Reading a Nutrition Facts Label
Below you’ll find a break down of what these color-coded
boxes are supposed to tell you. The FDA will be putting in place new
requirements for how a Nutrition Facts label is to be printed, so below you
will see the current and the new label formats. Once you start
getting into the habit of label reading, you might notice that a lot of
products have already implemented the new label format, though it will not
officially go into effect until January 1, 2020.
Yellow:
Shows serving size. Most packaged foods
contain multiple servings per package, that is why portion awareness is
important.
Orange:
The calories of 1
serving size.
Purple:
Fat content in
grams. Differentiates between different types of fat such as saturated, trans
and unsaturated.
Red:
Sodium or salt
content of the food. For those trying to lower blood pressure, eating a limited
sodium diet is highly recommended. Generally eating less than 2,300 mg of
sodium is recommended for blood pressure control, though limiting sodium intake
to 1,500 mg provides greater benefits.
Blue:
Carbohydrate
content. This portion differentiates on the new
label between total sugars and sugars added.
Also, this section indicates the fiber content of 1 serving.
Pink:
Protein content.
Note there is no Daily Value percentage shown to the right of protein content
as there is no minimum or maximum guidelines for protein intake.
Green:
Micronutrients- Vitamins
and Minerals. This section breaks down the vitamins and minerals contained
within one serving size and the percentage of daily intake this accounts for.
On the new label format, the actual
milligrams (or micrograms) of the vitamin or mineral will also be printed.
Orange Bar:
Daily Value percentage. A value of 5% or less is considered to be
low and a value of 15% and more is considered to be high.
Here’s some more detail on each of the categories.
Calories:
Low calorie content is considered 40 or less calories per
serving.
Moderate calorie intake at around 100 or more calories per
serving.
High calorie intake considered at 400 or more calories per
serving.
Fat:
For a healthy diet it is best to avoid or eliminate trans fats because of the many health
risks associated with eating trans fats. Trans fats are manipulated or altered
fats that do no naturally occur in nature. Trans fats occur with the
application of high heat or hydrogenation of vegetable oils to alter the fat’s
texture, taste and shelf life.
Saturated fats are found mostly in animal products such as
meats, cheese, eggs and others. High intakes of saturated fats have been
correlated with increased risk of heart disease. It is recommended to eat foods
that mostly contain 5% or less daily value of saturated fat.
Unsaturated fat (poly and mono) are plant-based fats that
can be found in foods like, nuts, seeds, chia, flax, avocado, olives, and
others. Substantial intake of poly- or mono-unsaturated fats have shown
benefits to heart and overall health, decreased inflammation, improved satiety,
and more controlled weight.
Carbs:
Carbohydrates constitute a major source of energy. According
to the AMDR (macronutrient recommendations) set forth by the USDA, a balanced
diet should include about 45-65% of carbohydrates. But this is where quality of
choices comes into play. Not all carbs are created the same. High quality carbs
are rich in fiber and high in micronutrients – vitamins and minerals. Low
quality carbs are more processed and refined and stripped of their fibers; this
includes foods like bread, pasta, pastries, cookies, and the like.
Try to choose whole grain options when choosing processed
foods like pasta or bread, which retain more of the natural fibers and
micronutrients. This still leaves you with many options for carbs such as nuts,
whole grains, oats, bulgur, crushed wheat, lentils, beans, quinoa, carrots,
beets, potatoes, yams, peas, corn and many more. Choosing whole foods is key to
not only including carbs but also vitamins, minerals and fiber.
For those aiming to control blood sugar and avoiding insulin
spikes, diabetic recommendations suggest between 45-60 grams of carbohydrates
per meal.
Protein:
There are no set limitations or guidelines for protein
intake. General recommendations state the average person should eat about 0.8-1.0
grams of protein per body weight in kg. This translates roughly into half your
weight in grams of protein. So, for a person that weighs 150 pounds, their
intake should be roughly 150/2= 75 grams. This is a very rough estimate and
method for those who don’t like math. But a more accurate way to calculate your
protein need is take your weight:
150lb/2.2= 68.18 kg, then use your body weight in kg and multiply by the
recommended amount of 0.8 to 1.0 grams: 68.18 kg x 0.8 g (or x 1.0 g) = 54.5 to
68.2 grams of protein.
For Teens the recommended protein intake is a bit higher at 0.95 g per body weight in kg.
Adults are
recommended an intake of 0.8-1.0 g/body kg.
Protein intake for pregnant
women is recommended at 1.1 g/kg daily because of many ongoing changes.
Athletes are
recommended an intake of 1.2-1.4 g of protein/kg daily.
Sodium:
Processed foods contain high levels of sodium (salt) which
enhances flavor and shelf life as it also acts as a preservative. Those working
on improving cardiovascular health and lowering blood pressure are advised to
limit daily sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg while the American Heart
Association does state an ideal limit
for sodium intake would be less than 1,500 mg.
Currently, the average American
diet provides 3,400 mg of sodium on a daily basis. When reading labels, watch
out for foods that contain more than 300 mg of sodium in 1 serving; that’s
considered high.
Cholesterol:
Another nutrient to limit is cholesterol. Many people are
trying to lower their cholesterol and this often is an item sought out on
nutrition facts. The recommended limit is 300 mg of cholesterol daily. So, if
you find a food that contains 45 mg of cholesterol or more in 1 serving, that
would be considered a high cholesterol food. Cholesterol is primarily found in
animal products as well such as meats, eggs, yogurt, dairy, and shellfish.
Sources:
Decoding the Nutrition Label (Jan 29,
2019). UnlockFood.ca. Retrieved from: http://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Nutrition-Labelling/Decoding-the-Nutrition-Label.aspx
Gordon, Barbara (Dec 8, 2017). The
Basics of the Nutrition Facts Label. Eat
Right. Retrieved From:
https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/nutrition-facts-and-food-labels/the-basics-of-the-nutrition-facts-label.
How Much Sodium Should I eat per Day? American Heart Association. Retried
from: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sodium/how-much-sodium-should-i-eat-per-day.
Labeling & Nutrition – Changes to
the Nutrition Facts Label. Center for
Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Retrieved from:
https://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/labelingnutrition/ucm385663.htm
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