Choosing Food Wisely Chapter 9

Evaluating Food Choices It is important to read and evaluate the Food Label. Things included on the label are… Nutrition Facts Nutrient and Health Claims Daily Values Freshness Dates

Nutrition Facts United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires Food Labels on most food. Labels need to include… Calorie Content Nutrient Content Ingredients

Mandatory By Law

Serving Size

Total Grams of Fat Which kind of fats are more healthy? Unsaturated

Carbohydrates Good Carbs Starchy foods – whole grain breads and cereals, beans and rice, potatoes, and pasta Bad Carbs Avoid foods with added sugars Corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, or maple syrup (if first few ingredients, then the food does have added sugars).

Dietary Fiber According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “people who eat a lot of fiber are less likely to be obese, have heart disease, or develop problems affecting the bowel, including constipation and cancer.” Foods High In Fiber: Fruits Vegetables Whole grain cereals and breads

Vitamins and Minerals Teens need more than the 100% DV listed on food labels. They actually need 130% DV of calcium.

Cholesterol, Sodium, Protein Like fat, you should limit the amount of cholesterol and sodium in your diet. Look for foods with less than 20mg of cholesterol per serving. Protein Meat, eggs, milk products, plant based foods (beans, nuts, soy products)

Percent Daily Value 5% DV or less is low 20% DV or more is high Look for these foods with low DV: Fat Saturated fat Trans fat Cholesterol Sodium

Ingredients Why do you want to know the ingredients? Allergic What is the number one food that people are allergic to? PEANUTS!! Dairy Chocolate Dyes/Artificial Colors Wheat Citrus What are Food Additives? Substances added to food intentionally to produce a desired effect.

Nutrient & Health Claims FDA also decides what claims can be printed on a label. It Says… What does that Mean? …Free Fat Free: Contains less than 0.5 g fat Sugar Free: Contains less than 0.5 g sugars Low in… Low in Calories: Contains less than 40 calories Low in Sodium: Contains less than 140 mg sodium High in… High in Vitamin C: One serving provides 20% or more of the Daily Value for vitamin C Light Contains 50% less fat or at least 1/3 fewer calories Excellent source of… Excellent source of calcium: One serving provides 20% or more of the Daily Value for calcium May reduce your risk of heart disease Can appear on fiber-containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables that are also low in saturated fat and cholesterol

Nutrient & Health Claims, cont. It Says… What does that Mean? Calorie Free Less than 5 calories Low Calorie 40 Calories or less Fat Free Less than ½ gram of fat Low Fat 3 grams or less fat Cholesterol Free Less than 2 milligrams cholesterol and 2 grams or less saturated fat High Fiber 5 grams or more fiber

Daily Values Recommendations that tell the amounts of certain nutrients that the average person should get each day. Only a guideline… everyone’s different! They are based on an average 2000 calorie a day diet.

Freshness Dates Sell-by= last date the product can be sold, you can still use after this date Best-if-used-by= how long product will be at it’s best quality Do-not-use-after= expiration date

Functions of Food Additives: Add Nutrients- Fortification of nutrients not naturally present must be on the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) list regulated by the FDA (Vitamin D to milk, sugar, salt) Lengthen Storage Life Examples: canned food; helps fruit seem fresh when you open a can of it. Flavor or Color Maintain Texture Control Food’s Acidity Help Age Foods Examples: cheese; blu cheese dressing