Learning About Food Labels

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Did you know that food companies are required to give you the facts about what you’re eating and drinking?

But have you ever seen a box, bottle, or package say, “This is very unhealthy!” Nope! That is why it is important to understand how to read nutrition labels so you can make that decision for yourself.

Main Menu Total Fat Cholesterol Sodium Total Carbohydrate Sugars Protein CaloriesCalories 155 Click the category on the nutrition label if you need to navigate to a specific section. The best way to complete this module is to start from the beginning and continue until the end. After you are done with each slide, press the next button.

Take a look at this food label for some cheese crackers. We’re going to take some time and understand what it means.

Serving Size Serving Size Serving Size is located at the top of the label. It tells you the amount of food that the rest of the information on the label refers to. This label says that the serving size is 26 crackers, which is equal to 30 grams.

Servings Per Container This tells you how many servings are in a container. This label says there are about 13 servings in this box. If each person ate one serving, this box would feed 13 people.

Let’s practice what we’ve learned! How many servings are in this bag of chips? How much is in a serving size? A.There are 12 1 oz. servings.There are 12 1 oz. servings B.There are 15 1 oz. servings.There are 15 1 oz. servings. C.There are oz. servings.There are oz. servings.

NOT QUITE! Take another look at the label. BACK TO THE QUESTION

YOU’RE RIGHT! There are 12 1 oz. servings.

Calories What is a calorie? Watch this video to find how about Calories and how our bodies use them. Click the picture below to be linked to the video.

Calories One serving of this snack has 140 Calories. Below Calories, you will also see Calories from Fat. This tells you how many of the Calories come from fat. This label says that 45 of the Calories come from fat. Experts say that only about 30% of your daily Calories should come from fat.

Helpful Hint! When looking at the next section, it is best to look at the percentages rather than the grams. The percentages are usually based on a 2,000 Calorie diet.

Fat We need some fat in our diet, but too much can lead to obesity and other problems. This bag of snacks has 5 grams of total fat, which is 8% of your total daily value.

Fat Under Total Fat you will often see other types of fat like saturated fats and trans fats. These types of fats are not good for your body. Compare the difference in fat between these two nutrition labels.

Time for a Review! Based on a 2,000 Calorie diet, this food contains how many total grams of fat per serving? A.8%8% B.0 grams0 grams C.5 grams5 grams

Give it another try! Look closely at the label and remember you are looking for grams of total fat. BACK TO THE QUESTION

CORRECT! This food contains 5 grams of fat per serving.

Sodium Sodium is a mineral found in salt. You need it in small amounts, but a lot of sodium is not good for your body. This label says that this food has 10% of your daily sodium intake.

Carbohydrates Carbohydrates give your body energy by breaking the food down into simple sugars. Foods like pasta, bread, and potatoes are high in carbohydrates. This food has 42 g of total carbohydrates.

Sugars Processed sugars are added to snacks that are not good for you and should be eaten in small amounts. This is a label from a bottle of Dr. Pepper. Look at all that sugar!

Test your knowledge with this question! According to the label, which of the following holds the amount for 5% of our daily recommended diet? A.SodiumSodium B.Total CarbohydratesTotal Carbohydrates C.SugarsSugars

Let’s look at that question again. Remember to look next to the listing to find the percentage. Look for the listing next to 5%. BACK TO THE QUESTION

GREAT JOB! This food has 5% of the amount of total carbohydrates that we should have in our diet.

Protein Protein is important for the building of strong bones and muscles. It is found mostly in meats, nuts, and eggs. This is a label for peanut butter, a food high in protein. Notice one serving of peanut butter has 9 grams of protein.

Cholesterol Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. If you have too much, it can clog your arteries. You should look for foods that are low in cholesterol like this one on the left.

Vitamins & Minerals Vitamins and minerals are found at the bottom of the food label. There are many different vitamins and minerals that are found in foods and drinks. Common ones include calcium, vitamin A, B, C, and D, as well as iron.

Take a look at this label and see if you can find out what vitamins and minerals it contains. When you’re done, click on the label.

Do you think you have the hang of this now? This food has what percent of Vitamin C? A.21%21% B.100%100% C.5%5%

How about another try? Find Vitamin C on the label and see what percentage is next to it. BACK TO THE QUESTION

That’s right! This food contains 21% of our necessary Vitamin C.

Cheese Crackers Remember the food label for the cheese crackers from the very beginning? Now that you know all about food labels, let’s see if these are healthy or not. These cheese crackers have a fair amount of fats and sodium and not a lot of vitamins and minerals. This snack should probably be eaten in moderation.

More Labels Now let’s look at some more labels and see if these food are healthy choices or not, for each choice click on the corresponding smiley face. Unhealthy Healthy

Healthy or Not? Click on your answer.

UNHEALTHY! That label was for a McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich which has a lot of fat and sodium, even though it has 30% of calcium.

It’s actually not healthy. That was a label for a McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich which has lots of fat and sodium, even though it has 30% of calcium.

Healthy or Not? Click on your answer.

HEALTHY! Good job! This label was for a can of green beans. It has a low level of total fat, a low level of sodium, and a good amount of vitamins and minerals.

It’s actually healthy! It’s a can of green beans, which has low fat, low sodium, and a good amount of vitamins and minerals.

Almost Done! Just remember: When looking at food labels, look for foods with low levels of fat, sugar, sodium, and cholesterol and have lots of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Thank you! Remember to check those nutrition facts so you can STAY HEALTHY! marts/article4.html Information for this PowerPoint from: Images from