Chapter 5: Section 5
Health Terms Food additives substances added to food intentionally to produce a desired effect. Enriched food a food in which nutrients that were lost in the processing have been added back. Fortification the addition of nutrients that are not naturally present. Unit Pricing a strategy for recognizing the relative cost of a product based on the cost of a standard unit, such as an ounce or gram. Health Concepts The Nutrition Facts Panel found on almost all packaged food products can help you judge whether a prepared or packaged food product meets your nutritional needs. Part of health literacy is learning to understand and judge claims made on food packages. Knowing what you are buying is as important as knowing what you are eating.
Nutrition Facts panel Serving size Servings per container Calories per serving and calories per serving from fat Grams of total fat, saturated fat, total carbohydrate, fiber, sugars, protein, and milligrams of cholesterol and sodium per serving Percentage of the Daily Value (DV) the product supplies of the above nutrients, plus some important minerals and vitamins in one serving
Don t ignore the serving size. Don t just look at carbs, look at what types of carbs (limit sugars). Don t just look at fat, look at what types of fat (limit saturated).
Food served in restaurants Plain coffee and tea Some spices and other foods that contain no nutrients Fresh meat, poultry, and fish Fresh fruits and vegetables
Almost all food labels have an ingredients list. These labels list ingredients by weight in descending order.
Substances added to food intentionally to produce a desired effect. Used to: Add nutrients Lengthen storage life Give flavor or color Maintain texture Control food s acidity Help age foods, such as cheese Enriched vs Fortified Enriched means they are putting nutrients which have been lost back in while fortification means they are addition nutrients that are not naturally present.
Fructose (natural fruit sugar) is used as a sugar substitute in many foods. Sweeter than table sugar, so less is needed, supplying fewer calories. Non-caloric sweeteners, are commonly added to diet sodas and desserts and is considered safe when used in moderation.
Healthy: the food is low in fat and saturated fat and contains limited amounts of cholesterol and sodium. Light: The calories have been reduced by at least a third, or the fat or sodium by at least ½. Light: the calories have been reduced by at least a 1/3, or the fat or sodium by at least a ½. Less: the food contains 25% less of a nutrient or of calories than a comparable food. -free: product contains no amount, or only a slight amount, of fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars, or calories. Fresh: food is raw, unprocessed, contains no preservatives and has never been frozen or heated. Natural: this term is reserved for meat and poultry only. It means the food is minimally processed with no artificial or synthetic ingredients.
Expiration date: last date you should use the product. Freshness date: last date a food is thought to be fresh. Pack date: the date on which the product was packaged. Sell date: also known as pull date, this term denotes the last the product for example milk should be sold. The product is still okay a few days beyond this date if stored properly.
Stores have begun to include vital information to help shoppers. Unit pricing is an example Saves consumers $ Before buying however, what should you ask yourself?
1. What is the difference between enriched and fortified? 2. What are 4 reasons food additives are used in food? 3. What do open dating and unit pricing mean?