Take a Look at the Label!
Serving Size
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Basis for entire label
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Calorie: nutritional measure of energy
-Calories In single serving
-Calories from fat
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Calories
% Daily Value
Low Source: 5 % or less
Medium Source: 10-19 %
High Source: 20 % or more
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Cholesterol
Fat produced by the liver needed by the cell
walls & to produce hormones & vitamin D
Found in animal based foods (dairy products,
eggs & meat)
Recommendation is <300 mg per day or <200
mg if you have heart disease
Fiber
High fiber: 5 g or more per serving
Good source: 2.5 – 4.9 g per serving
Recommendation is ~25 g per day
Recommendation is <5 g per serving
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Saturated: mainly from animals (beef, cream,
cheese, ice cream, butter) & some oils (coconut,
palm)
Trans fat: formed during hydrogenation (when
liquid fats are transformed into semi-solid fats) to
increase shelf life
o Found in fast food, snacks, fried foods, &
baked goods
o Increases “bad” cholesterol
Sodium
Sugar
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Fat
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Recommendation is <2,300 mg per day or 1,500
mg per day if you have hypertension, diabetes or
chronic kidney disease
If you buy canned items look for “low sodium”,
“reduced sodium” or “no salt added”
Other Labeling Terms
Fat Free: <0.5 g of fat per serving
Low Fat: 3 g of fat per serving or less
Low Calorie: <40 calories per serving
Reduced: 25 % less than original product
Light: 50 % less fat & 1/3 the calories of the
original product
Sodium Free: <5 mg of sodium
Low Sodium: 140 mg or less
Very Low Sodium: 35 mg or less
Vitamins & Minerals
Vitamin A: Helps us to see and fight infections. It is found in liver, milk, cereal and fruits and veggies that are
orange, red and dark green
Vitamin C: Helps our bodies build and repair, fight infections and keep our gums healthy. It is found in citrus
fruits, melons, berries, peppers, tomatoes and leafy greens.
Calcium: Helps build strong bones. It is found in dairy products, leafy green vegetables, cereal and sardines
Iron: Helps to deliver oxygen in the body and is important for healthy blood. It is found in meats, beans,
cereals and leafy green veggies. Vitamin C helps the body absorb calcium.
Potassium: Helps balance the fluids in the body and regulate blood pressure. It is found in raisins, prunes,
strawberries, bananas, cantaloupe, beets, spinach and tomatoes.
Ingredients List (listed by weight)
The product has the largest amount of the 1st ingredient
When identifying whole grains look for “whole wheat”, “whole grain”, “whole oats”, or “whole rye”
“Multi-grain”, & “100% wheat” are NOT 100% whole grain products
Sodium can also be labeled: sodium chloride, sodium caseinate, monosodium glutamate, trisodium phosphate,
sodium ascorbate, sodium bicarbonate and sodium stearoyl lactylate
Sugar can also be labeled: sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, cane juice, fructose,
glucose, honey and maltodextrin
You can use the nutrition facts & ingredients lists on packages of prepared foods to safeguard
your health, manage your weight & make more informed choices to gain control over your
eating habits, nutritional intake & diet-related health.
INGREDIENTS: WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, SUGAR,
CALCIUM CARBONATE, CORN SYRUP, SALT, SALT,
DISTILLED MONOGLYCERIDES, VITAMIN C (SODIUM
ASCORBATE), ZINC AND IRON (MINERAL
NUTRIENTS), VITAMIN E (TOCOPHERYL ACETATE), A
B VITAMIN (NIACINAMIDE), A B VITAMIN (CALCIUM
PANTOTHENATE), ANNATTO EXTRACT COLOR,
VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE),
VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN
MONONITRATE), A B VITAMIN (FOLIC ACID), VITAMIN
A (PALMITATE), VITAMIN B12, VITAMIN D, NONFAT
MILK. BHT ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS.
CONTAINS WHEAT AND MILK INGREDIENTS.