Are You Sure It’s Fat Free

Introduction: Food industry misleads us by calculating the fat content in packaged food on “weight basis” whereas the fat content (having to do more with the calorific value of a food item and not its weight) actually has to be calculated on the basis of the calorie value of the food item. So, the “calorie basis” is what has to be applied to know how much fat our food items actually carry. Here are three interesting eye-openers!! Breakfast: Oatmeal (Single serving = 45 g) Calories in a single serving = 160 Fat content is 2 g 1 g of fat has 9 calories 2 g of fat = 2 * 9 = 18 calories.

The fat content is (18/160) * 100 = 11. 25 % Protein content is 1. 8 g 1 g of protein has 4 calories 1. 8 g of protein = 1. 8 * 4 = 7. 2 calories The protein content is (7. 2/160) * 100 = 4. 5% Lunch: Raisin Bran Crunch (Single serving = 60 g) Calories in a single serving = 190 Fat content is 1 g 1 g of fat has 9 calories The fat content is (9/190) * 100 = 4. 74 % Protein content is 3 g 1 g of protein has 4 calories 3 g of protein = 3 * 4 = 12 calories The protein content is (12/190) * 100 = 6. 32% Dinner: Vanilla Yogurt (Single serving = 225 g) Calories in a single serving = 110 Fat content is 2 g g of fat has 9 calories 2 g of fat = 2 * 9 = 18 calories The fat content is (18/110) * 100 = 16. 36 % Protein content is 5 g 1 g of protein has 4 calories 5 g of protein = 5 * 4 = 20 calories The protein content is (20/110) * 100 = 18. 18% Now, see what the food industry calculations would have been … Breakfast: Oatmeal (Single serving = 45 g) Fat content is 2 g The fat content is (2/45) * 100 = 4. 44 % Protein content is 1. 8 g The protein content is (1. 8/45) * 100 = 4% Lunch: Raisin Bran Crunch (Single serving = 60 g) Calories in a single serving = 190 Fat content is 1 g The fat content is (1/60) * 100 = 1. 7 % Protein content is 3 g The protein content is (3/60) * 100 = 5% Dinner: Vanilla Yogurt (Single serving = 225 g) Calories in a single serving = 110 Fat content is 2 g The fat content is (2/225) * 100 = 0. 89 % Protein content is 5 g The protein content is (5/225) * 100 = 2. 22% Conclusion: The above calculations speak for themselves. The actual fat/protein contents in packaged food stuffs are much more than what the food industry claims. This is misleading. The nutrition experts must enlighten the general public about this distorted information and help all towards better health.