2. Tell when and why the Nutrition Facts label was introduced.

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1 Welcome to Nutrition Facts Labels class! Choosing and preparing foods which meet the needs of many children and adults can be a mystery at times, but we can take a clue from Nutrition Labels. Use the Participant Booklet which contains valuable information. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 1

2 Let s review the objectives for this lesson: You will be able to: 1. Recognize an approved Nutrition Facts label. 2. Tell when and why the Nutrition Facts label was introduced. 3. Identify important facts about the requirements. 4. Read, understand and use the Nutrition Facts label and ingredient list to make healthy choices. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 2

3 Activity 1: What Does a Label Look Like? Refer at this time to the participant booklet. (It is recommended that you print the participant booklet before starting the class so that you can refer to it easily.) Look at the label and locate each part as you read about it. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 3

4 Nutrition labeling has been around since the 1970s but became mandatory in 1994 with the introduction of the Nutrition Facts label. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates labels on meat and poultry while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for labeling of other foods. Although the format of the label varies slightly depending on the size of the package and the nutrient content, it is fairly standardized. The information provided is carefully regulated so that we as consumers can easily compare products and make well-informed choices. Not all labels look like the graham cracker stick example shown on the previous slide. Candy bars usually provide the information in paragraph rather than table form. Most of the information is the same but it is made to fit in a smaller amount of space. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 4

5 Here are some more key facts about the Nutrition Facts labeling requirement. First, as noted on the previous slide, labeling is required on manufactured food. It is voluntary on raw foods (meats, fruits and vegetables, seafood, etc.) and on foods with practically nothing in them such as tea and coffee. Second, serving sizes are standardized and are designed to reflect a typical portion whereas in the past, each manufacturer could set their own serving size. The serving size may be deceiving. We don t all eat the same amount of food all the time so be sure to think about how much a realistic portion size is for you and for others that may be served in a center or home. Third, the FDA requires that information be provided on the nutrients consumers are most interested in and makes it optional for information on other nutrients to be provided. In the Participant Booklet, there is a list which indicates the nutrients that are required and a list of those which are optional. Review the list and take time to compare the list to the nutrients listed on the label. Fourth, the label on juice drinks must state how much of the product actually contains juice. Some are full of sugar and water and are simply juice-flavored. Look at the next two pages in the participant handbook. What percent of each is juice? Is it easy to see on the package? For example, is the percent juice easier to identify on the products that contain 100 percent juice than on those that contain less than 100 percent juice? Which is product is healthier? The 100 percent juice. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 5

6 Fifth, nutrient amounts are expressed as a percent of daily values so that one can determine at a glance how that food item fits into the food intake for the day. Sixth, claims about the relationship between a nutrient and a disease are regulated. This means that a manufacturer can t claim that their food will help prevent a disease unless there is scientific proof. If a package has a health claim, it can be trusted. In the Participant Booklet find Approved Health Claims, there is a page with eight approved health claims. Health claims include: calcium and osteoporosis, fat and cancer, saturated fat and cholesterol and heart disease, fiber-containing grain products, fruits, vegetables, and cancer, fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain fiber and heart disease, sodium and high blood pressure, fruits and vegetables and some cancers, folic acid and neural tube defects. Check the labels in the participant booklet for health claims. Seventh, so that manufacturers can t make false claims. Look in the Participant Booklet at the Descriptive Terms to find a definition of each term. For example, if the package of a product claims it is sugar-free, it must contain 0.5 g or less sugar per serving. Which label has one of these terms? Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 6

7 Look at the How to Use a Label in the Participant Booklet. How should the label be used? Begin by looking at the serving size and the number of servings in the package. The serving size is usually given in a household measurement such as cups or tablespoons or by pieces or slices. In addition to the measurement, it may be given in a weight. A gram is very light, about the weight of one paperclip. (There are 1000 milligrams in one gram and about 30 grams in one ounce.) An easy way to imagine the weight of one ounce is to picture the weight of four, stacked quarters. Consider if the serving size is reasonable. The serving size on most ice-cream containers is half a cup and on some candy bars, it is half a candy bar. Look at the label for each product. Is the serving size accurate? The answer will vary from one product to another and from one day to another depending on a person s level of hunger. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 7

8 Step 2 is to look at the number of calories in the product. Calories are a measure of energy. Our bodies needs energy in order to function and the more we make our bodies do, the more calories we need. The less we make our bodies do, the fewer calories we need. When evaluating the amount of calories, keep the serving size in mind. If twice as much as the amount is eaten then the label indicates is a serving, twice as many calories as the amount listed will be consumed.. General guide to calories (based on 2,000 calorie diet): 40 calories is low, 100 is moderate, 400 or more is high. Look at how many of the calories come from fat. Calories (or energy) come from three different nutrients. Carbohydrates and proteins each produce 4 calories per gram while 1 gram of fat produces 9 calories. Evaluating the percent of fat in foods is recommended to determine if the food should be considered in a healthy diet. In the example on the slide, almost half of the calories come from fat. Using a calculator we can see that is calculated by dividing fat calories by the total calories ( ) = 0.44 x 100 = 44% of the calories come from fat. That food item is relatively high, so should be combined with other items low in fat. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 8

9 High amounts of fat, cholesterol and sodium can increase the risk of certain chronic diseases such as heart disease, some cancers and high blood pressure so health experts recommend that we keep our intake of these as low as possible. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 9

10 Research shows many Americans do not get enough vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. We need these nutrients because they help to improve our health and reduce the risk of some diseases and conditions. For example: Calcium in dairy products helps to protect our bones from osteoporosis. Fiber in whole grains and in fresh fruits and vegetables helps prevent heart disease. Vitamin C assists with healing and the immune system. Vitamin A is key for good vision, a healthy immune system, and cell growth. Iron prevents anemia. Look at labels and when possible, choose products high in these nutrients. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 10

11 Look at one of the labels find the part that says % Daily Value. It s above the righthand column the one that has all of the percentages. Note the asterisk or star after it. That asterisk refers to the footnote. Examine one label and read the footnote. There may or may not be a table below that. If there is not, it is because the label is too small for it. How many list (less than) 2,400 mg of sodium? Note the information on this slide. It is the same for every label on which it is found. This information is not specific to each product. It is general advice for any American consuming 2,000 or 2,500 calories per day. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 11

12 Look at percentages in the right-hand column. These percentages are specific to each product and they tell what portion of the daily value (2,000 calories) one serving of that particular food will contribute to a person s daily needs. We don t all consume 2,000 calories per day though. Some of us need more and some of us need less but we can all use these percentages as a guide. Depending on what is needed, adjust accordingly. A person who needs to (not want to or typically do) consume more than 2,000 calories, should be aware that these percentages would be reduced with the need to consume more calories and if a person needs to consume fewer calories, the percentages would be mentally increased in the mind of the consumer. These percentages are calculated by dividing the amount per serving (e.g. 12 g of total fat) by the Recommended Daily Value provided in the table for a 2,000 calorie diet (e.g. 65 g of total fat) which is then multiplied by 100 to get a percentage. When looking at a label and trying to determine whether or not the product is healthy, use this simple guide: 5% or less is low and 20% or more is high. Aim for low numbers of the nutrients in yellow and high numbers of the nutrients in blue. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 12

13 The ingredients list shown here can also be found on the Honey Maid label in the Participant Booklet. Any food that contains more than one ingredient must list all of the ingredients in descending order of weight. The first ingredient is the most by weight, followed by the next heaviest ingredient and so on. Why is the ingredient list is helpful? People with allergies can easily see whether or not the food is safe for them to eat. We can make better decisions how to use foods in our diet. For example, if sugar or some form of sugar is listed as the first ingredient, the product may be less desirable. It is important to look at the list carefully because some ingredients can be confusing. Sugar can be listed in several ingredients (high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, molasses, honey and sugar). The enriched flour is listed first making the product appear healthier than if the sugars were listed first. This label meets the requirements for a CACFP grain, but it does have a high sugar content. Labels give the information to make informed food choices. Look at the ingredient list on each label. Consider how easy it is to read and understand. Evaluate as to determining whether the product is healthy or not. Check to see if any of the labels have sugar or sodium listed as the first ingredient. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 13

14 Activity 2: Let s to Practice 1. Locate the Practice Reading a Label worksheet in the Participant Booklet. 2. Take a few minutes and answer the questions. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 14

15 This would be a moderate calorie product. The number of calories from fat is very low. Fiber and sodium would be the values that are considered high. We want to see high numbers for Calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Protein, and Fiber. We would prefer to see low numbers for sodium, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sugars. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 15

16 Activity 3: Comparing Labels & Making Choices Use the Comparing Labels & Making Choices Worksheet and the labels in the participant booklet to compare different products: milk green beans juice canned peaches apple products cookies Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 16

17 Changes to the food label have been proposed and are currently under discussion that will: Provide greater emphasis with larger and bolder type on calories Include "Added Sugars" on the label Make the number of servings per package more prominent List the actual serving size that is commonly consumed Update the information for Daily Values and list Vitamin D and Potassium content Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 18

18 To get the most from Nutrition Facts labels, a person needs to know more about his/her own personal needs. A light woman who is 5 foot 4 inches tall and weighs 138 pounds needs to consume about 2, 200 calories each day. An active man who is 5 foot 10 inches tall and weighs 174 pounds needs to consume about 4,500 calories each day. Very few people fit into these two categories so let s look at a way to figure out our own personal needs. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 19

19 First, determine your typical level of activity. Unless you exercise on a regular basis and are on your feet most of the day, you probably fall into the light or moderate category but you have to think about your own lifestyle and job responsibilities and select the category which is most appropriate for you. Next, move over to the correct column. Men should look at the first column and women should look at the second column. Third, multiply your body weight by the number in that column. For example, a cook (who is on his/her feet most of the day) and tries to walk around the neighborhood for exercise a few evenings per week, would fall into the moderate activity level. Find the 18 in the second column. A person who weighs 180 pounds, would multiply 180 by 18 and get This is the number of calories that person would consume each day if to maintain his/her weight. To reduce a person s weight, fewer calories need to be consumed (and/or use more calories by being more active but that s the topic for a different class). Do you know about how much you weigh? In the Participant Booklet find Average Calorie Needs, there is space to calculate your own calorie intake needs. Take a few minutes to do that. Note: these numbers are for adults only. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 20

20 An additional resource Eat Right, Shop Smart can be found in the Participant Booklet. Take time to read this resource now. This resource can also be found at Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 21

21 Thank you all for completing this course. It is time to take the Post Test. We hope this class has helped you solve some of the mysteries of food labels. Nutrition Facts Labels * Child Nutrition & Wellness, Kansas State Dept. of Education 22