Just Give Me the Facts

Have you ever found yourself standing in the grocery store's aisle, reading the food labels, trying to understand the Nutrition Fact label? Here are some guidelines to better understand what to look out for and know what you are consuming.

The Nutrition Facts label is found on packed food items such as frozen and canned foods, cereals, snacks, desserts, and beverages. The FDA is responsible for ensuring that consumable foods are deemed safe for consumption and labeled correctly. Recently, the FDA gave our Nutritional Fact label a makeover. In January 2020, larger food manufacturers began printing their product labels with the revamped Nutrition Fact label. According to the planned timeline, smaller food manufactures should be using the new label in January 2021. Here are some highlights of these changes. Hopefully, help you make informed choices. Let's take a closer look.

Serving size

When reading the Nutritional Label, we first want to look at the servings per container and serving size. The new label has a serving size and servings per container printed in large bold type at the top. It is important to note that the suggested serving size is not based on dietary recommendations but rather on what a typical person would consume. It is not surprising that our serving sizes have increased over the years. The increase follows the trend of the increasing obesity rate in the USA. For example, in the past, a usual serving size of ice cream was 1/2 cup. Currently, the suggested serving size is 2/3 cup.

Calories

Next, we look at the calorie content on the Nutrition Label. The calorie count is printed in a much larger and bold print. However, we no longer see "calories from fat". Science has shown that the type of fat rather than the amount of fat is more important. For example, fat from avocados is a healthy fat versus fat from fried food such as potato chips.

Sugar

One of the biggest changes that have been made to the label is the declared amount of added sugar to products during processing. Some sugars occur naturally in foods such as fruit, but added sugar is a cause for concern. Research has shown that too much sugar consumption can lead to diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Added sugar is the cause of 'empty calorie syndrome' where the calories consumed from added sugar doesn't provide us with any nutrient value, but rather just calories. Consuming more than 10% of your total daily calories from added sugar will cause a significant increase to your calorie consumption. Over time, this could result in weight gain.

Fiber

Dietary fiber content includes naturally occurring fibers and added fiber to food to promote a healthy gut. Natural fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Some products which lack natural fiber have added fiber. The total fiber content can be found on the Nutrition Label and is essential for many health benefits.

Nutrients and daily values

There have been changes to the nutrients that are found on the label. Vitamin A and C are no longer listed since a deficiency in these is rare. Vitamin D and potassium are now listed. Calcium and iron will continue to be required. Previously, manufactures were required to list the nutrient content in percentage. Now, they must list the actual amount of Vitamin D, potassium, iron, and Calcium.

The daily value is a recommended amount based on an overall diet of 2000 calories per day. It is a value not to exceed, based on this amount. Some people may require more or fewer calories than this, depending on their specific needs. This number is used to calculate the daily value percentages that are printed on the label.

These updated changes, such as added sugar content and a more considerable emphasis on serving size, can significantly help individuals make better food choices to fit their lifestyle. Once you know what to look out for, making an informed choice is easier!

(Source FDA)