In 1990, Congress passed the National Labeling and Education Act. The act was passed to ensure that consumers are provided with information regarding the ingredients, serving sizes and nutritional content of consumer food products. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the governing agency that administers and enforces labeling requirements. Trader Joe's markets Heart Healthy Whole Grain Cranberry Instant Oatmeal and Heart Healthy Whole Grain Blueberry Instant Oatmeal. The labeled nutrition facts are the same for both products.
Serving Size and Daily Value
The nutrition information on the label is for one individual serving packet, or 45 g. The percentage of Daily Value or DV is based on an average 2000 calorie per day diet. The DV percentage is a guide to help you determine if a food is high or low in a nutrient. If a product serving gives you 5 percent of the daily value for that nutrient, that would be low. If the daily value is 20 percent or more, the product would be considered high in that nutrient, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The calories are 160 and the calories from fat are 25 for Trader Joe's Heart Healthy Instant Oatmeal. The rest of the label lists types of fiber, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, carbohydrate, protein, calories and Daily Value percentages of vitamins.
Carbohydrate and Fiber
Trader Joe's Heart Healthy Instant Oatmeal has whole grain rolled oats and contains 30 g of total carbohydrate, of which 10 g is sugar and 6 g is fiber. The breakdown in the fiber is 4 g of soluble fiber and 2 g of insoluble fiber. Foods that are high in soluble fiber will help lower the LDL, or bad cholesterol, according to the Mayo Clinic. Soluble fiber from oatmeal is a beneficial source of fiber for the heart. The amount of fiber in this product is 20 percent of the daily value, which is relatively high for that nutrient.
Cholesterol, Fat and Sodium
Trader Joe's Heart Healthy Instant Oatmeal has 0 g of cholesterol, saturated and trans fat. It contains good fat or omega-3s from flax seed that was added to the product. Additionally, 2.5 g of poly- and mono-unsaturated fats are also in the product. Per the American Dietetic Association, the amount of saturated fat should not exceed 20 g per day, and total fat should not exceed 65 g, based on an average 2000 calorie per day diet . The 2.5 g of fat in the product would be classified as low fat by the FDA.
Trader Joe's Heart Healthy Instant Oatmeal has 90 mg of sodium per serving. This would be 4 percent of your daily value. This product would be considered low salt by the FDA.
Potassium and Protein
The total potassium in Trader Joe's Heart Healthy Instant Oatmeal is 350 mg, or 10 percent of the daily value. The potassium in the product is from the oat itself and various flavorings added to the product. The total protein is 4 g per serving.
Vitamins and Daily Value
The last area on the label presents specific vitamins and their percent of Daily Value per the average 2000 calorie diet per day. The percentages are: vitamin A, 25 percent; vitamin C, 100 percent; calcium, 20 percent; and iron, 10 percent.
