Food Label Lab
Dissecting the Truth About Food
Labels
Lab Discussion
I.
Anatomy of a Food Label
II.
Food Label Language Lab
III. Balancing the Scale
I. The Anatomy of a Food Label
Serving Size
1) What is the serving size?
2) How many servings in the
container?
Metric conversions:
28 grams (g) = 1 ounce
1,000 milligrams (mg) = 1 gram
Serving Size Case Studies
• Look at the total calories per package – often you
will be surprised!
• Examine the facts :
• Cracker Jack (3.5-oz. bag):
• 1/2 cup serving size
• 3.5 servings per container
• 120 calories per serving
• 420 calories in the whole bag!!
Serving Size Case Studies
• Doesn’t this look like one serving to you?
• Examine the facts:
• Arizona Asia Plum Green Tea with Ginseng
(20 oz.):
• 8 ounce serving size
• 2.5 servings per container
• 70 calories per serving
• 175 calories for the whole bottle!!
Serving Size Case Studies
• You might be tempted to eat the whole bag!
• Examine the facts:
• Mini OREO® Cookies (8 oz.):
• Serving size = 29 grams (9 pieces)
• 8 servings per container
• 140 calories per serving
• 1,120 calories for a whole bag!!
Serving Size Case Studies
• We never knew you should cut this one in three!
• Examine the facts:
• SNICKERS® Big One candy bar
(3.7 oz.):
• Serving size = 1/3 bar
• 3 servings per container
• 170 calories per serving
• 510 calories for the whole bar!!
Not All Macronutrients
Are Created Equal
• They all have different calorie values.
Calories per Gram:
– Carbohydrate
4
– Protein
4
– Alcohol
7
– Fat
9
Peeling Away the Fat Layers
• Calories from fat
– The total number of calories
from fat
– Compare to total calories
• Total fat
– Less than 3 grams in 100
calories is considered low fat
– If the daily value is 5% or less,
a product is said to be low in
this nutrient
Fat Facts
• Saturated fat – Solid at room temperature
– significantly raises blood cholesterol levels
– included in butter, meat, high-fat dairy products
• Monounsaturated fat – Liquid at room
temperature
– neutral effect on cholesterol
– included in olive, canola and nut oils
• Polyunsaturated fat – Liquid at room
temperature
– proven to decrease LDL or “bad cholesterol”
– large intake may increase risk of some cancers
– included in seafood, corn, safflower oil
Trans Fats on Nutrition Label
• Trans fats raise LDL or bad
cholesterol.
• Trans fat is listed under Total
Fat
• Shoot for 0 g trans fat
Trans fats are found in most processed foods that contain partially
hydrogenated vegetable oil. This includes crackers, chips, fried foods,
cookies, most baked goods, some cereals, candy, desserts and
shortening.
Check Cholesterol Facts
• Cholesterol has been shown
to raise LDL.
• Cholesterol is found in food
from animals, such as dairy
products, egg yolks, meat,
poultry and fish
Low-cholesterol = 20 mg or less
How Much Sodium Is Necessary?
• The Dietary Guidelines for Americans call
for 2,300 mg of sodium or less for most
people.
• Most Americans consume more than 4,000
mg of sodium a day.
Homework Assignment
Next time you go grocery shopping, check the sodium levels
of processed foods: frozen meals, cereals, bread, boxed
meals, canned foods, cheese and cured meats.
80% of the sodium in foods comes from processed foods.
Compare Sodium to Calories
• Make sure a food
does not have a lot
more mg of sodium
18 calories
than calories.
370 mg sodium
15 calories
15 mg sodium
Carbohydrates: Pure Energy
• Carbohydrates should make up
45%-65% of your total calories.
• Carbohydrate-rich foods (fruits,
vegetables, grains, milk) supply:
– Many important nutrients
– Fiber
– Energy
It is best to consume carbohydrates that are in a natural,
whole state versus items that are refined, e.g.: baked
potatoes versus potato chips
Compare Labels
• Compare these
two cereals.
• Which one is
higher in fiber?
• Which one is
higher in
sugar?
6 g fiber
0 g sugar
1 g fiber
15 g sugar
Fiber: More is Good
• Are you getting enough fiber?
• The average American should
consume about 28 g of fiber
(or 14 g per 1,000 calories).
• Most people eat about half of
that amount.
6 g fiber
Fiber comes from plant foods like whole
grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes
Examining Fiber’s Properties
• Insoluble fiber aids in digestion and it
is considered “roughage.”
– Wheat bran is an insoluble fiber.
• Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol,
which helps lower risk for heart
disease.
– Oat bran is a soluble fiber.
Go for the Whole Grain
• Whole grains are higher in fiber than
their white-flour counterparts.
• By FDA law, a whole-grain product
must “contain 51 percent or more
whole-grain ingredients by weight per
recommended allowance.”
• The first ingredient listed should be a
whole grain.
Half of your grains servings should come from whole grains each day.
Protein: The Body’s Building Block
• Most people get enough protein.
• Choose lean protein
• Vary your protein
– Fish
– Nuts and seeds
– Beans/legumes
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that
most people get more than enough protein – they
just don’t vary it enough from beef and chicken .
Counting Protein Grams
Lab Assignment
• The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for
protein is 0.8 grams of protein for each kilogram
of body weight every day.
– 180-pound male = 65 grams a day
– 130-pound female = 47 grams a day
• The average adult in the United States consumes
about 200 grams a day.
To figure your daily protein needs, multiply the number of
pounds you weigh by .36 – for example, if you weigh 200
pounds, you would need to eat 72 grams of protein a day.
II. Food Label Language Lab
• Know the facts.
• All ingredients are listed in
descending order by weight.
Ingredients: Tomato puree (water, tomato paste),
high fructose corn syrup, distilled vinegar, corn syrup,
onion powder, garlic powder, natural flavors
Nutrient Content Claims
• REDUCED-FAT: at least 25% less fat in
a serving than the original food
• LOWFAT: 3 grams or less fat in a
serving
• FAT-FREE: Less than 0.5 grams of fat in
a serving
• LIGHT: 1/3 fewer calories or 1/2 the fat
(in a serving) of the original product
• SUGAR-FREE: less than 0.5 grams
sugar in a serving
• REDUCED-CALORIE: at least 25% fewer
calories
Beware – Reduced Fat Is Not Calorie Free!
Reduced Fat
Regular
• Look at the labels
for these cookies.
• The one on the left
claims 50% less fat.
• BUT there is not a
big difference in
calories – only 30.
• And the weight of
the serving is
smaller for the
reduced-fat version.
• These cookies are
calorie dense.
Dairy – Fat Free Does Save Calories
Regular
60 calories
5 g fat
Reduced Fat
45 calories
3.5 g fat
Fat Free
20 calories
0 g fat
Dairy – Fat Free Does Save Calories
148 calories
8 g fat
85 calories
.4 g fat
Low-Carb Is Not Always Low-Cal
• Compare: Low-carb foods are not necessarily the
lowest in fat and calories
CarbSmart Bars
100 calories
7 g fat
4.5 g saturated fat
Fudgsicle, no sugar added
45 calories
0.5 g fat
0 g saturated fat
The no-sugar-added Fudgsicles are lower in calories and fat.
80% Fat Free?
• Meat labels can be
tricky.
• 80% fat free refers to
the actual weight of the
meat.
• This is actually 69%
calories from fat.
• Or about 23 grams of
fat in a 4-ounce
serving!!
• Look for lean products
that are 10% fat or less.
Examine the Facts
331 calories
28 g fat
11 g sat fat
2 g trans fat
287 calories
23 g fat
9 g sat fat
1 g trans fat
199 calories
11 g fat
5 g sat fat
1 g trans fat
Examine the Facts
130 calories
0.5 g fat
0 g sat fat
170 calories
9 g fat
2.5 g sat fat
190 calories
10 g fat
4 g sat fat
Food Label Health Claims (1-5):
Diet-Disease Relationship
Here are 14 approved health claims for food labels:
1) Calcium and osteoporosis – A diet high in calcium may reduce
thin and brittle bones or osteoporosis.
2) Dietary fat and cancer – Reducing the amount of total dietary fat
may help decrease the risk for some cancers.
3) Saturated fat and cholesterol and heart disease – Limiting the
amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet may help
reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
4) Fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain fiber and
cancer – A high-fiber diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables
may reduce the risk of certain cancers.
5) Fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain fiber and heart
disease – Consuming high-fiber grain products, fruits and
vegetables may help prevent heart disease.
Food Label Health Claims (6-10)
6) Sodium and high blood pressure – Reducing sodium in the diet
prevents high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart attacks and
stroke.
7) Fruits and vegetables and some cancers – Eating fruits and
vegetables high in fiber, vitamin A or vitamin C may prevent
some cancers.
8) Folate and neural tube birth defects – Women who consume 400
mcg/day of folate or folic acid reduce the risk of neural tube
defects in their offspring.
9) Dietary sugar alcohol and dental caries – Frequent between-meal
consumption of foods high in sugars and starches promotes
tooth decay.
10) Soluble fiber from certain foods and coronary heart disease –
Eating foods high in soluble fiber (oatmeal, oat bran, etc.) and
low in saturated fat may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Food Label Health Claims (11-14)
11) Soy protein and coronary heart disease – 25 grams of soy protein
a day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may
reduce the risk of heart disease.
12) Plant sterol/stanol esters and coronary heart disease – Foods
containing at least 0.65 gram in a serving of vegetable oil sterol
esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at
least 1.3 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and
cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.
13) Whole-grain foods and heart disease and certain cancers – Diets
rich in whole-grain foods and other plant foods and low in total
fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart
disease and some cancers.
14) Potassium and high blood pressure and stroke – Diets
containing foods that are a good source of potassium and that
are low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure
and stroke.
Case Studies of Label Claims
• Item: Wheat Thin baked
crackers
• Interpretation:
– The crackers are thin,
baked and made from
wheat
– But they are high in fat
and calories
Case Studies of Label Claims
• Item: Peanut butter
• Health Claim: Reduced
fat
• Interpretation:
– There is no
190 calories
difference in
16 g fat
calories between
reduced-fat and
regular peanut
butter.
190 calories
12 g fat
Case Studies of Label Claims
• Item: Frozen yogurt
• Health Claim: Lowfat
• Interpretation:
– Low in calories or
calorie free.
– Frozen yogurts
contain added
sugar.
– Control portion size.
170 calories
250 calories
3 g fat
16 g fat
Case Studies of Label Claims
• Item: Ice Cream
• Health Claim: Sugar free or
no sugar added
• Interpretation:
– The exclusion of sugar
does not mean that it is
low in total fat, saturated
fat or calories.
– Many sugar-free ice
creams contain just as
many calories and fat as
their regular counterparts.
120 calories
2 grams fat
130 calories
2 grams fat
Case Studies of Label Claims
• Item: Fruit beverages or drinks
• Health Claim: “Fruit”
• Interpretation:
– 10% fruit juice.
– 90% is artificial coloring,
sugar and water.
III. Balancing the Scale Using Food Labels
• Reading food labels can teach
you to:
– Choose more foods with the
greater nutrient density and
fiber
– Limit foods that are high in
sugar, calories, fat, saturated
fat, trans fat and sodium
The Nutrient Density Scale
• What are nutrient-rich foods?
– Whole, unprocessed, unrefined
foods such as fresh fruits and
vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole
grains and legumes are all
nutrient-dense foods.
– They are high in fiber and
contain vitamins, minerals,
phytochemicals and
antioxidants. All are beneficial
for your health.
Tilting the Nutrient Density Scale
• What are nutrient-poor foods?
– Highly processed, refined
carbohydrates, sugar, saturated-fatladen foods such as doughnuts,
cookies, cakes, soda, white bread,
sugared cereals and candy.
– Low in vitamins, minerals and fiber and
high in calories.
– Empty calories are calories that do not
contribute to the growth, repair or health
of body cells.
– In excess, these calories increase
disease risk by contributing to obesity,
dental caries, diabetes, high blood
pressure and hyperlipidemia (which is a
contributing factor in heart disease).
Balancing the Scale Using Food Labels
• Compare: Spoon Size®
Shredded Wheat versus
Frosted Mini-Wheats®
• Although both are high
in fiber from the wheat,
Frosted Mini-Wheats®
are higher in calories
with added sugar.
• For sweetness, add
fresh berries to the
shredded wheat and
you will have additional
anti-oxidants (vitamins
A and C) and fiber.
200 calories
170 calories
Reading Food Labels
• By reading food labels you can ensure that your
diet is:
– Low in total fat
– Low in saturated fat
– Low in trans fat
– Low in cholesterol
– Low in sodium
– High in fiber
– High in vitamins and
minerals
– Adequate in protein
Lab Review
I.
The Anatomy of a Food
Label
II. Food Label Language Lab
III. Balancing the Scale Using
Food Labels
“If I knew I was going to live this
long, I'd have taken better care of
myself.”
– Mickey Mantle