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Do you find food labels confusing? You are not alone!

Mandatory food labelling was initiated in 2007 in Canada,  ensuring all packed foods include a nutrition facts table and a list of ingredients. By providing this information, consumers are able to make informed decisions when buying foods. However, With a variety of packaged foods available, it is not always clear which is healthiest by reading the labels.  Being able to interpret food labels is an important skill for all consumers. Labels allow you to compare products and make healthier food choices. Today we are going to talk about the nutrition facts table in hopes of easing some of the headache of reading labels.    

FOOD LABELS :

  • Tells us what is in our food (Nutrients, vitamins calories etc )
  • Tells us the quantity of food or drink in a can, packet or bottle
  • It also tell us the amount of calories we get from one serving
  • It tells us the daily value of the food nutrients

SOME KEY THINGS TO LOOK FOR ON THE NUTRITION FACT TABLE:

  • SERVING SIZES: The serving sizes tell us the quantity of food you need to eat that will give you the amount of calories stated on the food label ***Be careful when reading this, it is often only a portion of the packaged product, not the whole thing!
  • CALORIES: Calories help us understand how much energy we get when we eat one serving of food.
  • PERCENT OF DAILY VALUE (%DV) :The percent daily value tells us how much or how little of a nutrient is found in one serving of food based on the recommended daily intake.

SOME HELPFUL BUYING TIPS

BUY FOODS THAT ARE HIGH IN:

  • FIBER
  • CALCIUM,
  • IRON
  • VITAMIN A AND DBUY FOODS THAT ARE LOW IN:
  • CHOLESTEROL
  • SODIUM
  • FAT AND TRANS FATS

Check our twitter for videos and interactive learning opportunities on nutrition labels. Next Blog will tackle health claims on food products and what every consumer should know.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Nutrition4uMPH

instagram: ”http://instagram.com/nutrition4ulondon?ref=badge”

Resources:

Health Canada: www.hc-sc.gc.ca

Canadian Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.ca/documents/about-diabetes/ENG_RGB_FactSheet.pdf