4 weeks in a month, and you have 50,400 extra calories in a month. This translates to an extra 16.8 pounds in a month.
Now, realistically, we don’t all eat 3,600 calories every day. Some days we might eat 1,600, other days 3,600, and some days 1,900. However, those days when you splurge—3 to 4 days a week or more—will catch up to you.
CONGRATULATIONS YOU MADE IT TO THE END OF YOUR FIRST LESSON!
Now that you have made it through your first lesson, click here for your first quiz: Quiz 1
or continue on to Page 2 below.
*All of the information here is from the author’s ongoing nutrition education, and continued education via nutrition textbooks, eatright.org, and pubmed research articles that are not biased and have good accuracy. This information is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition. This information is to be read and utilized at your own will, and the author is not responsible for any outcomes that come from utilizing this information. This information may be discussed with and adjusted by your dietitian, nutritionist, or medical provider for a more personalized plan. If you have any questions feel free to contact us via the Contact Page. For sources Click Here.
