Nutrition Chart

Understanding a Food Nutrition Chart

While eating your favorite cereal during breakfast, you turn the box sideways and read down a table that doesn't make much sense. This is the food nutrition chart of your cereal. You read, portion size, fat per serving, calories per serving, recommended amount, and various numbers and percentages, but it still doesn't m

ake sense. How can these figures explain how much of your favorite cereal you should eat in a day?

A typical chart would include information like the fat content, calorie content, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, sugar, vitamins and minerals contained and other important nutrients that can affect the a person's health. Unlike the food pyramid which shows the recommended serving per food group, a chart can chow and compare the amounts of necessary nutrients and components. But, a chart is not limited to this, it can integrate the figures from the pyramid and create a combination of a tool that can both informs and advices. There are also a few elements that could affect the nutrient components present in the food a person eat, it can vary depending on the amount they consume, on the cooking or preparation process that the food has undergone and sometimes even different sources of the same food item can affect the breakdown.

The food nutrition chart reconciles the amount of servings a person needs to the amount of a certain nutrient he can get for a certain serving of food item. A person requires either 1,500-2,000 calories per day or 2,000-2,500 calories per day depending on the state their health is in. If the food nutrition pyramid indicates that a person needs 6-8 servings of the grain groups a day. As a rough estimate, a slice of bread contains 75-80 calories, assuming a person consumes the 8 servings recommended; he eats 8 slices and adds to his calorie count around 600-680 calories. This is of course an ideal situation, although these certain nutrition requirements can be found in other food group.

For the fruits and vegetables group, 3-4 servings a day would be sufficient to achieve the needed vitamins and minerals. By using a chart, one could identify that a medium sized banana contains 422 milligrams (mg) of potassium, 1.29 grams protein, 3.1 grams of fiber and 6mg of calcium. All these components contribute significantly to a person's daily nutrient requirement. One the other hand, an apple eaten with its skin still on can provide one with about 195mg potassium, 0.47 grams protein, 4.4 grams fiber and 11mg calcium. This example shows that while you might be consuming the proper amount of servings, the amount of specific nutrient your body gets from a serving is still indefinite.

The more reliable your food nutrition chart is, the easier it will be to plan a suitable diet specifically tailored to fit your dietary needs. A person who does not have enough potassium in their body can make it up by choosing bananas to satisfy your optional food intake for the day. Just keep in mind that certain diet plans are suitable for different individuals, it is best to mix and match food items and customize your own.