Reading Labels

Knowledge is power!

It’s the Table of Contents to the food you eat!

Serving size Servings per container Calories Calories from fat Total Fat

Saturated vs. unsaturated (mono and poly) vs. transfats

Cholesterol (less than 300mg a day) Sodium (less than 2400mg a day)

It’s the Table of Contents to the food you eat!

Total Carbohydrate Dietary fiber Sugar (added sucrose, fructose,

maltose, lactose, honey, syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corm syrup, molasses and fruit juice concentrate)

Protein

Percent Daily Values

Based on 2000 or 2500 calorie diet Stick with 2000 calories

About 600 calories from fat About 1200 calories from carbs About 200 calories from protein

% of daily value provides you with a percentage as opposed to counting grams

Includes Vitamin A, C, calcium & iron List of ingredients Remember - calories add up FAST!

Keeping it Straight

Ingredient list = in order from most to least

Lite = 1/3 less calories Reduced fat = 25%

less fat than higher fat version

Low-fat = 3g or less per serving

Keeping it Straight

Lean and extra lean = reduction in sat fat and cholesterol (4g and 2g of sat fat respectfully with <95 mg of cholesterol)

Free = least amount, negligible “high in …” >20% of the daily value for

the nutrient High fiber = 5g of fiber or more per

serving Fortified = added in

Don’t Forget your Vitamins and Minerals!

You can’t make them – you’ve got to eat them!

Different foods contain different vitamins. Need variety!

Vitamins Fat soluble stored for extended periods in

your body. A, D, E, and K Water soluble pass through your body if not

needed. C and B’s

Don’t Forget your Vitamins and Minerals!

Minerals Need for building strong

bones and nerve conduction to making hormones and maintaining a healthy heart beat

Calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron…

Remember…

Make sure you know what a serving is. No food is perfect! Eat foods in

combination with each other. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie… Read the label. It will make you think

twice! Shop and compare brands. Identify

products that have sound nutritional value!

Your homework…

What’s in your cupboards? Bring in something from home. Make a

judgment on the foods nutritional. Go shopping!

Bring in label from something you found at the store that you thought was a good choice. How does it rate with your taste buds?