HEALTH TIP #17:

Nutrition food label - Carbohydrates

When buying grain products (bread, cereal, pasta, crackers, granola bars, etc.) or comparing these types of products, it’s important to read the food label and ingredient list to find the carbohydrate, fibre and sugar content of these products.

You should look for grain products that are made with whole grains and that are high in fibre, as well as low in sugar and fat. It’s important to choose whole grains versus refined grains (e.g. white bread, rice and pasta) as they provide much more nutrients (vitamins, minerals and fibre). You need to look at the ingredients list in order to see if the food is made of whole grains. Make sure that the first ingredients on the list starts with the word WHOLE, such as whole wheat, whole oats, whole rye, etc. There are a variety of whole grain products that you and your family can enjoy: brown rice, quinoa, couscous, barley, millet, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, etc.

As a rule of thumb, choose more often foods that contain 4 g or more of fibre and 8 g or less of sugar per serving. When you subtract the amount of fibre from the total carbohydrates, the remaining number represents available energy for your body. Fibre is a non-digestible carbohydrate that has many health benefits, such as, keeping you regular, helping lower blood cholesterol and blood glucose (sugar in the blood), etc. 

Remember that reading nutritional labels is important in order for you to make informed choices on what you put in your body, which will directly impact your overall health.

Take care of your health, you’re worth it!

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