Improve your diet by learning more about what you eat from government data sources. Your tax dollars support public health agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, which publishes the latest nutrition information. The USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center offers free online access to a wide variety of scientific dietary guidance. Learn more about your everyday sandwich bread and the rest of your diet from these government resources.
Dietary Guidelines
What type of bread should you be eating? The periodic USDA report "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" suggests an emphasis on whole grains and a reduction in sugar, salt and saturated and trans fats. The dietary guidelines also contain nutrition information on the vitamins and minerals you should be getting for optimum health. By setting goals for a healthy diet, you can make daily choices to meet them.
Food Pyramid
How much of all the essential vitamins and minerals should you be getting? The USDA Food Pyramid can tell you in practical terms how much of which foods will achieve your nutrition goals. In the case of sandwich bread, for instance, an age chart will tell you how much you need by weight for a balanced diet. Women and men 31 to 50 years old should get 6 to 7 ounces of grain food, with one slice of bread representing about 1 ounce. Of that daily quota, half should come from whole grain, such as whole wheat bread.
Food Label Guidelines
To choose the whole-grain bread with less salt, sugar and fat, consumers must compare brands and varieties. The Food and Nutrition Center offers a section on Food Labeling that shows you how to interpret the food labels required on packaged products by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. By learning the nutrient content of breads at a glance, you can choose those with less sodium, carbohydrates and fat, and more of the vitamins and minerals you need in a healthy diet.
Nutrient Database
Those looking to add or subtract specific nutrients, such as calcium or cholesterol, to achieve healthy diets can take advantage of the comprehensive USDA Nutrient Database. This searchable tool contains a list of common foods in the American diet by nutrient. Selecting calcium, for instance, and viewing the bread listings will reveal the calcium content of one slice whole wheat bread (36 grams) in relation to white (38 g), rye (23 g) and oatmeal (18 g).
Age-Based Nutrition
We need more of certain vitamins and minerals at different times of our lives. The Lifecycle Nutrition section at the Food and Nutrition Information Center can show you which nutrients your family needs. You should purchase sandwich bread with a high folic acid, or folate, content for a pregnant woman, or one with extra calcium for children and seniors with bone growth issues. You can integrate this knowledge with the numbers from the Nutrient Database to help you make healthy diet choices.
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