HOW TO CHOOSE HEALTHY PROCESSED FOOD
Besides checking the expiry date, we should also place importance in checking the food label. Food label is very important as it provides vital information whether the food is nutritious or high in calorie.
If you are not able to read and understand the nutrient content displayed on the food label, you should refer to the ingredient section.
Biscuit A: Ingredients are Flour, Sugar and Fruits
Biscuit B: Ingredients are Sugar, Flour and Fruits
You should opt for Biscuit A because according to food label regulation, the first ingredient stated is the most quantity used to prepare the product.
Therefore for Biscuit B, sugar is the most quantity used to prepare the final product and it is not healthy as it has high sugar and calorie content.
If sugar and fat are listed in the first 3 main ingredients, avoid buying the product as much as possible. Make sure sugar and any types of fat are listed as the last ingredient in the ingredient section label of any food product.
Some food may be labelled as low fat. But this does not mean that it is low in calorie.
Example: Low Fat Yogurt
The yogurt could be low in fat but for taste, extra sugar could be added in. The extra sugar will increase the calorie content. Hence when choosing healthy food, make sure the product or food is not only low in fat but also low in calorie.
Kuangalia tarehe ya mwisho ya matumizi ya chakula ni muhimu sana, lakini pia ni muhimu kuangalia lebo ya chakula. Lebo ya chakula ni muhimu sana kwani hutoa habari muhimu ikiwa chakula ni chenye lishe au kina kalori nyingi. Ikiwa huwezi kusoma na kuelewa maudhui ya virutubisho yaliyoonyeshwa kwenye lebo ya chakula, unapaswa kutaja sehemu ya viungo. Bisi ya A: Viungo ni unga, sukari na matunda Bisi ya B: Viungo ni sukari, unga na matunda Unapaswa kuchagua Bisi ya A kwa sababu kulingana na kanuni ya lebo ya chakula, kiungo cha kwanza kilichoelezwa ni kiasi cha zaidi kilichotumiwa kuandaa bidhaa. Kwa hivyo kwa Biscuit B, sukari ni kiasi kikubwa kinachotumiwa kuandaa bidhaa ya mwisho na sio afya kwani ina sukari ya juu na kalori. Kama sukari na mafuta ni waliotajwa katika viungo kuu tatu za kwanza, kuepuka kununua bidhaa kama iwezekanavyo. Hakikisha sukari na aina yoyote ya mafuta imeorodheshwa kama kiungo cha mwisho kwenye lebo ya sehemu ya kiungo cha bidhaa yoyote ya chakula. Huenda vyakula fulani vikaandikwa kuwa havina mafuta mengi. Lakini hilo halimaanishi kwamba haina kalori nyingi. Kwa mfano, kwa ajili ya yoghurt ya mafuta ya chini, unaweza kuongeza sukari. Sukari ya ziada itaongeza kiasi cha kalori. Kwa hiyo, wakati wa kuchagua chakula cha afya, hakikisha kwamba bidhaa au chakula ni chini tu katika mafuta lakini pia chini katika kalori.