Let's learn to read labels

By Dr. Elisa Sanna

The food groups

The different foods and foods that we eat every day with the diet and nutrition have a peculiar composition in terms of nutrients; this allows them to be characterized and then divided into so-called "FOOD GROUPS" or categories.

The foods present in the different groups are similar to each other for a compositional, therefore nutritional, characteristic that differentiates them from those present in another group. However, it is not excluded that the same food may be "straddling" two categories, as it contains more constituents at the same time. Within a group, not only the caloric value but above all the nutritional value of different foods can vary. Carrying out a classification of foods by drawing a real demarcation line between the various categories is therefore not so simple and it would be reductive and simplistic to consider each as a source of only one nutrient. This is the case, for example, of many cheeses and dairy products that are usually classified as PROTEIN foods, but are also a source of ANIMAL FATS; or legumes, which appear as a more or less balanced mixture, depending on the type of legume we are talking about, of CARBOHYDRATES (or carbohydrates if you prefer), VEGETABLE PROTEINS and FATS.
The groupings are therefore not so fiscal, and certainly the topic will require further study. Let's start from the basics.

Protein Foods

The main protein foods belong to the sphere of zootechnical productions, therefore we find RED MEAT (such as beef, pork, horse and sheep-goat products) and WHITE MEAT (chicken, turkey), but also CHEESES and DAIRY PRODUCTS and the egg. With regard to the latter, a distinction must be made between egg white or clear, a source of protein only, and yolk which, on the other hand, contains a high percentage of animal fats and cholesterol.
Fish and shellfish also have a high protein content, of biological value comparable to that of meat, if not higher, in some cases. However, their protein density is lower. However, the case of vegetable proteins is different as they have a lower biological value than those of animal origin and must be integrated with each other.

Glucidic Foods

Carbohydrates are divided into "simple" and "complex" according to the number of molecules of which they are composed. Complex carbohydrates, of vegetable origin, are starches and fibers and are found for example in cereals, tubers, vegetables, legumes and seeds. Glycogen, on the other hand, is a complex sugar present in animal tissues. The main simple carbohydrates (or simple sugars) are Glucose (present in the blood), Fructose (present in fruit and vegetables), sucrose and lactose (sugar contained in milk and its derivatives).

Food Oils and Fats

It is necessary to make a double distinction: the first concerns consistency. The term OIL usually indicates liquid fats such as olive oil, while the term FATS solid ones, such as butter and margarines.
Depending on the origin, we also distinguish vegetable and animal fats.

Finally, last but not least, but only for their percentage content, much lower than that of the macronutrients treated so far, the MICRONUTRIENTS. These are represented by Vitamins and Minerals differently distributed in each food present in the groups, the discussion is therefore very articulated and deserves an in-depth study that is beyond the intentions of this article.