Using the “Nutrition and Fitness Facts” Section on Food Labels (2558)

Reading the "nutrition facts" section on food labels is an important part of meal planning.  Here are a few tips to make you an able label reader:

- Look at the number of servings and serving size.  The "nutrition facts" are based on "one" serving of the product. "“What you see" on the label may not be "what you get" if you eat more or less than this serving size.
- Locate the amount of calories.  This amount represents the calories in "one" serving.
- Fat is listed as "total fat."  Fat may be further broken down into saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat and labels will soon include information on trans fatty acids as well.  It is not mandatory to list all types of fat.  This is why the sum of the different fats may be less than the "total fat."

If a food contains less than a half gram of fat per serving, this amount is considered insignificant, as it adds only about 5 calories per serving.  This is why you may see a fat in the list of ingredients without it being mentioned the "nutrient facts" section.

- If you’re watching sodium, check out the sodium section on the label.
- The carbohydrate section is broken down into "dietary fiber" and "sugars."  We need about 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily.  Use the fiber figures to assure that you include some high-fiber foods in your diet.  The sugar portion does not distinguish between sugar added to foods and sugar occurring naturally.  You will see sugar listed for fruits and milk due to their natural forms of sugar.  The reason for this type of listing is that the body does not distinguish between different types of sugar.  However, when you obtain sugar from fruit and milk, you are obtaining nutrients at the same time.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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