Reading Food Labels

Shop smart and get the facts on food labels.  Become a savvy shopper by reading labels to find out more about the foods you eat.  The Nutrition Facts panel found on most food labels will help you:

• Find out which foods are good sources of fiber, calcium, iron and vitamin C. 
• Compare similar foods to find out which is lower in calories and higher in protein.
• Search for low-sodium foods.
• Look for foods without trans fat. 

Start with the serving size.

• Check out the top of the label for both serving size and the number of servings per package.
• Remember to check your portion size (what you actually eat) against the servings size listed on the label. If the label serving size is one cup, and you eat two cups, you are getting twice the calories and other nutrients listed on the label. 

Percent Daily Value

The Percent Daily Value (% Daily Value) is based on the Daily Value recommendations for key nutrients, but only for a 2000-calorie daily diet-not 2500 calories. You, like most people, may not know how many calories you consume in a day. But you still can use the % Daily Value as a frame of refernce, whether or not you consume more or less than 2000 calories.

The % Daily Value helps you determine if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient. Note that a daily value for trans fat and sugars has not been set, so these nutrients do not have a percent associated with them. 

Check the ingredient list

Foods with more than one ingredient must have an ingredient list on the label.  Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight.  Those in the largest amounts are listed first. Effective January 2006, manufacturers are required to clearly state if food products contain any ingredients that contain protein derived from the eight major allergenic foods.  These are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.  

What Health Claims on Food Labels Really Mean

• Low calorie – less than 40 calories per serving
• Low cholesterol- less than 20 mg of cholesterol and 2 gm or less of saturated fat per serving
• Reduced – 25% less of a specified nutrient or calories than the usual product
• Good source of – provides at least 10% of the daily value of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving

Limit certain nutrients

The nutrition label lists certain nutrients that you may need to limit, including: 

• Total calories (if wt loss or maintenance is needed)
• Sodium
• Trans fat
• Sugars

Eat enough of these nutrients

Eating enough of certain nutrients can protect you against certain diseases.  The nutrition label lists the most commonly deficient nutrients:

• Dietary fiber
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Calcium
• Iron
• Calorie free – less than 5 calories per serving
• Fat free/ sugar free – less than ½ gram of fat or sugar per serving
• Low sodium – less than 140 mg of sodium per serving
• High in – provides 20% or more of the daily value of a specified nutrient per serving