DIET PLANNING & READING FOOD LABELS

Why do we need to pay attention to labels and food groups? Most U.S. residents consume: Twice as many grains (mostly refined) as recommended 20% more protein than needed 40% fewer veggies (french fries count) 60% fewer fruits than recommended 50% less dairy

READING FOOD LABELS

Food Labeling 1973 – U.S. Food & Drug Administration implemented rules for food labeling Rules modified several times – and may be modified again Required for most packaged foods that contain more than one ingredient Restaurants with 20+ locations must provide menu nutrition information (watch portion sizes – they are not uniform)

Required on food package labels Product Common Name; address of manufacturer, packer or distributor Net contents in weight, measure or count Ingredient list – must list 80% of ingredients including additives for preserving or enhancing foods in descending order by weight

Required on Food Package Labels Religious symbols (if applicable) Ex: kosher Safe-handling instructions (if applicable) Special warning instructions (aspartame, peanuts, etc)

Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) Serving sizes - established by FDA - all labels for similar products must use same approximate serving size Everything in NFP is “per serving” so serving size is IMPORTANT! Nutrient amount, % Daily Value (DV), tells you the amount of each nutrient you will consume per serving

More Label Information Use the web sites below to review how to read labels. Fortified foods - addition of nutrients that either weren’t present originally, or were present in low amounts Enriched foods - nutrients added back in that were lost during processing

Claims on Food Labels – regulated by FDA 3 Types of Claims are allowed on Food labels if the food meets specific criteria: Nutrient ClaimsHealth ClaimsStructure/Function Claims

Label Claims Nutrient: characterize the quantity of a nutrient in a food Examples: “good source of fiber”; “fat-free”; “low sodium” MUST meet specific definitions to be used Health: characterize the relationship between a nutrient or other substance in a food to a disease or health-related condition Examples: “diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure” MUST meet specific definitions to be used; MUST use “may”, not “will” Need scientific evidence to support

Label Claims Structure-Function: characterize the relationship between a nutrient or other substance in a food and its role in the body Example: “slows aging”; “builds strong bones”; “promotes a healthy heart”; “supports immunity” Do not require FDA approval Very common – especially on “health” foods **Be careful of structure-function claims. Many sound like health claims, but there is no scientific evidence to support the claim!

Nutrition label guidelines 1. Check ingredient list (avoid foods with sugars in the first 3 ingredients) 2. Check Calories- avoid foods with 30% or more total calories coming from fat 3. Check fats- avoid trans, hydrogenated, or saturated fats 4. Check DV for nutrients- look for 20% or more of DV for Vit A, Vit C, Calcium, Iron, and Fiber (3gm/100 Cal) 5. Beware confusing structure-function claims 6. Beware meaningless claims “real, natural” 7. Check ingredients against nutrient claims 8. Remember Nutrition supplements are NOT FDA regulated!

Diet Planning Principles (ABC, DMV) Adequacy: Enough energy (cals) + meet daily value recommendation for nutrients Balance: Enough but not too much Calorie (energy), watch energy-providing nutrients, Energy in = energy out Nutrient density: nutrients vs. kcals Healthy diets contain foods that have HIGH nutrient density relative to total calories. Moderation: Choose Foods low added sugars, added salt, and foods with less than 30% of total calories coming from fat Variety: if diet is not varied, nutrients are not varied which could = poorer health

Dietary Planning Tools There are several tools to help plan a healthy diet: Dietary Guidelines for Americans Evidence-based advice Attain and maintain a healthy weight Reduce risk of chronic disease Promote overall health Reviewed and revised every five years ChooseMyPlate- recommendations for individual food groups (specific)

USDA Food Patterns Help consumers plan their own diets based on cals and 5 food groups: Fruits Vegetables Grains Protein Dairy

Estimate your kcal needs….

Discretionary Cals Discretionary Cals are usually from added sugars and fats in foods Should be < 15% total Cals consumed so for a 2000 Cal diet there are 258 discretionary Cals (20 oz. Coke = 250 Cals)

Portion Control Important! Utilize Plate Tools to Keep Portions in Check Portion: is the amount of a food you choose to eat for a meal or snack. It can be big or small = what you serve yourself. Serving/Serving Size: is a MEASURED amount of food often predetermined and listed on nutritional labels or recommended through food science agencies.

Portion Distortion

Portion Sizes Estimating Portions3 oz. portion of meat/poultry/fish

When Choosing Groceries… Vegetables – Choose fresh/frozen > canned Legumes - cheap, low fat, nutrient dense Fruit - fresh whole > juice Meat (loin/round - watch prime and choice), fish, and poultry (remove skin) Milk/Dairy - choose low fat or non fat Shop the perimeter of the store Avoid processed foods: as processing increases, nutrients tend to decrease, stick to whole foods when possible.

FDA Guidelines mation/ucm htm mation/ucm htm

Nutrition Facts Panel Quiz