Using the Food Label

Under regulations from the United States of America Food and Drug Administration and the USDA, the food label, found on almost all processed foods, offers more complete, useful and accurate nutrition information than ever before. Even when restricting calories and portions, you can use the part of the food label called the Nutrition Facts panel to make sure you get all the essential nutrients for good health.

You'll find the serving size and the number of servings per package listed at the top of the Nutrition Facts panel. The serving size affects all the nutrient amounts listed on the panel. For example, if there is one cup in a serving and the package contains two servings, you need to double the calories and other nutrient numbers if you eat the whole package. A lot of items sold as single portions--like a 20-ounce soft drink, a 3-ounce bag of chips, and a large bagel--actually provide two or more servings.

"If you zero in on the 'amount per serving' section of the Nutrition Facts panel, you can tell at a glance how A lot of calories a serving has and whether a food is high in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium," says Naomi Kulakow, coordinator of food labeling education in the United States of America Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "These are items you should think about limiting in your diet."

The Nutrition Facts panel also shows how much dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron are contained in a serving. These are nutrients you need for good health.

Also listed on the Nutrition Facts panel are the amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and sugars contained in a serving. Use the panel to compare the amount of total sugars among similar products, and try to choose ones lower in sugars.

In addition to listing some nutrients by weight, the panel also gives this information as a% Daily Value (%DV). The%DV shows how a serving of a food fits in with recommendations for a healthful diet and allows customers to make comparisons between similar products.

For example, shoppers can use the%DV figures to find out which frozen dinner is lower in saturated fat--mainly when it involves a comparative nutritional claim, such as reduced-fat. "You don't need to know the precise definition of 'low' or 'reduced,'" says Kulakow. "Just look at the% Daily Value and see which is higher or lower in the nutrient you are interested in." Foods with 5% or less of the Daily Value are considered low in a nutrient, while those with 20% or more are high in the nutrient.

The%DVs are based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. But even if you eat less than 2,000 calories, the%DV can be used to determine whether a food is high or low in a particular nutrient.

"People use the food label too often to just restrict calories and fat--not to get enough nutrients," says Kulakow. While restricting calories is important for weight loss, "most people have no idea how A lot of calories they consume every day--especially if they eat out." The%DV gives you a frame of reference and can be used to make dietary trade-offs, says Kulakow. "For example, if you eat a favorite food that ishigh in fat at one meal, balance it with low-fat foods at other times of the day."

Kulakow advises caution when choosing foods that are labeled "fat-free" and "low-fat." Fat-free doesn't mean calorie-free. To make a food tastier, sometimes extra sugars are added, which adds calories (see "Fat-Free vs. Regular Calorie Comparison"). So dieters should always check the Nutrition Facts panel to get complete information, says Kulakow