By: Mary Agyepomah – Kissi
Dietician at Meridian Health Centre, Forzia Baidoo has explained that, it is important to take our time to read the Nutrition Facts Label on food products before we consume them.
Speaking in an interview on GTV Breakfast Show, she stressed that, the nutritional facts label on products gives an idea of the amount of nutrients in them and guides a person on the quantity that should be consumed and whether or not, that product should be eaten or not.
“It is important that you read the label so that you will be able to know the total amount of carbohydrates, added sugar, naturally occuring and free sugar” she said.
Speaking more on added sugar, she explained that, sugar listed as the second or third ingredient on a food product label indicates that the product is automatically very high in sugar hence should be avoided. “For an adult man, your consumption of sugar in a day should be 36grams or nine teaspoons and for an adult woman, 24grams or six teaspoons in a day” she noted.
She added that, sugar sweetened beverages contain more than the average amount of sugar that should be consumed in a day.