The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, requires that all food manufacturers provide labels on their packaging. The label includes calories and fat per serving of a food as well as the nutritional value in every serving. By reading these labels prior to choosing a particular food, you can decide how it fits into your daily diet. Keep in mind that the nutrition facts on a food label are based on the average 2,000-calorie diet.
Beyond Calories
Reading food labels helps you determine the nutritional value of a particular food. Some common listings that catch your attention are the calorie and fat contents. You will want to limit foods that are high in cholesterol and sodium. Although it is important to pick foods that are rich in fat, the alternative choices you make should be high in other nutrients such as vitamins and fiber. According to the FDA, a food should have no more than 20 percent of your daily value of vitamins and minerals and at least 5 percent of your daily value of fiber intake.
Usage
The daily values represented in percentages on a nutrition facts label are based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. This is the average amount of calories the typical person needs. If your calorie needs are higher or lower, these percentages must be adjusted accordingly. For example, Colorado State University Extension says that the maximum amount of fat you can have while on a 2,000-calorie diet is 65 g, while it is reduced to 53 g on a 1,600-calorie diet and increased to 73 g if you eat 2,200 calories a day. Before figuring out how many nutrients you need, you must first determine how many calories you eat.
Recommendations
No matter how many calories you eat in a day, a certain percentage should come from different sources. Kids Health recommends that 10 percent of your calories should be derived from protein, 60 percent from carbohydrates and 30 percent from unsaturated fats.
Serving Sizes
The nutritional facts on a food label are based on a serving size. The label also states how many serving sizes are in a package of food. It is easy to eat more than a serving size of a food when you do not look at the nutrition facts information. Even a small food might look like one serving but the label states that there are two servings. If you eat the whole package, you have to adjust your daily diet accordingly.
Considerations
The nutritional values in food labels reflect the nutritional guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA. According to Colorado State University, the USDA updates its nutritional recommendations every five years. This explains why some of the nutritional values periodically fluctuate in food labels. In some cases, new information is added, such as trans fatty acid content. Food labels should not be your sole source of information if you are concerned about your health and eating certain foods will not cure a pre-existing condition. See your physician or a registered nutritionist to address concerns about your diet.
Member Comments