While shopping at the
grocery store or choosing something to eat, do you find yourself asking these
questions?
·
Do I even know how to read a food label?
·
What do the percent daily values (%DV) really
mean?
·
What’s the difference between low fat and
reduced fat?
Knowing what and how much you are really eating is important to
keeping healthy. Learning how to read and
interpret food labels while shopping can help you make better choices and
improve your health.
Food labels give basic information about the nutritional content
of the food including amount of calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, fiber
and various vitamins and minerals. Food
labels also give information regarding the serving size and number of serving
per package.
When Reading a Food Label…
Start with the serving size
Look at the serving size and the number of servings per
package. If the package states a serving
is 1/2 cup and you eat 1 cup, then you are getting twice the calories and other
nutrients listed on the label.
ALERT: ONE PACKAGE OF OREOS IS NOT ONE SERVING!!
Look at the total calories
This is the total calories one serving of the product
provides. Eating more calories than your
body uses during the day can lead to weight gain. If you are trying to lose weight, you may
want to start cutting back on the total amount of calories you consume each
day.
Check out the fat, sodium and cholesterol
Try not to exceed 100% daily value (%DV) of fat per day. Total fat includes saturated, unsaturated and
trans fats. Saturated and trans fats
have been shown to raise cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart
disease. (To learn more about trans fats
visit: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Trans-Fats_UCM_301120_Article.jsp).
Although most young people do not generally have problems with
high blood pressure or high cholesterol, limiting sodium and cholesterol intake
at any age can help prevent or reduce complications in the future. Check out the %DV to see if your item is high
or low in sodium or cholesterol.
Get enough vitamins, minerals and fiber
Adequate amounts of fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron help to support good health and may reduce the risk of certain health conditions, such as gastrointestinal problems and osteoporosis. In addition, fiber helps you feel fuller longer which can help promote weight loss. Aim to get 100% of your DV of these nutrients.
Notice the % Daily Value (%DV)
Daily values are the average levels of nutrients someone on a
2,000 calorie diet should get. In other
words, if the label lists 10% DV for iron, it means one serving of that food
contains 10% of the iron you need each day. The footnote section on the label also gives
information on your %DV.
·
5 percent or less is low – try to keep your
total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium below 5%
·
20 percent or more is high – strive higher
amounts for vitamins, minerals and fiber
Look at the ingredient list
Ingredients are listed in order by weight, starting with the largest amount first. You may want to avoid or limit foods that have some form of sugar as one of the first ingredients. These include sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and sugars ending in –ose, for example sucrose and maltose. For more information on how to spot sugars on food labels visit: http://www.hungryforchange.tv/article/how-to-spot-sugar-on-food-labels.
Food manufactures are also required by law to clearly state if
the product contains or is made from a product that contains any of the
following: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat or soybeans.
So what do all the health claims on a food package really mean?
• Low calorie — Less than 40 calories per serving.
• Low
cholesterol — Less than 20 mg of cholesterol and 2 gm or less of saturated fat
per serving.
•
Reduced — 25% less of the specified nutrient or calories than the usual product.
•
Good source of — Provides at least 10% of the DV of a particular vitamin or
nutrient per serving.
•
Calorie free — Less than 5 calories per serving.
• Fat
free / sugar free — Less than 1⁄2 gram of fat or sugar per serving.
• Low
sodium — Less than 140 mg of sodium per serving.
•
High in — Provides 20% or more of the Daily Value of a specified nutrient per
serving.
•
High fiber — 5 or more grams of fiber per serving.
Next
time you are in the store use your new found knowledge to help you make smarter
food choices!
For more information on nutrition labeling
visit: http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/default.htm
Written by: Kristin Pennington, 2014-2015 SFA Dietetic Intern
Reviewed by: Sarah Drake MS, RD, LD
References:
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