Mediterranean Diet Principles & Food Label Facts

Posted on Apr 1, 2025 in Human Nutrition and Dietetics

Mediterranean Diet Principles

  • High consumption of bread, cereals, and legumes.
  • Abundance of fruits, vegetables, and fish.
  • Reduced consumption of meat and animal fat.
  • Consumption of nuts, tomato, onion, and garlic.
  • Moderate intake of wine at meals (optional).

Key Mediterranean Food Groups

  1. Milk and dairy products
  2. Meat, fish, and eggs
  3. Potatoes, legumes, and nuts
  4. Vegetables
  5. Fruits
  6. Bread, pasta, cereals, sugars, and sweets
  7. Fats, oils, and butter

Understanding Nutritional Labeling

Nutritional labeling provides consumers with information on the composition of a packaged food product. Food labeling regulations dictate the presentation and advertising of foods, including mandatory information that must appear on all food labels:

  • Sales Description: Refers to the nature of the product, indicating its physical state (e.g., dried, concentrated) and any treatment it has undergone (e.g., frozen, smoked).
  • List of Ingredients: Includes all substances present in the product, including additives, listed in descending order by weight.
  • Date Marking: Packaged foods must indicate a time period for consumption to ensure quality and safety.
    • The ‘Best Before’ date is recommended for optimal quality; after this date, the food may lose some quality but is often still safe.
    • The ‘Use By’ or expiration date is used for highly perishable microbiological products, indicating that consumption after this date may be harmful.
  • Instructions for Conservation: Notes any special storage conditions (e.g., refrigeration) required to maintain quality until the indicated date.
  • How to Use: Explanations for appropriate preparation or use of the product (e.g., cooking instructions for oven, microwave).
  • Batch Number / Lot Code: A set of letters and numbers identifying products manufactured or packaged under the same conditions.
  • Company Identification: Includes the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, or importer responsible for the food.

What is Nutrition Labeling?

Nutrition labeling specifically refers to information about the nutritional properties of food, such as energy (calories), protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, certain vitamins, and minerals like sodium. This is regulated, for example, by EU Directive 90/496 and its implementations.

Nutrient Calculation Example: Potato (125g)

Example using the ‘rule of three’ (proportion) for a 125g potato portion, based on nutritional information per 100g.

Step 1: Macronutrient Grams per 125g

  • Protein: If 100g potato has 3.2g protein, then 125g has (3.2 / 100) * 125 = 4g protein.
  • Carbohydrates: If 100g potato has 7g carbohydrates, then 125g has (7 / 100) * 125 = 8.75g carbohydrates.
  • Lipids (Fat): If 100g potato has 5.25g lipids, then 125g has (5.25 / 100) * 125 = 6.56g lipids.

Step 2: Calories (Kcal) per Macronutrient

(Using standard Atwater factors: Protein ≈ 4 Kcal/g, Carbohydrates ≈ 4 Kcal/g, Lipids ≈ 9 Kcal/g)

  • Protein Kcal: 4g protein * 4 Kcal/g = 16 Kcal. (Note: Original text calculation seems inconsistent here and below, using different input grams or Kcal values. Using the calculated grams from Step 1 for consistency.)
  • Carbohydrate Kcal: 8.75g carbohydrates * 4 Kcal/g = 35 Kcal.

Step 3: Calories (Kcal) from Lipids

  • Lipid Kcal: 6.56g lipids * 9 Kcal/g = 59.04 Kcal.

Total Calories

Total Kcal: 16 Kcal (Protein) + 35 Kcal (Carbs) + 59.04 Kcal (Lipids) = 110.04 Kcal. (Note: The original text calculation resulted in 161.24 Kcal, suggesting different initial values or calculation methods were used there.)

Step 4: Macronutrient Percentage of Total Calories

(Target reference percentages often cited: Protein ~10-15%, Carbohydrates ~45-65%, Lipids ~20-35%)

Using the calculated total of 110.04 Kcal:

  • Protein %: (16 Kcal / 110.04 Kcal) * 100% = 14.54%
  • Carbohydrate %: (35 Kcal / 110.04 Kcal) * 100% = 31.81%
  • Lipid %: (59.04 Kcal / 110.04 Kcal) * 100% = 53.65%

Conclusion: Balanced Diet Check

Compare the calculated percentages (Protein: 14.54%, Carbohydrates: 31.81%, Lipids: 53.65%) with target macronutrient distribution ranges to assess if this single food item aligns with general dietary balance recommendations. (Note: Based on these calculations, this potato example is higher in fat percentage and lower in carbohydrate percentage than typical targets, likely due to the assumed fat content per 100g in the original example data.)