Reading Food Labels

Food Labels 2. notice the number of servings per container To judge the nutritional value of a food, do not rely solely on advertisements or nice looking packages. Reading the food label carefully will help you make healthy food choices. Information to read or look for: 1. read the ingredients 2. notice the number of servings per container 3. note the calories in one serving 4. look at the percentage of daily values 5. read any health-related descriptions or claims

Ingredients Ingredient listing will show contents of the product in order of amount by weight Become familiar with terms of different kinds of ingredients If the word sugar does not appear on the label, know that words ending in –ose are generally different sugars

Servings per container Serving sizes are standardized for over 100 different food categories, so you can compare similar food products for the number of servings they provide. Servings Per Container x Calories = Total calories in entire container

Calories in one serving If the number of calories is high and you are trying to lose or maintain weight, you might want to choose a different food. If you are trying to gain weight, a high-calorie food may be a good choice, as long as it provides useful nutrients

General Guide to Calories* 40 Calories is low 100 Calories is moderate 400 Calories or more is high

Percentages of Daily Values The food label indicates what percentages of Daily Values (DV) for different nutrients are supplied by that product. Notice that the Daily Values are based on a diet of 2,000 calories per day.

5-20 Rule 5-20 Rule Bad Nutrients = sodium, fat, cholesterol %DV should be equal or below 5% Good Nutrients = fiber, iron, calcium, vitamins %DV should be equal or above 20% What items on a food label should we limit? What items on a food label should be indulge in?

Analyzing Food Labels Serving Size Calories in one serving Daily Values % (DVs) Indicates how much of that nutrient you are getting in relation to your recommended amount 5-20 Rule: --Bad nutrients = 5% or less Includes: fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium --Good nutrients = 20% or higher Includes: Fiber, Minerals, Vitamins Footnote: Recommended intakes, all = 100% DV Total Fat/day < 65g Saturated < 20g Cholesterol < 300mg Sodium <2400mg Total Carbs > 300g Fiber > 25g