Feb. 8, 2010 | When it comes to eating, what you eat and how much is important. Equally important is knowing what’s in the food you eat. That’s why it’s important to understand the labels on the packaged foods you buy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires all packaged food to carry a label that includes the product’s serving size, the number of servings and number of calories per serving. Each label also contains information on the amount of dietary fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, dietary sodium, carbohydrates, dietary proteins, vitamins and minerals in each serving. The information usually appears on the back or side of packaging under the title “Nutrition Facts.” It’s also displayed in grocery stores near fresh foods, like fruits, vegetables, and fish. The label also includes a column of information, called the Percent Daily Value, that shows what portion of the amount of daily recommended nutrients the product provides, based on a two-thousand calorie diet.

Feb. 8, 2010 | In an effort to market their products, manufacturers often make claims about the healthfulness of a food on the front of a package, like “fat free” or “no cholesterol.” However, many consumers wonder if they can trust these claims to be true. The fact is, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does require food-makers to provide scientific evidence in order to make those claims. Even so, it’s a good idea to carefully read the claims and understand what they mean. The term “Reduced fat” means that a product has 25 percent less fat than the same regular brand. “Light” means that the product has 50 percent less fat than the same regular product. And “low fat” means a product has less than 3 grams of fat per serving. Even if a food is low in fat, the food may not necessarily be low in calories or nutritious. Even a low-fat food can be high in sugar. Food companies also may make claims such as “no cholesterol,” but that does not necessarily mean the product is low in fat.

Feb. 8, 2010 | The first place to start when you look at the nutrition facts label on a package or can of food is the serving size and the number of servings in the package. These are determined by the food manufacturer. Serving sizes are standardized to make it easier to compare similar foods. They are provided in familiar units, such as cups or pieces, followed by the metric amount, such as the number of grams. The size of the serving on the food package influences the number of calories and all the nutrient amounts listed on the top part of the label. Pay attention to the serving size, especially how many servings there are in the food package. Then ask yourself, “How many servings am I consuming? Is it a half serving, one whole serving, or more? In the sample label, one serving of macaroni and cheese equals one cup. If you ate the whole package, you would eat two cups. That doubles the calories and other nutrient numbers, including the Percent Daily Values as shown in the sample label.

Feb. 8, 2010 | On a food label, percent daily values are listed in the right-hand column in percentages, and they tell how much of a certain nutrient a person will get from eating one serving of that food. If a serving of a food has 18 percent protein, then that food is providing 18 percent of your daily protein needs based on 2,000 calories per day. Percent daily value is most useful for determining whether a food is high or low in certain nutrients. If a food has 5 percent or less of a nutrient, it is considered to be low in that nutrient. A food is considered a good source of a nutrient if the percentage is between 10 and 19 percent. If the food has 20 percent or more of the percent daily value, it is considered high in that nutrient. The actual number of calories and nutrients that people need will vary according to their age, weight, gender, and level of physical activity. So don’t worry so too much about calculating the nutrients down to the exact ounce as long as you and your family are healthy.

Feb. 8, 2010 | Food labels are required to include the ingredients that are in the product, listed according to how much of the ingredient the food contains. Reading the ingredient list is especially important if someone in your family has a food allergy. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology estimates that up to 2 million, or 8 percent, of kids in the United States are affected by food allergies, and that eight foods account for 90 percent of food allergy reactions, milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, and tree nuts. Since 2006, food-makers have been required to clearly state on food labels whether the products contain these allergens. In some cases, it’s easy to identify what’s safe to eat by checking the listed ingredients on a label. However, some ingredients that could trigger an allergic reaction may be listed under an unfamiliar name. A dietitian can provide suggestions on what foods to avoid and hidden ingredients to beware of.