Tuesday, July 16, 2013

The "MUST KNOW" 's on food labels


Hey there Nutrinutters!

Here's a good tool on how to make better choices when you are purchasing a product: 
read and compare food labels

Below is a quick (and a tad colorful!) explanation on what you should be looking for: 

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup(228g)                                                
Servings Per Container 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 250                                 Calories from Fat 110

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12 g
18%
     Saturated Fat 3 g
15%
     Trans Fat 1.5 g

Cholesterol 30 mg
10%
Sodium 470 mg
30%
Total Carbohydrate 31 g
10%
     Dietary Fiber 0 g
0%
     Sugars 5 g

Protein 5 g

Vitamin A
4%
Vitamin C
2%
Calcium
20%
Iron
4%
Start with serving size and number of servings in package
Eating 2 cups instead of 1, you'll get twice the nutrients in the label.

Pay attention to calories and fat
              100 calories per serving - moderate
            400 calories or more - high.

Look at % daily value. Keep in mind it's based on 2000 calorie diet.
               
-5% or less is low daily value
Aim low in total fat, saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium.
                             Low fat – 3 g or less
                             Low saturated fat – 1 g or less
                             Low Trans Fat – 0 g
                             Low cholesterol- 20 mg or less
                             Low sodium – 140 mg or less
               
-20% or more is high daily value
Aim high in vitamins,minerals and fiber.
                                                                                                 High fiber – 5 g or more

Check the ingredients list: All ingredients in foods must be listed in order of descending weight. Ingredients found in largest amounts are listed first.

Limit added sugar. If it appears in the first 3 ingredients, the product is high in sugar.

The most common claims seen in food packages and their meaning:

  • Low calorie- 40 calories or less per serving
  • Reduced- At least 25% less of a specific nutrient or calories when compared to the original
  • Good source of- Provides at least 10-19% of daily value of a nutrient per serving
  • Calorie free- Less than 5 calories per serving
  • Fat free/sugar free- less than 0.5g of fat or sugar per serving

-The Nutrinut-

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