Nutrition Facts – Labeling Your Food
We’ve all seen them; the nutrition facts label on our food. It’s that box on the side, top, bottom, or back of the packaging. It basically tells you what’s in the specific food item and what percentage of the estimated daily allowance this food item satisfies. For some, the nutrition facts data holds no value. That’s because those individuals aren’t concerned about the levels of fat, cholesterol, sodium, and protein their eating. They simply buy what they want and throw caution to the wind. But, the information the nutrition facts box gives us can help us balance our diets better and stay away from foods high in fat and sodium. Without it, we’d be in the dark.
The Origins of the Nutrition Facts Label
In 1938, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act was passed to regulate the nutritional and general ingredient claims being made on packaging. As more awareness of health issues grew throughout the years, more and more nutritional data was mandated for inclusion on the nutrition facts labels. Today’s nutrition facts label is a result of the 1990 Nutrition Labeling and Education Act which made significant changes in the health information provided on the nutrition facts label.
Information on the Nutrition Facts Label
If you’ve never taken a close look at the nutrition facts label on your food, you’ll notice each label has the same categories. The U.S. Food and Drug Association has mandated exactly what information each nutrition facts label should contain and how this information needs to be displayed. Each label contains serving size, calories, total fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins and minerals. The serving size establishes a unit of measure for the food item and how many servings the food package contains. The nutritional data contained on the nutrition facts label is based on that serving size and establishes percentages and quantities (in grams) accordingly. The % daily value tells you, based on a 2,000 calorie diet, the daily percentage of total fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins and minerals this food item satisfies.
How to Interpret the Nutrition Facts Label
The nutrition facts label contains valuable information. If you don’t already, starting reading the label of each food item you buy. It will give you an idea of the number of calories you’re eating, your cholesterol intake, and if you’re eating too much sodium. Many people use the nutrition facts label to count calories and monitor their diet. The information each label contains is very valuable, especially if you have a health condition or are simply trying to lose weight. Since the nutrition facts label breaks down food content by total fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins and minerals, you get a well-rounded idea of exactly what you’re eating. If you want to cut back on sodium, read the label. If you need more protein, pick a food item you think is high in protein and read the label. The nutrition facts label is there to help you eat better and improve your health.
Without the nutrition facts label, we’ be in the dark about our health. The nutrition facts label helps us make more informed decisions about what we eat, and gives us a better idea of exactly which foods are better for us vs. which ones are all filler.
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