By carefully reading the Nutrition Facts label and Ingredients List on food packaging, you can make informed decisions not only about what to eat, but how to eat it. Don’t be misled by words like “healthy,” “wholesome” or “natural” on the front of the package. Those words are only there to sell the product. Instead, check the Nutrition Facts label and the Ingredients List for the complete story. Here are some pointers.
On the Nutrition Facts label, look at the serving size. This is important because nutrients are listed per serving. A bag of chips may seem low in calories until you realize it contains 15 servings!
The Percentage Daily Values indicate how well a serving meets a person’s daily needs for various nutrients. In general, choose foods that have a) lower numbers for fats (especially saturated and trans fats), cholesterol and sodium; and b) foods that have higher numbers for protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. A Daily Value of 5% is considered low and 20% is high. Keep in mind that the Daily Values are for healthy adults who need 2,000 calories per day. Your needs may be slightly higher or lower.
Items in the Ingredients List are in order of decreasing amounts. Foods contain the highest amount of the first ingredient and the smallest amount of the last ingredient.
Looking for whole grains? The first ingredient should include the word “whole”, such as “whole wheat.” Be wary of foods that list just “wheat” or “enriched” flour as the first ingredient. And be skeptical of labels that say “made with whole grains.”
For more information, go to www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation