The Serving Size Illusion
The first number you should look at on any nutrition label is not the calories—it's the serving size. This is the single biggest trap for consumers trying to make healthy choices. Food manufacturers often set unrealistically small serving sizes to make the calorie,
sugar, and fat content seem lower. Think of a popular packet of cream biscuits. The label might list the nutritional information for a serving of just two biscuits. But many people would easily eat four or five with their evening tea, unknowingly consuming double or even triple the stated calories and sugar. Similarly, a small bottle of a soft drink or juice might contain two or more servings, but is typically consumed by one person in a single sitting. This isn't technically false advertising, but it's a strategic framing that can create a misleading impression of a product's health impact.
The Golden Rule: Compare 'Per 100g'
So, how do you make a fair comparison? The key is to ignore the 'per serving' column and look directly at the 'per 100g' or 'per 100ml' information. According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), manufacturers must provide nutritional details for both per serving and per 100g/ml. The 'per 100g' column is the great equaliser. It allows you to compare two different products on a like-for-like basis, regardless of the manufacturer's chosen serving size. If you're deciding between two brands of breakfast cereal or two types of namkeen, the 'per 100g' values for sugar, sodium, and saturated fat will tell you which one is genuinely the better option, removing all guesswork and marketing spin.
Do the Simple Math for Your Real Portion
While the 'per 100g' value is best for comparing products, the 'per serving' information is still useful for understanding what you're actually consuming. The trick is to be honest about your portion size. If the label says a serving is 3 biscuits but you know you're going to eat 6, you must double all the nutritional values—calories, fat, sugar, and sodium—to get an accurate picture of your intake. The formula is simple: (Value per serving) x (Number of servings you actually eat) = Your total intake. For example, if a serving of instant noodles is half the cake and has 300 calories, eating the whole packet means you've consumed 600 calories, not 300. This simple calculation is crucial for managing your diet effectively.
Look Beyond Calories to Sugar and Sodium
Calories are just one part of the story. The serving size trick can also hide alarming amounts of added sugar and sodium. India is seeing a rise in lifestyle diseases, and packaged foods are a major contributor to excess sugar and salt in our diets. Again, use the 'per 100g' column to guide you. As a general rule, a food with more than 10-15g of sugar per 100g should be considered a high-sugar product. For sodium, anything over 400-600mg per 100g is high. You might be surprised to find that savoury snacks like chips and noodles can be packed with sugar, while seemingly healthy breakfast cereals can have very high sodium levels. Always read the full label, not just the claims on the front of the pack.
