2000 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
Make Healthy Food Choices Use the Food Label
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Introduction
Objectives Main
Teaching Points
The Nutrition Panel
Percent Daily Values (DV)
Additional Label
Information
Suggested Activities
Introduction
Information about the nutritional content of foods is
required on most products sold in the grocery store. This is a result of the
Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 and regulations from the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The law
went into effect in May, 1994. The new nutrition information is in bigger, more
readable type and is required for almost all packaged foods. The information is
also posted near fresh fruits and vegetables. On packaged foods, it usually
appears on the side or back of the package under the heading "Nutrition Facts."
The information on the food labels is now a lot more helpful. A
column of information, called the "% (percent) Daily Value," tells the consumer
at a glance how the food fits into a healthy diet.
The information is more complete. The label must include
information about saturated fat, cholesterol, fiber, sugars, calories from fat
and other dietary components that are important to todays consumers. The
serving sizes on the labels were chosen to closely reflect the amount people
actually eat.
Words such as "light," "low-fat," "calorie-free" and other such
claims must meet strict government definitions so when dieters see them they can
believe them.
Objectives
To provide consumers with an overview of whats on the
nutrition label and why this information is important.
To help consumers understand why it is important to consider
several nutrition components featured on a label in order to select nutritious
foods.
Main Teaching Points
1. The nutrition panel
a. Content
b. Serving size and servings per container
c. Calories and calories from fat
d. Percent daily values
2. Additional label information
The Nutrition Panel
The nutrition panel on the label gives valuable information
about the nutrient content of the food in a table format. The nutrition panel on
the label is called "Nutrition Facts." Lets take a look at the layout of the
food label.
Serving Size and Servings Per Container: At the top of
the label, you will see a serving size amount. The serving size is based on the
amount of food you would need to eat to get the amount of listed nutrients. The
servings per container or package tells you how many servings are in the whole
package. If one serving is one cup and the entire package has five cups, there
are five servings per package.
These amounts are based on the amount of food people generally
eat. They are determined by the manufacturer. Serving sizes are now more uniform
between similar foods. They must be shown in common household measurements and
in metric.
The following dietary components were chosen because they
address current health concerns.
Calories and Calories From Fat: Calorie requirements vary
for each person, depending on age, weight, gender and activity level, food
labels are based on a diet of 2,000 calories a day. The number on the left,
calories, indicates how many calories are in one serving of the food. The number
on the right, calories from fat, tells the total number of calories that come
from fat in one serving.
Total Fat: This number indicates how much fat is in a
single serving of food and is usually measured in grams.
Cholesterol and Sodium: These numbers tell how many
milligrams of cholesterol and sodium (salt) are in a serving of this food. These
numbers are especially helpful to people who need to monitor their intake of
sodium and cholesterol.
Total Carbohydrate: Carbohydrates are usually measured in
grams, and this number indicates how much carbohydrate is in a single serving of
this food.
Sugars, Dietary Fibers and Protein: These numbers tell
how many grams of sugar, dietary fibers and protein are in a serving of this
food.
Percent Daily Values (DV)
The percent daily values, like serving sizes, are based on an
average adult male who consumes 2,000 calories a day. Percent daily values are
listed in the right-hand column in percentages and they tell you how much of a
certain nutrient you will get froω eating one serving of that food. Your goal
should be to eat 100 percent of each of these nutrients daily. If a serving of a
food has 18 percent protein, then that food is providing 18 percent of your
daily protein needs if you eat 2,000 calories.
Vitamin A and Vitamin C: Vitamins A and C are two
especially important vitamins. That is why they are listed on the Nutrition
Facts label. The amount for each vitamin in each serving is measured in percent
daily values. If a food has 80 percent of vitamin C, youre getting 80 percent
of the vitamin you need for that day. It is a requirement that companies list
the amounts of vitamins A and C. If they choose, they can also list the amounts
of other vitamins.
Calcium and Iron: Food companies are required to list the
amounts of calcium and iron. The minerals are measured in percent daily values.
Additional Label
Information
1. Allergies: In addition to the above-mentioned
information, the nutrition label must also include the ingredients. The
ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. This gives you an idea of
how much of an ingredient the food contains in proportion to its overall weight.
This information is very helpful to people with food allergies.
2. Well-Balanced Diet: Food labels can be used to plan
nutritious and healthy meals.
Many snacks such as potato chips and candy bars are high in
calories, sodium, cholesterol and fat and low in minerals and vitamins. Healthy
snacks should include vegetables, fruits and breads. Snacks can also include
leftovers from meals, servings of fruit, vegetables and other foods with high
nutrition.
By giving your family a variety of healthy foods, you can ensure
they take in a wide variety of nutrients. Insufficient amounts of nutrients can
lead to deficiency and diseases.
Fat intake should be limited to no more than 65 grams a day or
30 percent of your total calories. A good rule to follow make sure all foods
you eat or serve your family have less than 30 percent of the calories from fat
your diet will be low in fat.
3. Definitions: A food claim is often made by the
manufacturer on the front of the package, for example, "low fat or "no
cholesterol." Many consumers wonder if these claims are trustworthy. The Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) only allows claims on labels that are sueported by
scientific evidence. The following are terms for which definitions have been
established:
Free, which means that a product contains no or only
negligible amounts of fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar and/or
calories.
Low may be used on foods that can be eaten frequently
without exceeding the dietary guidelines for fat, saturated fat,
cholesterol, sodium and/or calories.
Lean and extra lean describe the fat content
of certain meats, poultry, fish and game meats. More specifically:
Lean means fewer than 10 grams fat, fewer than 4
grams saturated fat and fewer than 95 mg cholesterol per serving.
Extra lean indicates fewer than 5 grams fat, fewer
than 2 grams saturated fat and fewer than 95 mg of cholesterol per serving.
High is a positive term indicating that a food
contains 20 percent or more of the DV for a particular nutrient.
Good Source is also a positive term since it means
that a serving of the food supplies 10 to 19 percent of the DV for a
particular nutrient.
Reduced indicates that the product has been changed
nutritionally so that it contains 25 percent less of a nutrient or calories
than the regular product. A reduced claim for a nutrient cannot be made if
the food already meets the requirements for "low" in that nutrient.
Less means that a food contains 25 percent less of a
nutrient than a comparable food.
Light means the calories in a food have been reduced
by at least a third from what they were in the regular product or that the
fat has been reduced by at least half. Light can also mean that the sodium
in a low-fat, low-calorie food has been reduced by at least 50 percent.
Light can refer to color or texture as long as the label makes it clear this
is the meaning being used.
More means that a serving of the food contains at
least 10 percent more of the Daily Value for a nutrient than a regular food.
4. Are all foods labeled?
No. Not all foods are labeled, but many foods are. Foods fall
into three categories for labeling:
Some foods are regulated by mandatory labeling laws. They
include:
Packaged goods (regulated by FDA)
Processed meats and poultry products (regulated by USDA)
Some foods are labeled on a voluntary basis. They include:
Raw fish (FDA)
Fresh produce (FDA)
Raw meat and poultry (USDA)
Some foods are exempt from labeling. They include:
Foods with insignificant amounts of nutrients, such as
coffee, tea and spices
Restaurant foods
Bulk foods
Foods produced by small businesses
Suggested Activities
1. Distribute Handout 1 and do the activity with the group. Have
the group look at the two labels and answer the questions.
2. Have participants bring a food label to the class for
discussion. Decide on which points you want to cover from the label. Some
discussion points might include: Is the food high in nutrients? Is it high in
sodium or cholesterol? Does it fit into a healthy diet? Are the calories high
compared to the serving size? Would you buy this product again?
Easter H. Tucker, Family and Consumer Sciences Specialist
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