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Reading Food Labels

Picking up a can or box in the grocery store and reading the label is something we all know we should do to keep you aware of nutrition, but what are those labels really saying?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Serving Size:  This information is at the top  of the label and it tells you how many servings the container of food contains. The rest of the information on the label is based on the serving size.  Many times there will be more than one serving in a container.  This means if you eat the entire container of food you need to multiply the nutritional values on the label by the number of servings to get an accurate idea of the calories and nutrients you are consuming. 

2. Calories: The calories and calories from fat are found near the top of the label.  They are the amount per serving size, so if you eat more than one serving the amount of calories increases.  "Calories from Fat" also gives the amount in a serving size.  Fat is an important part of a healthy diet as it aids in the absorption of vitamins, adds taste to food and helps your stomach feel full.  Some fats are not healthy.  Limiting the amount of trans and saturated fat is important for a healthy lifestyle.

3. Nutrients to Limit:  This portion of the label includes saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium.  These are nutrients the FDA says "Americans generally eat in adequate amounts, or even too much".  They are listed in grams and are shown in comparison to a 2,00 calorie diet (except for trans fat which hasn't been proven to have a sufficient daily value).  Eating too much fat as well as cholesterol and sodium can increase your risk of high blood pressure, cancer and heart disease.  Health experts recommend keeping the intake of these low.

4. Percentage Daily Value: According to the FDA, most people are not aware of the amount of calories they consume in a day.  Even if you ignore the calories part of the label you can still get useful information for the percentage of daily requirement value column to incorporate the right amount of nutrients in your diet.  The FDA suggests that generally any serving size with a 5% daily value or lower is low for that nutrient, and 20% or more is high. 

5. Nutrients to get Enough of:  According to the FDA most Americans don't eat enough fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium or iron.  On most labels you can see this information shown as a percentage of daily value.  These nutrients are an important part of a healthy diet and can help reduce your risk of certain diseases. 

6. Footnote: The footnote explains that the nutritional values are based on a200-calorie diet.  But each person's needs are different.  The FDA suggests 2,000 calories is "about right for moderately active women, teenage girls, and sedentary men.  Many active men, teenage boys and very active women should eat as many at 2,800 calories a day.  Older adults, children and sedentary women may only need 1,600 calories a day.
 

Source: www.cnn.com