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A Short Guide to Reading and Understanding Nutrition
Facts Label
People look at food labels for different reasons. But whatever
the reason, many consumers would like to know how to use this
information more effectively and easily. Here are some hints
to make it easier for your to use nutrition labels to make quick,
informed food choices that contribute to a healthy diet.
1. Serving
Size
The first place to start when you look at the Nutrition Facts
label. Serving sizes are standardized and make it easier to
compare similar foods. The size
of the serving influences the number of calories and all the nutrient amounts
listed on the label. Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many
servings there are in the food package. Then ask yourself, “How
many servings am I eating”?
2. Calories
Calories provide a measure of how much energy you get from
a serving of this food. Many Americans consume more calories
than they need without meeting recommended
intakes for a number of nutrients. The calorie section of the label can help
you manage your weight. Remember, the number of servings you consume determines
the number of calories you actually eat (your portion amount).
3. Nutrients
Americans generally eat adequate amounts, or even too much,
of nutrients such as fat, cholesterol and sodium. Eating
too much fat, saturated fat,
trans fat,
cholesterol, or sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases,
like heart disease, some cancers, or high blood pressure. Health experts
recommend that you keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol
as low
as possible as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.
On the other hand,
most Americans don’t get enough dietary fiber, vitamin
A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in their diets. Eating enough of these
nutrients can improve your health and may help reduce the
risk of some diseases and conditions.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain dietary
fiber, particularly soluble fiber, and low in saturated fats
and cholesterol may reduce
the risk of heart disease.
4. Percent Daily Value
These percentages show the amounts of nutrients an average
person will get from eating one serving of that food. For
the purposes of food labels,
the
government
chose an “average” person as someone who needs 2,000 calories
a day. So if the label on a particular food shows it provides 25% of
vitamin D, that
25% is for a person who eats 2,000 calories a day. This can be complicated,
but one thing it makes easy is showing at a glance if a food is high
or low in a
particular nutrient. If a food has a daily value of 5% or less of a nutrient,
it is considered to be low in that nutrient. 20% or more represents a
high amount of the nutrient. Remember to limit that amount of fat, cholesterol,
sodium and
get enough of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and dietary fiber.
Key Points to Remember:
- Look for Serving Size and compare to
Servings Per Container.
- Choose products that are low in Total
Fat, especially saturated fat.
- Look for high fiber and low sugar
products versus looking at Total Carbohydrate.
- Use low Sodium
products.
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