How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Panel

Frank’s Grocery DilemmaIt is a cool morning in Fall. Frank woke up early to feed the birds. As he looked into his pantry he realized that he was out of cereal. His doctor recently told him that he needed to increase the fiber in his diet. He decided to make a quick trip to the store. He was not as rushed this morning and for the first time in a long while noticed the different types of cereals on the grocery shelf—shredded wheat, bran, oats, and even a name such as Muesli. For once he is stumped and was not sure which brand to choose. He wondered which product had the most fiber.

How Would You Decide?How would you make the decision on which

cereal to buy?

For many individuals the food label provides information that helps them make healthy food choices.

IntroductionFood labels…

Are tools that consumers can use to make more healthful decisions

Serve as the link between the motivation to make dietary changes and the ability to do so

Explain what is inside each food item just like a table of contents explains what is inside a book

Overview – The Nutrition Facts Panel

The Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) was passed in 1990This act required food manufacturers to

declare levels of certain nutrients on food labels

The objective of the NLEA, is to provide consistent, understandable, and usable labels that can help consumers choose healthier foods

Let’s Take a Look

Objectives - Consumer should:Explain the different parts of the food label

and ways in which consumers could use it to make informed food choices

Use the Nutrition Facts Panel to make healthy food choices

Relate serving size to portion controlUse the Percent Daily Value as a reference

tool to evaluate the nutrient contribution foods make to the diet

Compare nutrient claims on labels

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Parts of the Nutrition Facts Panel

1. Serving Size2. Calories3. Nutrients: Limit these4. Nutrients: Get enough of these5. Footnote6. Percent Daily Values

1 – Serving Size – Start HereThe serving size is the first place to begin

when looking at the nutrition facts on a food label.

It tells you the amount of food that is counted as a serving and the number of servings in the product.

Serving sizes are measured in cups, pieces, grams, etc.

Serving SizeWhat is the serving size?How many serving sizes are there in a

package?If you eat two servings, you have to double

all the values (calories, fat, protein, cholesterol etc.) on the food label.

The number of servings you are eating influences the nutrients and calories you are consuming.

Serving SizeServing Size HelpingThis is what is

considered a normal serving of a food

The amount of food you choose to put on your plate

Over the years portion sizes in our country have gotten bigger and

bigger!

2 – Calories

Calories are a measure of how much energy a food provides a person

Many Americans eat more calories than they need

Eating too many calories each day is linked to overweight and obesity

Remember, the number of servings you consume determines the amount of calories you eat

Nutrients and Calories they Provide

Foods rich in carbohydrates, protein, and fat provide the body with energy.

Nutrient Calories Food sources

Protein 4 Calories Chicken, fish, egg, meat

Carbohydrates 4 Calories Rice, bread, cereal

Fats 9 Calories Margarine, oil, butter

Alcohol 7 Calories Beer, wine, whiskey

Calories from NutrientsNutrient Calories

Remember

15 grams of carbohydrates 60 Calories1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 Calories

8 grams of protein 32 Calories1 gram of protein = 4 Calories

10 grams of fat 90 Calories1 gram of fat = 9 Calories

5 grams of carbohydrates 20 Calories1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 Calories

General Guide to Calories

400 calories or more is HIGH

100 calories is MODERATE

40 calories is LOW

Nutrients on the Food Label

Total fatSaturated fatCholesterolSodiumTotal carbohydrate

Nutrients are life-sustaining substances that we get from food

These nutrients can be found on the food label:

FiberSugarProteinVitamins A and CIron Calcium

3 – Nutrients: Limit These

Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, or sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases:heart diseasesome cancershigh blood pressure

Americans generally eat adequate or too much of these nutrients

Trans FatFood labels now include “trans fat”. This is

found in fats that are liquid and made solid through a process called “hydrogenation”.

Foods with trans fats include:• Vegetable shortening• Stick margarine• Commercially baked foods, such as

pastries, doughnuts, cookies• Deep fried food and snacks

Studies have shown that trans fat can raise LDL (bad cholesterol) which is associated with heart disease.

SodiumOne way to eat healthier is to cut back on

the amount of salt in the diet.It is recommended that a person consume

about 1 teaspoon of salt a day. This includes salt used in cooking and salt added at the table.

It is important to read food labels to know the amount of sodium in foods.

Foods with less than 140 mg of sodium is a low sodium food.

Ways to Cut Back on SodiumAs much as possible, use fresh foods

instead of canned or processed foods.When you use canned or processed foods

use those that are low in sodium.Rinse canned foods to remove some of the

sodium.Use herbs, spices, and salt free seasoning

blends when cooking.Do not add salt to food at the table.

4 – Nutrients: Get Enough of TheseGet enough of these

Eating enough of these nutrients can improve your health and help reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions

Most Americans do not get enough of these nutrients

5 - FootnoteThe footnote is found on the bottom part of the

food label. It shows:Percent Daily Values. This is based on a 2,000 calorie dietThe amount of calories you need daily depends on your:

o Ageo Heighto Weighto Physical activity

If you are very active you may need more calories than someone who is not active.

6 - Percent Daily ValueThe Percent Daily Value should give you

an idea of the nutrient content of a foodIt tells you if a food contains a lot or a

little of specific nutrientsA high Percent Daily Value – food

contains a lot of a nutrientA low Percent Daily Value – food

contains a little of a specific nutrient

The Highs and Lows of Percent Daily Values In order for you to make

wise choices you should know that “low’ is 5 percent or less.

You want your percent daily value to be low (5 percent or less) for the following nutrients:

Saturated fatCholesterolTrans fat and Sodium

In order for you to make wise choices you should know that “high’ is 20 percent or less.

You want your percent daily value to be high (20 percent or less) for the following nutrients:

Vitamin AVitamin CCalciumIron

Percent Daily ValuesOne Serving

Two Servings

Label LingoNutrient claims – actual definitions or levels that

must be met in order to use the claimFat-Free – contains less than 0.5 gram fat per

servingLow-Fat – contains 3 grams or less per servingReduced – contains 25 percent less (calories, fat,

sodium) than the original versionLight or Lite – contains one-third fewer calories or

one-half the fat of the traditional version of the food

Low-Cholesterol – has no more than 20 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat per serving

The Ingredients ListIdentifies all ingredients in the food product

Ingredients are listed on food labels in the order of their amount in the food from greatest to least

Let Us Examine the Ingredient List

1. What ingredient appears first on the list of ingredients?

2. How long is your list of ingredients?3. A long list of ingredients could mean that the

product has a lot of preservatives.

Ingredient ListEnriched flour (wheat flour, niacin,

reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid), Sugar, Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, Peanut butter (roasted peanuts, corn syrup solids, hydrogenated rapeseed, cottonseed and soybean oils, salt), Rolled oats, High fructose corn syrup, Salt, Leavening (baking soda, calcium phosphate), Cornstarch, Soy lecithin (emulsifier), Vanillin - An artificial flavor, Malted barley flour.

Any Questions?

References: Medline: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodlabeling.html US Food and Drug Administration:

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html Food Labeling and nutrition http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/label.html Understanding food labels http://www.nutrientfacts.com/label.htm

Clip Art: Microsoft Word

Ingrid Adams, Ph.D.Assistant Extension ProfessorExtension Specialist for Food and Nutrition

July 2009

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