1. THE NUTRITION LABEL Easy Ways to Use the Label For Healthy Eating
Good morning, I’m delighted to talk to you about one of my favorite subjects—Food Label Education
You have likely heard about the New Dietary Guidelines and the new Food Guide Pyramid. Today, I’d like to discuss the third jewel in the government’s nutrition crown—The food label and ways to educate consumers on how to use it.
One the most important messages I’d like to leave with you today is that effective consumer label education requires active, not passive learning. Getting consumers to maximize the health benefits of their choices by helping them apply label information is what counts. Defining terms & providing explanations is passive learning & rarely translates into behavior change.
FDA’s goal is to teach label-building SKILLS that affect the quality of consumer’s eating and food purchasing behaviors. Instead of guessing, we help them INTERPRET the label facts, PUT THEM IN a health CONTEXT, THEN TEACH SKILLS THEY CAN QUICKLY APPLY.
We believe that the SIMPLER THE SKILLS, the MORE LIKELY CONSUMERS WILL BE MOTIVATED TO USE THEM.

2. The Nutrition Facts Label
Let’s begin by looking at the label most people see. Consumers use the label for different reasons—how do you use it?
If you’re like most people, you probably look at calories and “fat grams” first.
Whatever your reason—does just these two facts educate the buyer about what they are really consuming? Clearly it doesn‘t.. And it was never meant to.
It’s goal was to provide information, i.e. Nutrition Facts, but not to teach people how to interpret them; they need more guidance and context to make informed decisions .
The label doesn’t teach nutrition but is a valuable nutrition education tool.

3. Remember they are listed in order of weight.1
Check the Ingredients.
Remember they are listed in order of weight.
(Most to least)

4. What are some things you should look out for on the ingredient list?
Can you pronounce it? (Can a third grader pronounce it?)
Do you have the ingredients to make it on your own?
If you wouldn't cook with them yourself, why let others use these ingredients to cook for you?
Is sugar in the top three ingredients?
Does it have added sugar (high fructose corn syrup)?
Can you picture the ingredients in their raw state?
Notice that ingredients are listed in descending order, so that those ingredients listed first weigh the most, while those weighing the least come last.

5. 2 Check the Serving Size. Is your serving size small or large?
How many servings are in the container?

6. One or Two Servings? Single % Double % Serving DV Serving DV
Serving Size 1 cup (228g) 2 cups (456g)
Calories
Calories from Fat
Total Fat 12g 18% 24g 36%
Trans Fat 1.5g 3g
Saturated Fat 3g 15% 6g 30%
Cholesterol 30mg 10% 60mg 20%
Sodium 470mg 20% 940mg 40%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 10% 62g 20%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0% 0g 0%
Sugars 5g 10g
Protein 5g 10g
Vitamin A 4% 8%
Vitamin C 2% 4%
Calcium 20% 40%
Iron 4% 8%
In this example, one serving of macaroni and cheese equals one cup. If you ate the whole package, you would eat two cups, which doubles the calories and other nutrient numbers, including the % DVs.
As you can see-The number of servings you consume will determine the number of calories and nutrients you actually eat.
BOTTOM LINE: YOU NEED TO COMPARE HOW MUCH YOU ACTUALLY EAT—NOT ONLY TO THE SERVING SIZE ON THE LABEL BUT ALSO TO THE # OF SERVINGS YOU EAT, TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY CALORIES (AND NUTRIENTS) YOU ARE CONSUMING.

7. 3
Check the Calories.

8. General Guide to Calories
40 Calories is low
100 Calories is moderate
400 Calories is high
Here’s our GENERAL GUIDE TO CALORIES. Notice how it gives consumers a context for determining calorie amounts based on 2000 calories.
40 calories is low-- is actually a nutrient content claim.
100 calories is moderate is--5% of 2000 calories
400 calories is high-- is 20% of 2000 calories.
(Based on a 2,000-calorie diet.)

9. 4
Limit these Nutrients.

10. Limit These Nutrients
The goal is to stay BELOW 100% of the DV for each of these nutrients per day.
Eating too much fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, or sodium may increase your risk of certain chronic diseases, heart disease, cancer, or high blood pressure.
So when we say, “Limit These Nutrients,” the goal is to stay BELOW 100% of the DV for each one of these nutrients per day.
Trans fat doesn‘t have a %DV: Health experts recommend that you keep your intake of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol as low as possible as part of a nutritionally balanced diet.

11. Get enough of these Nutrients.5
Get enough of these Nutrients.

12. Get Enough of These Nutrients
Try to get 100% of the DV for each of these nutrients each day.
Consumers use the food label not only to help them limit those nutrients they want to cut back on, but also to help them increase those nutrients they need to consume in adequate or greater amounts.
Americans often don't get enough dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron in their diets.
EATING ENOUGH OF THESE NUTRIENTS CAN BENEFIT YOUR HEALTH AND HELP REDUCE THE RISK OF SOME DISEASES AND CONDITIONS.
For example, getting enough calcium may REDUCE THE RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS, a condition that results in brittle bones as one ages (More on this later). You can also address the benefits of a HIGH-FIBER DIET: FOR EXAMPLE, IMPROVED LAXATION, INCREASED SATIETY, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF REDUCED RISK OF HEART DISEASE , particularly when the fiber is soluble and the diet is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
What are some benefits to fiber?

13. *
% of Daily Value

14. The Percent Daily Value
The % DV is based on 100% of the daily value for each nutrient.
The %DV tells you IF A SERVING OF FOOD IS HIGH OR LOW IN A NUTRIENT. THE % DV COLUMN DOES NOT ADD UP VERTICALLY TO TOTAL 100%.
INSTEAD, EACH NUTRIENT WITH A % DV (e.g.,, fat, cholesterol sodium, vitamin c, calcium etc.) IS BASED ON A 100% OF THE DAILY REQUIREMENTS (OR THE DV) FOR THAT NUTRIENT for a 2,000 calorie diet
Why are the % listed on a nutrition label?

15. What’s High? What’s Low? Do You Have to Calculate to Know?
Footnote
Look at the example on the left, we’ve listed the metric amount but not the %DV.. Can you tell if 12g of Total Fat is high or low? What about the 3g of saturated fat? What about the 470mg of sodium?
Without the %DV can YOU QUICKLY ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS WITHOUT GUESSING?
Do you have to calculate to know?

16. The % DV Does the Math for You
Look here for highs and lows!
No, THE % DV DOES THE MATH FOR YOU BY PUTTING ALL THE NUMBERS (GRAMS AND MILLIGRAMS) ON THE SAME SCALE ( %).
On this sample label: 12g fat equals 18% DV
Is 18% DV for Total fat or 20% DV for Sodium high or low? Do these nutrient amounts contribute a lot or a little to the daily limit of 100% DV?

17. Quick Guide to % DV 5% DV or less is Low Limit these Nutrients
Get Enough
of these
Nutrients
Now take a look at the The Quick Guide--it gives you a FRAME OF REFERENCE for deciding if a food is high or low in a nutrient.
5% DV or less is low and 20% DV or more is high for all nutrients, including those you want to limit (e.g., fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium) or those you want to get enough of, like fiber and calcium.
Notice how easy it is to apply the 5/20 Quick Guide to % DV for determining highs and lows.
YOU CAN USE THE %DV NOT ONLY FOR HIGHS AND LOWS, but also TO COMPARE CLAIMS and to MAKE DIETARY TRADE-OFFS so that if you like a food that’s high in a nutrient like saturated fat, you can balance your remaining choices for the day with foods low saturated fat.
20% DV or more is High

18. No % Daily Value Trans Fat Sugars Protein
As you can see, there are three nutrients that have no % DV (for TRANS & SUGARS, THERE ARE NO DAILY VALUES RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEM.)
For Protein: Unless a claim is made, or the food is meant for use by infants and children under 4 years old, there is no requirement for a % DV for protein. Current scientific evidence indicates that protein intake is not a public health concern for adults and children over four years old.
Trans fat: Scientific reports link trans fat (saturated fat and cholesterol) with raising LDL (“bad”) blood cholesterol, which increases your risk of coronary heart disease, a leading cause of death in the US. However, experts could not provide a reference value for trans fat nor any other information that FDA believes is sufficient to establish a DV or % DV.

19. *
Daily Value

20. The Footnote Gives upper or lower limits per day.. Based on calories
This is the footnote that you see on the bottom of larger food packages.
Can you tell which column lists the Daily Values? Maybe you can tell, but most people can’t.
What are these DVs? They represent expert advice for upper daily limits (for total fat, sat fat, cholesterol, and sodium), based on a a 2,000 calorie diet.— But for Total Carbohydrates and dietary fiber, they represent lower daily limits— Public health experts advise us to stay within these limits, ie dietary recommendations, per day for a 2,000 calorie.
Gives upper or lower limits per day.. Based on calories

21. Examples of DVs versus %DVs*
Here’s another way of looking at the footnote.
Hopefully, it’s now easier to see which column represents the Daily Value for each nutrient listed; how the DVs relate to the %DVs; and what is the dietary advice, i.e., the daily goal for each of these nutrients
The first 4 nutrients, which are in yellow, represent upper daily limits—that means your goal is to stay BELOW the amount for the day. Example: look at saturated fat: the DV is 20g= 100%DV. The goal for Sat fat, is to stay below 20g per day (100%DV) whereas for Total fat the DV is 65g.
Now look at dietary fiber, in blue—the DV is 25g, which represents the minimum for the day. Therefore the goal is to get at least 100%DV every day. The DV for Carbohydrates ( in white) is 300g or !00%DV. This amount is recommended for a balanced 2,000 calorie daily diet but can vary, depending on your daily intake of fat and protein
DVs are recommended levels of intakes. DVs in the footnote are based on a 2,000 or 2,500 calorie diet. Note how the DVs for some nutrients change, while others (for cholesterol and sodium) remain the same for both calorie amounts.

22. Let’s Practice
1st – Do you think it is a healthy or unhealthy choice overall?

23. Let’s Practice Pick One
2nd – Start with facts from the OPPOSITE of what you believe…
This food contains/provides _________ which may lead a person to believe that it is a healthy/ unhealthy choice because____________ . .
Pick One

24. Let’s Practice 3rd – Switch to what you believe.
“However, it also contains/provides _______________________________________________.”

25. Let’s Practice 4th – State what your overall belief about the food is.
Don’t eat it at all – Red Light
Eat a little, but be aware – Yellow Light
Eat it!! – Green Light

26. Let’s Practice “Therefore, I would/wouldn’t recommend this product!
(Remember RED LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT, or GREEN LIGHT!)