When trying to make healthier food choices it’s important to understand what all the information on the side of the packet means! Step 1: Read the ingredient list to see what has been put in the food and how much. Ingredients are listed from the biggest to the smallest amount. If fat or sugars are listed as the first or second ingredient the food is likely to be high in fat or sugar and is recommended to only be eaten sometimes. (occasional) WHAT HAS TO BE ON A FOOD LABEL? Food labels do not have to include information about nutrients but many include the energy (calorie) content and the amounts of the following nutrients: • protein • saturated fat • carbohydrate • fibre • sugar • sodium • fat • salt Nutrition Facts Label Check out what you can learn from the Nutrition Facts label. Serving Size and Servings Per Container Serving size is based on the amount that people typically eat. All nutritional information on the label is based on the serving size. So if a serving size is 2 cookies and you eat 4 cookies — which would be 2 servings — you need to double all the nutrition information. The number of servings per container tells you how many serving sizes are in the whole package. Calories A calorie is a unit of energy that measures how much energy a food provides to the body. The number of calories that's listed on the food label indicates how many calories are in one serving. Percent Daily Values Percent daily value is most useful for seeing whether a food is high or low in nutrients: A food with 5% or less of a nutrient is low in that nutrient. A food with 10%–19% of a nutrient is a good source of that nutrient. A food with 20% or more of a nutrient is high in that nutrient. The information on food labels is based on an average diet of 2,000 calories per day. But the actual number of calories and nutrients that kids need will vary according to their age, weight, gender, and level of physical activity. Total Fat This number indicates how much fat is in a single serving of food. Although too much fat can lead to health problems, our bodies do need some fat every day. Fats are an important source of energy — they contain twice as much energy per gram as carbohydrates or protein. Fats provide insulation and cushioning for the skin, bones, and internal organs. Fat also carries and helps store certain vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Saturated Fat and Trans Fat Saturated fats and trans fat are often called "bad fats" because they raise cholesterol and increase a person's risk for developing heart disease. Saturated fats should account for less than 10% of the calories that kids eat each day. Trans fat should be as low as possible (less than 1% of total calories). Unsaturated Fat Unsaturated fats may also be listed under total fat. Unsaturated fats are often called "good fats" because they don't raise cholesterol levels as saturated fats do. Most fats should come from sources of unsaturated fats. Cholesterol Cholesterol is important in building healthy cells, and making vitamin D and some hormones. It can become a problem if the amount in the blood is too high, increasing a person's chances of having a heart attack or stroke later in life. Sodium Sodium is part of salt. Sodium is needed for fluid balance, but too much can contribute to high blood pressure. Almost all foods have small amounts of sodium, but many processed foods are high in sodium. Total Carbohydrate Carbohydrates are an important source of energy. The food label gives total carbohydrates along with fiber, total sugars, and added sugars. Dietary Fiber Dietary fiber itself has no calories and is a necessary part of a healthy diet. Fiber can help you feel full and promotes bowel regularity. High-fiber diets can help lower cholesterol levels and may help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Sugars Some foods naturally contain sugar, like fruit and milk. Snack foods, candy, and soda, on the other hand, often have added sugars. Added sugars add calories without important nutrients. The 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from added sugars to less than 10% of daily calories. For a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s less than 50 grams of added sugars a day. Protein Protein makes up most of the body — including muscles, skin, organs and tissues, and the immune system. If the body doesn't get enough carbohydrates or fats, it can use protein for energy. Vitamin and Minerals The FDA requires listing some important vitamins and minerals on the Nutrition Facts label. These include: Vitamin D: Needed to absorb calcium to build bones and keep them strong. Vitamin D also plays a part in heart health and fighting infection. Calcium: Needed for strong bones. It keeps nerves and muscles working and the heart healthy. Iron: Which helps the body make new, healthy red blood cells. Not enough iron leads to anemia. Potassium: Like sodium, it's important for fluid balance and helps control blood pressure. NUTRITION AND HEALTH CLAIMS: WHAT ARE RDAs, RNIs AND GDAs? RDA (Recommended Daily Amount) of a nutrient is the average amount recommended to be eaten every day. RDAs apply to the whole population of the country and are set by a European Committee. The figures indicate suitable amounts for adults, not for babies, toddlers or children. RNI (Recommended Nutrient Intake) is the minimum amount of a nutrient that is recommended for specific age groups in the UK. RNIs have been set by the Department of Health and there are several age group bands. Children require differing amounts of nutrients as they grow. The age bands are quite narrow: birth to three months, four to six months, seven to nine months, 10 to 12 months, one to three years, four to six years, seven to 10 years, 11 to 14 years, 15 to 18 years, 19 to 50 years, 50+ years. For each age group there is a complete set of RNIs for each nutrient. The exceptions are fat, carbohydrate and sugar which have a dietary reference value (DRV) set. DRV is the recommended average amount not a minimum amount. GDA (Guideline Daily Amount) is a term developed for food labels by a working group set up by the grocery industry. GDAs are given for certain populations: women, men and children aged five to 10 years. Food manufacturers will include the GDA appropriate to one of these age groups on their packaging. RDAs and GDAs are not applicable for toddlers. Table 1 shows the average energy requirements and RNIs or DRVs for nutrients for toddlers aged one to three years compared to the GDAs that are shown on some food labels. Reference: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/food-labels.html https://healthy-kids.com.au/kids/high-school-2/how-to-read-a-food-label/ https://www.multivu.com/players/English/7770751-fda-national-childhood-obesity-month/
