Food Labels

What do you notice on a food label? Nutrients! Fat  Carbohydrates  Protein  Vitamins & Minerals 

Components of a Food Label Serving Size: The portion of food used as a reference on the nutrition label of that food Servings Per Container: How many servings in each product Calorie: Energy from food Calories from Fat: The amount of calories in the food item that fat provides % Daily Value: A guide to the nutrients in one serving of food Ingredients: Any of the foods or substances that are combined to make the product Allergens: Substances that cause allergic reactions

Do all foods have a food label? Some foods that do not need to carry a Nutrition Facts are: Food served in restaurants Plain coffee and tea Some spices and other foods that contain no nutrients Fresh meat, poultry and fish Fresh fruits and veggies

Label Deception Servings per container (Muffin, Chips, etc) Unrealistic serving size (chips) Servings per container (Muffin, Chips, etc) Packaging (Poptarts) Listing an amount and then having “ * ” (Macaroni & Cheese)

Food Product Facts & Claims OPEN DATING EXPIRATION DATE: last date you should use the product PACK DATE: the date on which the product was packed SELL DATE: last date the product should be sold (milk) YOU CAN STORE A PRODUCT PAST SELL BY DATE LIGHT: calories have been reduced by at least 1/3, or fat/sodium reduced by ½ LESS: food contains 25% less of a nutrient or of calories than a comparable food FREE: contains no amount, or only a slight amount, of fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars, or calories