Do you feel overwhelmed by the number of SIMILAR products found at grocery stores? Do you need help selecting the right product? Food labels are intended to help consumers make informed choices when grocery shopping.
Food labels consist of a Nutrition Facts table and an ingredient list. They may at times also have nutrition claims.
1. The Nutrition Facts Table
Step 1: Serving size
The serving size is at the top of the Nutrition Facts table. All the information on the table is based on this amount of food. Make sure to compare this size to the amount of food you will eat. For example, to make things simple, if the serving size of a cereal is 1 cup and you eat 2 cups, you will get double the amount of nutrient listed on the table.
Step 2: Look at the percent daily value (%DV)
The percent daily value (%DV) tells us if that food item has a little (5% or less) or a lot (15% or more) of a nutrient. Use this information to compare different foods. Choose products that are higher in the nutrients that you want more of such as fiber, vitamins, minerals. Try to get less salt, sugar, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.
Compare the nutrient content of different foods to make healthy choices. For example, when buying crackers, pick the one with the lower salt and higher fiber content.
2. The Ingredient List
This tells us what the food item is made-up of, starting with the heaviest and ending with the lightest ingredient.
3. Nutrition Claims
Nutrient content claims give us information on whether a food is high or low in a certain nutrient.
If you want a food high in a certain nutrient, look for words such as:
- Source
- High or good source
- Very high or excellent source
If you want a food low in a certain nutrient, look for words such as:
- Free
- Low
- Reduced
Lastly, health claims are statements that tell consumers the role of certain nutrients/foods in preventing disease.
For a complete list of nutrient content claims and health claims, as well as what they mean, refer to the Government of Canada website.
Bottom line…use food labels to help you compare products and make informed decisions about what you eat!
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