The Nutri-score, this colorful logo that appeared in 2017 with five letters from A to E, will be further modified, from the end of this year, to better take into account food and health knowledge.
Martin Ducret, doctor and journalist at Doctor’s Daily talks to us today about the Nutri-score, this nutritional labeling that we have seen appear on our food packaging to help us eat better. A new calculation method for better prevention.
franceinfo: This Nutri-score will still be modified by the end of the year?
Martin Ducret: Since its appearance in 2017, it has already been modified for the first time, last year, to better differentiate foods according to their salt and sugar content, or to better classify fatty fish and meat.
By the end of the year, the modification of the Nutri-score will concern drinks. The idea is to better classify them according to their sugar content, and to lower the note of sweeteners, these false sugars, not necessarily good for health, which are found in “light” drinks. On the visual side, however, no planned change in the Nutri-score, the colored letters will always go from A, for foods and nutrients to be favored, to E for those to be avoided.
In addition to paying attention to the Nutri-score, what advice do you give to your patients who wish to lose weight?
I simply explain to them that weight depends on a balance between caloric intake on the one hand, which comes from food, and caloric expenditure on the other, which comes from physical activity. If we eat too much, and if we do not move, and of course, we gain weight.
It is therefore necessary to avoid processed foods, sodas, sweets as much as possible, and above all to take the time to eat and chew well. For example, eating chocolate and hazelnuts, rather than industrial spreads. In terms of physical activity, you have to start doing it gradually, walk as soon as possible, and take the stairs whenever you can.
In case of illness, such as excess cholesterol or high blood pressure, what would you advise? Fewer fatty and salty foods?
Yes, but not only ! As Valentin Lacroix, a nutritionist in Grenoble, explained to me, “It is especially the quality of food, and those rich in antioxidants and omega 3 that should be favored: fish, colored fruits and vegetables, or even spices. These foods reduce the oxidative stress that attacks the cells of our body.
Another example, it is better to favor an English breakfast, richer in protein, with eggs, wholemeal bread and cheese, rather than too rich in sugar. It helps to avoid the mid-morning cravings that make you want to eat anything!
So of course, to adopt good eating habits or follow a diet, the ideal is to see a nutrition specialist, but above all to keep in mind that eating is not only a need but also a pleasure.