Diabetes and Food Packaging!

[NicoleC1971]

When you buy a Ready meal, or virtually any other packaged food. it is measured as one healthy adult portion, So why on earth, for example, do they put 380g in the package and then list the nutrients per 100g. Why can't manufacturers tell you the carbs, etc, in THAT portion. This is something that has been doing my head in for years. They list nutrients in the most ridiculous way, which I'm sure is done, just to confuse the public. I must spend an extra unnecessary hour, in the supermarket, trying to calculate the carbs in everything I eat. Or a desert, tells you it is 6 portions, weighs 650g, and is 23g per 100g weight !!!! I've never been good at Maths and sure I make huge mistakes when trying to divide numbers in a busy supermarket.

And my second rant, is why does our Food standards people allow manufacturers to have large SUGAR FREE branding on everything, when what it actually means is there's no added sugar. These so called Sugar free items, more often than not are fruity things which SHOULD be healthier for us, but there's more fruit in there so actually more natural sugar than buying the normal brands. I've been caught out no end of times buying my treat sweets.

Can't Diabetes UK start a petition or something to get the manufacturers to see some sense PLEASE

EDIT: Can I just say, that I wasn't referring to portion size at all, What I was trying to get at, was that when a package is obviously a single portion or single meal, why can't ALL manufacturers quote the nutrient values per the pack, instead of saying 'x'g of carb in 100g, when the pack is a silly number like 385g. I've noticed Aldi on some of their packaging do actually say, Pack contains ? but the majority make you work it out. After being a T1 diabetic for 50 yrs now, I'm getting a bit fed up of the massive brain work in the supermarkets Lol

Hi Sandra, I have gone to a Diabetes UK 'workshop' on this very topic and this is going to be a big campaign for them. Most of us type 1s around that table really wanted clear carbs labels for realistic portions as well as per 100g. Diabetes UK also aim to get this info available in the larger chain restaurants. However 90% are type 2 and DuK believes that putting calorie counts on food with traffic lights will help the diaobesity crisis. I disagree with that given that it would result in some highly nutritious foods being demonised by a red label and conversely, some junk foods e.g. rice cakes being given a green light.
However they have a tricky path and may feel it would be better to focus on the calories over the carbs.
I am of the belief that I am better off eating my own food wherever possible and this makes it even less possible to calculate carbs but then I also believe that it is impossible to eat a moderately high carb diet as a type 1 without making fairly frequent dosing areas so now I aim for low carb 80% of the time by dodging starch and sugar.

 

[mazza 2]

I always find that ready meals have lot of salt which isn't good for me. I prefer to make my own meals and then I know whats in them.

 

[Mr_Pot]

Hi Sandra, I have gone to a Diabetes UK 'workshop' on this very topic and this is going to be a big campaign for them. Most of us type 1s around that table really wanted clear carbs labels for realistic portions as well as per 100g. Diabetes UK also aim to get this info available in the larger chain restaurants. However 90% are type 2 and DuK believes that putting calorie counts on food with traffic lights will help the diaobesity crisis. I disagree with that given that it would result in some highly nutritious foods being demonised by a red label and conversely, some junk foods e.g. rice cakes being given a green light.
However they have a tricky path and may feel it would be better to focus on the calories over the carbs.
I am of the belief that I am better off eating my own food wherever possible and this makes it even less possible to calculate carbs but then I also believe that it is impossible to eat a moderately high carb diet as a type 1 without making fairly frequent dosing areas so now I aim for low carb 80% of the time by dodging starch and sugar.

I see two problems with recommended portion sizes:
1. People vary from a petite and inactive lady to a 6ft rugby player.
2. Foods can be served with or without accompaniments. I sometimes have a M&S Madras curry which claims to serve 2. It might do with a Naan or rice but I eat both portions with just some cauliflower.
Surely it is not hard to calculate base on values per 100 grams and labels are complicated enough already.

 

[NicoleC1971]

I see two problems with recommended portion sizes:
1. People vary from a petite and inactive lady to a 6ft rugby player.
2. Foods can be served with or without accompaniments. I sometimes have a M&S Madras curry which claims to serve 2. It might do with a Naan or rice but I eat both portions with just some cauliflower.
Surely it is not hard to calculate base on values per 100 grams and labels are complicated enough already.

Nope it is not hard but hen again having been on a DAFNE course, I did find lots of people struggled with basic maths or just wanted a quick way to know. As you say you can double up your portion size if you are a rugby player or halve it if you are Miss Marple.

 

[carty]

Oh I used to at the beginning. I have been known to chop a tiny piece off my cheese and give it the dog, and also to remove a few peas (2 or 3) because they over-weighed my portion allowance! I was very obsessive about it in those days.

If I tip too many nuts out I put them in my mouth !!!
.Carol

 

[Bluetit1802]

I still don't see what is wrong with grams per 100g. It is a simple percentage. If what I am eating is 25g per 100g then no matter how much or how little I eat, 25% (or a quarter) of it is carbohydrate. That's how I look at it.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Remember you can scan the barcode into My Fitness Pal or Chromometer and enter the actual number of grams you ate.
Quantity is only 1 part of the equation however and its worth considering timing, quality of the carbs and the company that they are keeping.
For lots of people that could be a better first step than getting obsessed with the numbers IMO.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Remember you can scan the barcode into My Fitness Pal or Chromometer and enter the actual number of grams you ate.

Only if you have a posh phone

 

[Eline]

Totally understand the rant. Who eats the portions they come up with anyway? Been doing the same with calculating in my head, but it's a pain..

 

[KK123]

Nope it is not hard but hen again having been on a DAFNE course, I did find lots of people struggled with basic maths or just wanted a quick way to know. As you say you can double up your portion size if you are a rugby player or halve it if you are Miss Marple.

Don't underestimate Miss Marple!

 

[Daibell]

Hi Sandra, I have gone to a Diabetes UK 'workshop' on this very topic and this is going to be a big campaign for them. Most of us type 1s around that table really wanted clear carbs labels for realistic portions as well as per 100g. Diabetes UK also aim to get this info available in the larger chain restaurants. However 90% are type 2 and DuK believes that putting calorie counts on food with traffic lights will help the diaobesity crisis. I disagree with that given that it would result in some highly nutritious foods being demonised by a red label and conversely, some junk foods e.g. rice cakes being given a green light.
However they have a tricky path and may feel it would be better to focus on the calories over the carbs.
I am of the belief that I am better off eating my own food wherever possible and this makes it even less possible to calculate carbs but then I also believe that it is impossible to eat a moderately high carb diet as a type 1 without making fairly frequent dosing areas so now I aim for low carb 80% of the time by dodging starch and sugar.

I'm not the least bit surprised DUK want to stay with calories and traffic lights as they are more interested in staying within the establishment mantra rather than focussing on the best approach for diabetics. That's one reason I resigned few years back.

 

[HSSS]

Hi Sandra, I have gone to a Diabetes UK 'workshop' on this very topic and this is going to be a big campaign for them. Most of us type 1s around that table really wanted clear carbs labels for realistic portions as well as per 100g. Diabetes UK also aim to get this info available in the larger chain restaurants. However 90% are type 2 and DuK believes that putting calorie counts on food with traffic lights will help the diaobesity crisis. I disagree with that given that it would result in some highly nutritious foods being demonised by a red label and conversely, some junk foods e.g. rice cakes being given a green light.
However they have a tricky path and may feel it would be better to focus on the calories over the carbs.
I am of the belief that I am better off eating my own food wherever possible and this makes it even less possible to calculate carbs but then I also believe that it is impossible to eat a moderately high carb diet as a type 1 without making fairly frequent dosing areas so now I aim for low carb 80% of the time by dodging starch and sugar.

Can’t say as a type 2 I find the traffic lights at all helpful (I totally ignore it in fact). It’s irrelevant to anyone doing anything other than following the eat well mantra! Much prefer the box on the back of the pack.