Nutrition information on food labels
Core Unit
Nutrition information on food labels
What is new?
What does it mean?
How do you use it?
#1
What is different at the grocery store?
Before
• only some foods had
nutrition labelling
• the nutrition information
looked different on different
products
• each label had different
amounts of information
• optional nutrition claims
could be made
After
• most foods have Nutrition
Facts
• standard format so that it
looks the same on all
products
• more complete information
that is easy to find and read
• claims can also be made
about a diet-disease
relationship
#S1a
Nutrition information on food labels
#2
#3
Nutrition Facts: Easy to find, easy to read and
on more foods
Standard Format
#S3a
Nutrition Facts: Easy to find, easy to read and on
more foods
Horizontal Format
Linear Format
#S3b
What food products have Nutrition Facts?
Almost all prepackaged foods have Nutrition Facts
some exceptions:
• fresh fruit and vegetables
• raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood
• foods prepared or processed at the store
bakery items, sausage, salads
• foods that contain very few nutrients
coffee beans, tea leaves, spices
• alcoholic beverages
#4
Are foods with a Nutrition Facts table better?
Many foods are important for healthy eating, including
• Grain Products (breads, cereal, rice, pasta)
• Vegetables and Fruit
• Milk Products (milk, cheese, yogurt)
• Meat and Alternatives (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes)
Some are served in restaurants.
Some are grown in your garden.
#S4a
Use Nutrition Facts to make informed food choices
• to help you choose foods that meet your needs
• to easily compare similar foods
• to look for foods with more or less of a specific nutrient
• to select foods for special diets
#5
Use Nutrition Facts to make informed food
choices Compare similar foods so that you can choose the
healthier one
Product 1
Product 2
#S5a
Use Nutrition Facts to make informed food
choices Compare similar foods to find one that has more iron
Ziti Cut Pasta
Penne Rigate
#S5b
Nutrition Facts: ACTIVITY
Which yogurt has less fat or more calcium?
Blueberry Yogurt 2.5 % M.F.
Low fat Blueberry Yogurt
#A5a
Nutrition Facts ACTIVITY
Which cookie would be a better choice?
#A5b
Serving size
• the specific amount of food
listed under the “Nutrition
Facts” title
• all nutrient information is
based on this amount of
food
• listed in common measures
you use at home
#6
Serving Size ACTIVITY
Light Tuna 170 g in water
(120 g drained weight)
• You make two tuna
sandwiches from this can.
• How many Calories will you
get from the tuna in two
sandwiches?
#A6a
Nutrition Facts are based on a specific amount of food
Compare this to the amount you eat and Canada’s Food Guide
Example: Breakfast Cereal
Food Label
bran cereal with raisins
1 cup (59 g)
Food Guide
30 g
At home
1 ½ cups bran cereal
with raisins
#7
Nutrition Facts are based on a specific amount of
food. Compare this to the amount you eat
Label
1 single serving bottle of orange juice
(350 mL)
At home
1 glass of orange juice
#S7a
Nutrition Facts are based on a specific amount of
food. Compare this to the amount you eat
Label
1 single serving package of peanuts
(75 g)
At home
2 – 3 handfuls of peanuts
#S7b
Nutrition Facts are based on a specific amount of
food. Compare this to the amount you eat
Label
1 single serving package of peanuts
(75 g)
At home
2 – 3 handfuls of peanuts
#S7b
Nutrition Facts are based on a specific amount of
food. Compare this to the amount you eat
Label (1 cup dry (88 g))
2 cups of cooked pasta
At home or at a restaurant
Pasta – side dish or main meal?
#S7c
% Daily Value
• can make it easier to compare foods
• helps you see if a food has a lot or a
little of a nutrient
• provides a context to the actual amount
of a nutrient
#8
ACTIVITY
Birthday cake for your uncle
#A8a
Use % Daily Value to see if a food has a lot or a
little of a nutrient
The actual numbers can be confusing, for example:
• 2 mg of iron seems small but it is 15 % of the Daily Value for iron
• 110 mg of sodium seems large but it is only 5 % of the Daily
Value for sodium
% Daily Value makes it easy to see if there is a lot or a little of a
nutrient without having to do any math.
#9
Use Nutrition Facts to make informed food choices
• Increasing or decreasing a specific nutrient...
• Choosing between two similar products...
#10
Use Nutrition Facts to make informed food
choices Compare similar foods to find the one that has les fat
and saturated fat
Steak Dinner
Lasagna with Lean Meat
#S10a
% Daily Value ACTIVITY
Which product is the better source of iron?
Sirloin Burgers
Chicken Burgers
#A10a
% Daily Value ACTIVITY
Compare fat in three different snack foods
Cheese-flavour
Popcorn
Tortilla Chips
Pretzels
#A10b
List of ingredients
• all of the ingredients for a food are listed by weight, from the
most to the least (the ingredient that is in the largest amount is
listed first)
• is present on prepackaged foods
• is a source of allergy information
• is a source of certain nutrient information
#11
Nutrition Facts / List of Ingredients
ACTIVITY
Frozen Peaches and Cream Corn
Whole Kernel Corn (canned)
Ingredients: whole kernel corn
Ingredients: corn, water, salt for taste
#A11a
Nutrition claims
They are:
• regulated statements made when a food meets certain
criteria
• optional, so may be found only on some food products
• often on the front of food packages
• a quick and easy way to get information about a food
#12
Nutrition claims
When you want to decrease the amount of certain nutrients...
Free
• none or hardly any of this nutrient
• an example is “sodium free”
Low
• a small amount
• an example is “low fat”
Reduced
Light
• at least 25% less of the nutrient than a similar product
• an example is “reduced in Calories”
• can be used on foods that are reduced in fat or
reduced in Calories
#13
Nutrition Facts / List of Ingredients ACTIVITY
Which is lower in fat?
Regular Potato Chips
Low Fat Potato Chips
#A13a
Nutrition claims
When you want to increase the amount of certain nutrients...
Source
• contains a useful amount of the nutrient
• an example is “source of fibre”
High or good • contains a high amount of the nutrient
source
• an example is “high in vitamin C”
Very high or • contains a very high amount of the nutrient
excellent
• an example is “excellent source of calcium”
source
#14
Nutrition Claims ACTIVITY
Which one is the better source of fibre?
Product #1
Low in Fat
Cholesterol
Free
Product #2
40% less fat
than our
original
crackers
A source of
Dietary fibre
#A14a
Nutrition Claims ACTIVITY
The following two claims were listed on similar products.
What is the difference?
Reduced in fat
Cholesterol free
#A14b
Nutrition claims
“A healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats may
reduce the risk of heart disease. (Naming the food) is
free of saturated and trans fats.”
#15
Use nutrition claims to make informed food choices
“A healthy diet rich in a variety of vegetables and fruit may
help reduce the risk of some types of cancer.”
#S15a
Use nutrition claims to make informed food choices
“A healthy diet containing foods high in potassium and
low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood
pressure, a risk factor for stroke and heart disease.
(Naming the food) is low in sodium.”
#S15b
Use nutrition claims to make informed food choices
“A healthy diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D,
and regular physical activity, help to achieve strong
bones and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
(Naming the food) is a good source of calcium.”
#S15c
Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating
#16
Nutrition labelling: a tool to support healthy eating
Food Guide Message
Enjoy a variety of foods from
each group every day
Label Information
• check your grocery cart to
ensure foods from all the food
groups are included – with and
without labels
Choose lower fat foods more
often
• Nutrition Facts - % DV
• Nutrition claims such as “lower
in fat”
#17
Nutrition labelling: a tool to support healthy eating
Food Guide Message
Choose whole grains and
enriched products more often
Label Information
• List of ingredients
• Nutrition Facts
• Nutrition claims
Choose dark green or orange
vegetables and orange fruit
more often
• List of ingredients
• Nutrition Facts
#18
Nutrition labelling: a tool to support healthy eating
Food Guide Message
Choose lower fat milk products
more often
Label Information
• Nutrition claims
• Nutrition Facts
• List of ingredients
Choose leaner meats, poultry
and fish, as well as dried peas,
beans and lentils more often
• Nutrition claims
• Nutrition Facts
• List of ingredients
#19
Healthy Eating ACTIVITY
Choose lower fat milk products more often
Partly Skimmed Milk 1% M.F.
Homogenized Milk 3.25% M.F.
#A19a
Healthy Eating ACTIVITY
Choose leaner meats, poultry and fish, as well as
dried peas, beans and lentils more often
Product #1
Frozen marinated chicken breasts
Product #2
Frozen breaded chicken breast strips
#A19b
A healthy you!
Enjoy eating well, being active and
feeling good about yourself.
#20
Choose a variety of food for healthy eating
#S20a
A tool to support healthy eating
Helps you choose foods
#S20b