Nutritional Value of Food
We have already developed that:
-
nutrients are divided in two subcategories: macronuutrients that provide energy and micronutrients that don't provide energy
-
food groups are categories of foods that share similar nutritional properties
-
the concept of groups equivelants is based on their macronutrient content (carbohydrates, protein, and fat), helping us understand how different foods fit into a balanced diet and how different foods within the same group can be substituted for each other while providing similar nutritional benefits.
May equivelants provide similar macronutrients and energy but this doesn't happen in terms of micronutrients. Every food we consume has a unique set of nutrients that contribute to our overall health in various ways. Understanding the nutritional values of different foods can help us make informed choices and maintain a balanced diet.
But, What is nutritional value?
Nutritional value or nutritive value as part of food quality is the measure of a well-balanced ratio of the essential nutrients carbohydrates, fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins in items of food or diet concerning the nutrient requirements of their consumer.
In this WebQuest, we'll focus to investigate the nutritional value of various food items with the use of ExploreFood Web tool.
Take a look in this brief presentation so to develop more about the nutritional value of food and its determinants:
https://view.genially.com/669e0367cc23945d0ee332af/presentation-nutritional-value-of-foods
Nutrition labels can assist you in selecting between products and monitoring your intake of foods that are high in fat, salt, and added sugars.
Most pre-packaged foods feature a nutrition information label on the back or side of the package.
Energy is the first value on the nutrition label. It is expressed in kilojoules (kj) and kilocalories (kcal).Some foods are high in sugar and fat, meaning they are energy dense, meaning they contain more than 225-275 kcal per 100g.
Protein is the second value on food labels and is expressed in grams (g).
Carbohydrates are also listed in grams (g). There are two main types: complex carbohydrates and sugars.
Fat is also listed in grams (g). There are two main types: saturated and unsaturated (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated)
Salt is also listed in grams (g). Its increased consumption increases the risk of hypertension. You will also see it as sodium on the nutrition label. To be able to calculate how much salt is contained in food, use the following formula:
gr. of sodium * 2.5 = g of salt The recommended amount of salt should be less than 6g. (or 2.4 g sodium) per day.
Take a look at the following interactive presentation:
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/interactivenutritionfactslabel/default.cfm
so to better understand the nutrition facts in a label, and these resources:
https://haccpmentor.com/how-to-calculate-your-product-nutritional-information/
https://hnrca.tufts.edu/resources/nutrition-resources/calculating-calories-and-nutrients-meals
https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/food-label-guide/
so to develop more on how we calculate nutritional information on a product.
Now you are better prepared to design a food label for a food item of your preference.
Make use of the website: https://www.nutritionvalue.org/ and based to the instructions provided to the worksheet, design a nutritional food label:
Upload your work on the padlet:
https://padlet.com/meddiet4health/understanding-nutritional-information-oxksbjpifafem26w
It's time to experiment ExploreFood web tool so to better understand the importance of being aware of the nutritional value of food and how this knowledge can help maintain a healthy and balanced diet, making use of the following worksheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-1guBS-E0tRqSC6cvBfUzbjEUXmmsg9OyAyojz2NwtU/edit?usp=sharing