FIT FOR LIFESTYLES Lesson Plan #8 – Grades 5&6 Understanding Food Labels

Take out your food labels! What is a Food Label? What foods do we find food labels on? What foods do not require a food label? Nutrition facts and ingredients give us the information we need about packaged foods What does all this information mean? Packaged foods are required to have a food label listing nutritional information and an ingredient list. It is hard to figure out what is contained in a food that has been processed and packaged, therefore these labels are like a “book” explaining the food inside. Fruits, vegetables, some meats and fresh food. Understanding food labels helps us make healthy food choices Take out your food labels!

Nutrition Facts Calories Calories = unit of measurement for the amount of energy a food supplies our body. Food Labels can be difficult to apply to our diets because the information is based on a 2000 calorie/per day diet. 2000 calories may be a good amount of calories for an adult, but we may eat less than that because we are still growing. Even though a Food Label is based on an adults diet, we can still use and understand the information for our own benefit!

Nutrition Facts Most nutrients listed are in grams or milligrams (milligrams are very small, 1000 milligrams = 1 gram) Food label also gives percentage value. This value is based on a 2000 calorie/per day diet, so percentages may be too low for how much we eat. For example: this food gives an adult 12% of their daily intake of fibre.

Nutrition Facts – Serving Size Similar to the portion sizes in Canada’s Food Guide How much is one serving of your food product? One serving of cereal is often close to one cup. One serving of liquids is often given in millilitres. Each table should have measuring utensils so that they can visualize how much one serving is according to their food label. Serving sizes can also be expressed in weight (grams or pounds). This can make it difficult to estimate one serving.

Other listed information Fat – is an essential part of a healthy diet. But if consumed in excess, too much fat can be unhealthy for our heart and body weight. Trans and saturated fats- are the unhealthy fats that we should limit in our diets. Dark animal meats and highly processed foods tend to be high in unhealthy fat.

Other listed information Cholesterol and Sodium- we should try and moderate cholesterol and sodium. Too much is not good for our heart. Low amounts of fat, cholesterol and sodium is good for our hearts!

Carbohydrates, Protein and Fat Food labels can help us decide if a food is primarily made up of carbohydrates, protein or fat. Protein Carbohydrates Quick fuel for our body! Labels often list amount of sugar and fibre. Fibre is great for our digestive system and keeps us feeling full! Sugar gives our food a sweet taste. We should moderate foods that contain excess sugar. Can anyone remember why protein is important in our diet? Protein builds up, maintains, and replaces the tissues in your body.

Vitamins and Minerals We already know that we need a variety of vitamins and minerals in our diet. Food labels list amounts of vitamins and minerals along with a percentage value. Percentage value reflects how much of that vitamin we have consumed according to how much we need in one day. For example: if the label says that one serving contains 25% of our daily intake of vitamin C, we would need to consume other foods to reach 100% of our daily value (75% more).

Example: ingredient list for a loaf of bread. Ingredient Lists Ingredient lists are helpful if we cannot eat certain foods (food allergies) Ingredients listed from greatest amount to least. INGREDIENTS: WATER, WHOLE GRAIN WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR INCLUDING THE GERM, OAT BRAN, WHEAT GLUTEN, SUGAR/GLUCOSE-FRUCTOSE, INULIN (CHICORY ROOT), *YEAST, OAT FIBRE, SUGAR BEET FIBRE, PLUMS, VEGETABLE OIL (CANOLA OR SOYBEAN), VINEGAR, SALT, ACETYLATED TARTARIC ACID ESTERS OF MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, CALCIUM PROPIONATE, SODIUM STEAROYL-2-LACTYLATE, SORBIC ACID, TRISODIUM CITRATE 2-HYDRATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, MAGNESIUM CARBONATE, NATURAL FLAVOUR. MAY CONTAIN SESAME SEEDS, SOYBEAN AND SULPHITES. [L804] - ONTARIO AND ATLANTIC PROVINCES ONLY Can you pronounce all the ingredients on your food label? The names we cannot pronounce are often chemicals called preservatives. Preservatives help extend the shelf life of certain foods. Although it may be difficult, try and choose foods with the least amount of preservatives. Example: ingredient list for a loaf of bread.

Conclusion Although food labels are aimed towards an adults diet, we can still compare food labels to help us make healthy choices. Knowing how to read a food label allows us to look past the claims that advertisers place on packaged product and decide if something is good for us. The teacher can briefly discuss common claims made on the outside of food packaging. Such as 100% fruit (the product still may have excess sugar), products that are 100% whole grain still may have high fat or sugar content and just because a product is ad