Understanding the Food Label

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Understanding the Food Label
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension
Service
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The Food Label
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Serving Size Amount per Serving

• Helps with comparing to the rest of the label.
• Based on amount one person eats, but be careful
  not always the case!

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Calories and Calories from Fat

• Helps meet Dietary Guidelines
• - no more than 30 of calories from fat.
• Total consumption for the whole day!

Calories 250 Calories from Fat 150
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Nutrients

• Lists the nutrients most important to the health
  of consumers.
• Helps cut back on some nutrients and get enough
  of others.

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Limit These Nutrients

• Limit fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
• Help prevent heart disease, some cancers, or high
  blood pressure

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Get Enough of These Nutrients

• Get enough fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium and
  iron.
• May improve health or even prevent some chronic
  diseases.

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Daily Values

• Tells us how a serving meets our nutrient needs.
• Based on a total of 2,000 calories a day.
• Good Rule of Thumb
• 5 or less low
• 20 or more high

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Total Carbohydrate and Protein

• Total Carbohydrate helps diabetics with
  monitoring blood glucose (sugar) levels.
• Protein
• Helps maintain strong muscles, fight infections,
  give strength.
• Helps to decide whether a good source of protein.

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Footnote

• Based on 2,000- and 2,500-calories a day diet.
• DV listed for a nutrient lower if 2,500 calorie
  diet.
• Listed on large packages

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Ingredients

• Required on all food packages.
• Helps identify ingredients to avoid.
• Listed in descending order by weight.

INGREDIENTS Water, enriched macaroni (enriched
flour niacin, ferrous sulfate, (iron), thiamine
mononitrate and riboflavin, egg white), flour,
cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture, salt,
enzyme), spices, margarine (partially
hydrogenated soybean oil, water soy lecithin,
mono- and diglycerides, beta carotene for color,
vitamin A palmitate, and maltodextrin.
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Nutrition label not required for fresh food or
restaurant food

• Voluntary information list near fresh food
• Restaurant nutrition information required only
  for menu items making a nutrition claim
• Reduced or low fat
• Low in sodium

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How to improve food selections

• Examine the labels of
• 1-2 food items at home
• Look for similar products in store
• Compare the nutrients of interest
• Try new product if better choice for your goals