Important note

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life as the best option for babies. At Nutrino, we believe that breastfeeding is the best gift you can give to your baby. Breast milk not only provides all the nutrients that the baby needs during the first 6 months, but also protects from infections, allergies and strengthens its immunity. Additionally, breastfeeding creates a special, unbreakable bond between mother and child that lasts a lifetime.

As your baby grows, the WHO recommends introducing safe and nutritionally appropriate complementary foods starting at six months, while continuing breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond. If you are using milk formulas, it is important to consult your pediatrician to make the best decision for your baby. The introduction of solid foods should be gradual, tailored to your child’s needs, and always under the guidance of a pediatrician.

Learn to interpret food labels

It often happens that when you enter a store, you don’t know what to choose among a bunch of similar, colorful jars, tetrapacks and other products. The only way to choose wisely is to read the declaration. Here’s how to learn.

It should be emphasized that every food product on the shelves must be declared in accordance with legal norms.

The declaration represents the identity card of each food, because it reveals its origin, purpose and composition, but at the same time it gives us proof of the correctness of the food, that is, it confirms that it is safe for consumption.

List of ingredients and nutritional value of food

On each declaration, we distinguish between two things: the list of ingredients and the nutritional value, i.e. nutritional value of food.

The list of ingredients lists all the components that make up the product, starting from the most present to the least represented.

The nutritional value of the food we buy tells us how many nutrients are contained in 100g, 100ml or per serving unit of the food. Information on the energy value of the food, as well as the amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat, is highlighted here.

What do RDA and GDA mean?

RDA (Recommended Daily Allowances) is a standard that prescribes recommended daily amounts of vitamins and minerals needed for a balanced diet.

These numerical values ​​are usually listed in the column next to the amount of vitamins and minerals that are present in 100g of a particular product and are expressed as a percentage.

For example, if 80% is written next to the value of vitamin A in the column stating the RDA – this means that by consuming 100g of that food, 80% of the daily needs for vitamin A will be met.

GDA (Guideline Daily Amounts) is a newer system of expressing daily needs that is often states on the front of the package in the form of a table or “traffic light”.

GDA is a guide that shows how many kilocalories and nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, sugar, fat, saturated fatty acids, fiber and salt) a certain amount of food (meal) contains in relation to the reference daily intake of 2000 kcal.

Additives

Various additives in the products we buy have been discussed for a long time. There were even black lists with E-numbers that name additives harmful to human health.

The lists caused panic and confusion among consumers, especially since one of them contained citric acid (E330), an otherwise completely harmless additive.

Some additives are of natural origin such as vitamins, fibers, enzymes, natural dyes and aromas, while others are synthesized chemical compounds of precisely known composition.

However, in order to avoid potentially harmful consequences , one should adhere to the permitted daily intake, which is defined for each individual food additive.

This is supported by the fact that the maximum allowed amount of additives that are potentially dangerous to health in food is 100 times smaller than the amount that has a risk of harmful effects on human health.

That is why it is useful to read the declarations and choose products that contain natural flavors, colors and preservatives.

Calories and sugar Energy value is expressed in kcal and kJ, and when consuming it should be kept in mind that it refers to 100g of food.

Based on that, you can determine the amount of the portion, if you do not want to exceed your daily energy intake – the average adult consumes about 2000 calories per day, and the recommended intake for children is up to 1500 calories per day.

100% natural food for babies and children – preparation and storage

Pay special attention to the amount of simple sugars (glucose, fructose – fruits, vegetables, honey) if they are specifically indicated.

It is desirable that their mass be as small as possible, and complex sugars be larger (cereals – bread, pasta, flakes, flour, potatoes, vegetables and legumes).