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Food Nutrition Facts
Read Food Nutrition Facts and Plan Healthy Meal
One way to learn more about food nutrition fact, is to snoop around the supermarket. Check out package labels to see what manufactures are adding (or removing) from the foods we eat. Labels are required on almost all types of food, except those that don't provide many nutrients such as coffee, alcohol and spices. Although some restaurants provide information about the food they serve, they aren't required to have labels. The FDA recommends that sellers provide nutritional information on produce, meat, poultry and seafood, but it's strictly voluntary.
At the top of a label under food nutrition facts, you'll see the serving size and the number of servings in the package. The rest of the nutrition information in the label is based on one serving only.| Calories, Calories From Fat and Per cent Daily Values |
This part of a food nutrition label provides the amount of calories per serving and the amount of calories that come from fat. If you need to know the total number of calories you eat every day or the number of calories that come from fat, this section provides that information. On the right side of a food label, you'll see a column that lists percentages. These percentages refer to the per cent daily values (%DV). Percent daily values tell you how much of something--whether it's fat, sugar or vitamin A-- you get in one serving compared to how much you need for the entire day. It helps gauge the percentage of a nutrient requirement met by one serving of the product. | Fat, Sugar, Sodium and Carbohydrates |
Food labels show the presence of different nutrients and the amount of that nutrient in one serving of the food. This information may be crucial, especially if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or are on a diet that restricts certain nutrients such as sodium or carbohydrates. Food labels also include information about how much sugar and protein is in the food. If you are following a low-sugar diet or monitoring your protein intake, it's easy to spot how much of those nutrients are contained in one serving. | Vitamins, Minerals and Other Information |
The light purple part of the food label lists nutrients, vitamins and minerals in the food and their per cent daily values. Try to average 100 per cent DV every day for vitamins A and C, calcium, iron and fiber. Do the opposite with fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. Try to eat less than 100 per cent DV of these. | Understanding Label Lingo |
Here's a list of common phrases you may see on your food packaging and what they actually mean. - No fat or fat free: The food contains less than half a gram of fat per serving.
- Lower or reduced fat: The food contains at least 25 per cent less fat per serving than the reference food.
- Low-fat: The food contains less than three grams of fat per serving.
- Lite: The food contains 1/3 the calories or 1/2 the fat per serving of the original version or a similar product.
- No calories or calorie-free: The food contains less than five calories per serving.
- Low-calorie: The food contains 1/3 the calories of the original version or a similar product.
- Sugar-free: The food contains less than half a gram of sugar per serving.
- Reduced sugar: The food contains at least a quarter less sugar per serving than the reference food.
- No preservatives: The food contains no preservatives (chemical or natural).
- No preservatives added: The food contains no added chemicals to preserve the product. Some of these products may contain natural preservatives.
- Low sodium: The food contains less than 140 mg of sodium per serving.
- No salt or salt-free: The food contains less than 5 mg of sodium per serving.
- High-fiber: The food contains five grams or more per serving. Good source of fiber: 2.5 g to 4.9 g. per serving.
- More or added fiber: The food contains at least 2.5 grams more per serving than the reference food.
With a little practice, you will be able to put your new-found knowledge about food labeling to work. Re-assess your diet and decide what needs to be changed. Start by eliminating the foods that don't measure up to your nutritional wants and needs, and replace them with more nutritional substitutes. High Fibre Food | Food Nutrition Facts | Fish Oil and Weight Loss | Enzymes |
High Protein Diets Food Nutrition Facts to Healthy Eating Guidelines
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