Packaged foods are everywhere. However, experts advise against eating too much of them to avoid lifestyle diseases in the future. The first step in that direction is to understand the details on the package and to read between the lines. City-based dietitian Dr Pooja Thacker tells us how to start
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Every year the first week of September — from September 1 to September 7 — is celebrated as National Nutrition Week in India. Image for representational purpose only. Photo: istock
The Covid-19 pandemic made more people stock up on packaged foods in the fear that fresh ingredients would either become unavailable or harder to access in lockdown. Now, food packages contain a lot of details and apart from glancing at the price and use-by date, not many people really focus on the other significant fine print.
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Every year the first week of September — from September 1 to September 7 — is celebrated as National Nutrition Week in India. The aim is to create awareness about the need for proper nutrition to lead a healthy lifestyle. The theme for 2021 is ‘feeding smart right from the start’ to emphasise on the need to eat right from the time children are born. With easy access, increasing dependency and consumption of packaged foods, it is important to know more about the details being shared on them to not only understand their nutritional value but also to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Mid-day spoke to Dr Pooja Thacker, head of department for dietetics, Bhatia Hospital in Mumbai to understand why people should focus on the nutrition table on packaged foods and not ignore the ingredients either.
Why is looking at food packaging for their nutritional value important?
Looking at the nutrition label on food packaging is of utmost importance because many details are not clear due to marketing gimmicks. Most of the time, the details are not clear. For example, if it is mentioned that a product is ‘low sugar’ and ‘low salt’, it doesn't mean that it is completely sugar-free. Some amount of sugar and salt is still added.
How does one read the nutrition table on packaged foods? What are the dos and don'ts?
While reading the nutrition chart on packaged foods one has to look at sugar content, cholesterol, trans fat, fibre, calorie intake and serving size. The values are given for 100 grams but the packet may be 50 grams, so it is important to read the values correctly and tally with the net weight of the container to know the amount we are consuming.
Per day, on an average, one needs 250 kcal, preferably 0 sugar and 0 trans fat, about 30-40 grams of fibre, and 250 mg of cholesterol.
What care should people with diseases and allergies take?
Patients who have diabetes, hypertension and kidney disease must surely take care to avoid packaged food items since these items contain natural salt and sugars as preservatives.
People who have certain food allergies should be extra careful in reading the ingredients mentioned in the label to check the source of the content and avoid the food if necessary or doubtful.
What are the common misconceptions about the nutrition table on packaged foods?
Some common misconceptions spread by makers of packaged foods are that the products are 'low-fat' or 'fat-free'. Gimmicks such as 'fibre-rich' or 'no-sugar' food are not true as they have high fat because of the use of binding agents (example: biscuits).
The food which is labelled as 'high-fibre' has values for every 100 grams but, for example, if it's a biscuit packet, then the whole packet is usually never consumed by us. Only a few pieces are actually consumed, so the overall intake is minimal. 
The harmful ingredients to look out for in the ingredient section are maltitol, fructose, high corn starch syrup, corn flour and refined flour. Image for representational purpose only. Photo: istock
In 'high-calcium'-marked items like malt-based health drink powders, the calcium content given is for the powder only after it has been added to a serving of milk. This means being added to milk is what makes the powder calcium-rich, not that the powder itself is high in calcium.
What are the kinds of packaged food to avoid?
It is always best to avoid packaged foods like biscuits, wafers, cold drinks, bread, noodles, ready-to-eat snacks, tetra pack juices and syrups. It should be consumed in moderate amounts and not regularly. Try to eat more home cooked food and fresh juices to get nutrition required by the body.
Has the Covid-19 pandemic changed the way we approach packaged foods?
During the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, people had home food due to short supply of packed food so diabetes patients had good control of their sugar levels. However, teenagers had a high intake of biscuits, noodles and cold drinks because of binge-eating at night. These foods, if not consumed in limited quantities, can cause various diseases like obesity, diabetes and hypertension.
The ingredients section on packaged foods usually has complicated jargon. What are particularly harmful ingredients that one should stay away from?
The harmful ingredients to look out for in the ingredient section are maltitol, fructose, high corn starch syrup, corn flour and refined flour. These are high in carbohydrates and sugar which will increase the chances of developing diabetes and anxiety.
The artificial sweeteners and natural preservatives (which simply mean the food is salt-based) are some examples of jargon used. The consumption of too much food which is high in these ingredients can lead to diabetes and hypertension.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant as a replacement for a medical practitioner’s advice. Readers must always consult their doctor and/or nutritionist first before initiating any changes to their diet or fitness schedules.
Also Read: What Covid-19 reaching an endemic stage in India would really mean
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