How to Read Food Labels
Labeling laws in the United States have made reading labels easier than ever. Package claims are now federally defined and regulated.
1.) The serving size is the first thing to consider on the label. All the information on the label is based on the serving size, NOT the package size.
2.) Calories, including calories from fat. Calories measure how much energy your body will receive from one serving of food. Daily caloric intake varies by gender, age and medical condition. Check the USDA Food Pyramid to find out how many calories you or your children need for a day in order to stay healthy. Look for products where the calories from fat are no more that 30% of the total calories.
3.) Nutrients and % of Daily Values.
5.) The ingredients list informs the consumer of all the “things” in the food item. Look for as few ingredients as possible. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, not amount. Try to avoid items with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and food coloring as some studies have shown these items to be harmful to your health. See the list of common additives to processed foods for more information.
6.) Allergy warnings are now standard on all labels. As of January 2006 packaged food sold in the US must state if the food contains any wheat peanuts, tree nuts, soy, dairy, fish, eggs, or shellfish right on the label. Some foods are exempt: meat, poultry, alcoholic beverages, vegetables, fruits and highly refined oils; however that does not mean they are “safe” foods. For example, some grocery store turkeys are injected with a liquid containing wheat, this information does not come up on a warning label. For daily product recalls and more information on food labels and allergies go to Food Allergy or Kids with Food Allergies.
- Serving sizes must be comparable for similar foods.
- The percentage of particular nutrients in the food is easily found in the “% Daily Values” section.
- The amount of the major nutrients consumers should eat on a daily basis appears in the Footnote of every label.
- Manufacturers list ingredients in descending order by weight, not by amount.
- Labels must include the total amount of fat, saturated fat and unsaturated fat, but not trans fats.
- A standardized list of labeling terms and definitions is established.
1.) The serving size is the first thing to consider on the label. All the information on the label is based on the serving size, NOT the package size.
2.) Calories, including calories from fat. Calories measure how much energy your body will receive from one serving of food. Daily caloric intake varies by gender, age and medical condition. Check the USDA Food Pyramid to find out how many calories you or your children need for a day in order to stay healthy. Look for products where the calories from fat are no more that 30% of the total calories.
3.) Nutrients and % of Daily Values.
- In order to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet you should limit the amount of fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium in yours and your family’s diet. While children need a certain amount of fat in their diets for healthy development, you should limit their overall intake to less than 30% of their total caloric intake for the day. Total intake of trans fats should be no more that 1% of the total fat intake for the day.
- Look for foods that can contribute to your daily need of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- The % values to the right of the nutrient list indicate the amount one serving of the food item will contribute to your daily intake needs. See the list of terms for more information.
5.) The ingredients list informs the consumer of all the “things” in the food item. Look for as few ingredients as possible. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, not amount. Try to avoid items with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and food coloring as some studies have shown these items to be harmful to your health. See the list of common additives to processed foods for more information.
6.) Allergy warnings are now standard on all labels. As of January 2006 packaged food sold in the US must state if the food contains any wheat peanuts, tree nuts, soy, dairy, fish, eggs, or shellfish right on the label. Some foods are exempt: meat, poultry, alcoholic beverages, vegetables, fruits and highly refined oils; however that does not mean they are “safe” foods. For example, some grocery store turkeys are injected with a liquid containing wheat, this information does not come up on a warning label. For daily product recalls and more information on food labels and allergies go to Food Allergy or Kids with Food Allergies.
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