CHANDIGARH, 06.12.24-Last time we talked about processed foods. Since they have become a apart and parcel of our life intentionally or un intentionally, therefore everyone has the right to know how and what to choose. With festive season fast approaching, markets will be flooded with ready to serve and eat savories and beverages to be gifted as Diwali gifts. Before you choose any packaged stuff for yourself or your loved ones, make sure to make an informed choice. Read the nutritive value table given behind the box for nutrients such as sodium and potassium especially for people having high blood pressure, heart or renal issues since these often go ignored when one is choosing so called healthy packaged stuff to be used as a snack or a drink. Keep a note of ‘total sugars’ in this list in juice/ biscuits even if it mentioned sugar free. Have an eye on words trans fats and saturated fats since these are not good for your cardio vascular health. Don’t ignore addition of artificial sugars since upcoming data indicates of their ill effects on health. Read the ingredient list too. Ingredients are often mentioned in descending order of their presence in the food item. Watch out for something written as refined flour as first ingredient in ‘ high fiber snack’ or ‘water, sugar’ and somewhere in the end ‘fruit juice’ in a tetra pack of juice claiming to be 100 percent pure at the front of the pack.