1. Reading Labels Knowledge is power!
At the end of this lecture and the label demonstration the following week, participants should be able to:
identify the basic components of food labels.
use the percentages of recommended daily allowances to help make good choices.
differentiate between packaging terms like lite vs. low fat.
recognize that ingredients listed are ordered from most to least in term of composition.
compare and contrast similar food products opting for the better choice.
shop and identify healthy brands of various packaged products (cereals, yogurts, soups, milk, breads, crackers…)
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.

2. It’s the Table of Contents to the food you eat!
Serving size
Servings per container
Calories
Calories from fat
Total Fat
Saturated vs. unsaturated (mono and poly) vs. transfats
Cholesterol (less than 300mg a day)
Sodium (less than 2400mg a day)
Participants can look at their handout or distribute a food label to each person. Have them follow along and point out the above stated components for their products.
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.

3. It’s the Table of Contents to the food you eat!
Total Carbohydrate
Dietary fiber
Sugar (added sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, honey, syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corm syrup, molasses and fruit juice concentrate)
Protein
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.

4. Percent Daily Values Based on 2000 or 2500 calorie diet
Stick with 2000 calories
About 600 calories from fat
About 1200 calories from carbs
About 200 calories from protein
% of daily value provides you with a percentage as opposed to counting grams
Includes Vitamin A, C, calcium & iron
List of ingredients
Remember - calories add up FAST!
Note there are ways to more accurately calculate the number of calories you need based on a desired weight and physical activity. The recommendation for children is typically calories. (I typically provide a second handout for participants interested in figuring this out.)
List of ingredients is in order by amount from most to least. If sugar is the first or second ingredient, you know that product contains a good bit of that ingredient. If you see the term partially hydrogenated oil, and it is the third or fourth ingredient, you know that the product contains a notable amount of unwanted trans fats.
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.

5. Keeping it Straight Ingredient list = in order from most to least
Lite = 1/3 less calories
Reduced fat = 25% less fat than higher fat version
Low-fat = 3g or less per serving
Among the labels distributed, ask participants if they have any of these terms on their box or package. If so, verify the term by checking the food label. You might also want to look at the differences in products that are very similar (Reduced Fat Wheat thins vs. the regular Wheat Thins or Fruit Loops vs. the version with reduced sugar, regular pepperoni to turkey pepperoni.)
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.

6. Keeping it Straight
Lean and extra lean = reduction in sat fat and cholesterol (4g and 2g of sat fat respectfully with <95 mg of cholesterol)
Free = least amount, negligible
“high in …” >20% of the daily value for the nutrient
High fiber = 5g of fiber or more per serving
Fortified = added in
Among the labels distributed, ask participants if they have any of these terms on their box or package. If so, verify the term by checking the food label. You might also want to look at the differences in products that are very similar (Reduced Fat Wheat thins vs. the regular Wheat Thins or Fruit Loops vs. the version with reduced sugar, regular pepperoni to turkey pepperoni.)
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.

7. Don’t Forget your Vitamins and Minerals!
You can’t make them – you’ve got to eat them!
Different foods contain different vitamins.
Need variety!
Vitamins
Fat soluble stored for extended periods in your body. A, D, E, and K
Water soluble pass through your body if not needed. C and B’s
Vitamins that are water soluable dissolve obviously in liquids. The easiest example is with cereal fortified with C and B vitamins. When you add milk, these vitamins dissolve. Here’s the important part. If you leave your milk in the bowl, you also leave the vitamins! Use less milk and be sure to drink it up!
Dr. Willet recommends a standard multiple vitamin for most people. The research supports that most of us even when we attempt to eat healthy, are not necessarily getting all of our recommended allowances for the vitamins and minerals daily from our diets. While multiple vitamins appear to show favorable outcomes in maintaining health, taking particular vitamins substances in excess is associated with negative health outcomes. (Some preliminary results have been researched for Vitamin C. Excessive doses have been linked to increasing free radicals –associated with disease processes like cancer.)
For children, pediatricians generally do not recommend vitamin supplements unless there is concern about the child’s health or lack of variety in their diet.
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.

8. Don’t Forget your Vitamins and Minerals!
Need for building strong bones and nerve conduction to making hormones and maintaining a healthy heart beat
Calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron…
Vitamins that are water soluable dissolve obviously in liquids. The easiest example is with cereal fortified with C and B vitamins. When you add milk, these vitamins dissolve. Here’s the important part. If you leave your milk in the bowl, you also leave the vitamins! Use less milk and be sure to drink it up!
Dr. Willet recommends a standard multiple vitamin for most people. The research supports that most of us even when we attempt to eat healthy, are not necessarily getting all of our recommended allowances for the vitamins and minerals daily from our diets. While multiple vitamins appear to show favorable outcomes in maintaining health, taking particular vitamins substances in excess is associated with negative health outcomes. (Some preliminary results have been researched for Vitamin C. Excessive doses have been linked to increasing free radicals –associated with disease processes like cancer.)
For children, pediatricians generally do not recommend vitamin supplements unless there is concern about the child’s health or lack of variety in their diet.
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.

9. Remember… Make sure you know what a serving is.
No food is perfect! Eat foods in combination with each other.
A calorie is a calorie is a calorie…
Read the label. It will make you think twice!
Shop and compare brands. Identify products that have sound nutritional value!
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.

10. Your homework… What’s in your cupboards? Go shopping!
Bring in something from home. Make a judgment on the foods nutritional.
Go shopping!
Bring in label from something you found at the store that you thought was a good choice. How does it rate with your taste buds?
Encourage participants to take a closer look at the types of foods they are typically eating. Participants should bring packages in for discussion next week. I try to ask people to share food labels they thought were ok but really are not all that healthy for you. (Ramon Noodles is a good one!)
Additionally over the course of the next week when they go shopping, ask them to purchase a food product that they thought was relatively healthy based on the food label. They should taste it at home and make a recommendation to the class. If they are not sure where to look, encourage them to check out the health food section of the store or some of the vegetarian options in the freezer cases. The idea is to help families identify particular food products that are good choices to add to their shopping cart.
As an instructor, you will want to bring in several products as well in the event that some people forget. Include an analysis of milk food labels, comparing whole milk to 2% milk to 1% milk to skim milk to low fat chocolate milk. This is very meaningful given the amount of milk children are hopefully drinking.
This document is intended for the exclusive use of Growing Up Fit certified personnel and contains information that is copyrighted. All personnel must obtain permission to copy this information. Dissemination of this document is prohibited.