Hey, Mabel! Read the Label
We fought to get the Nutrition Facts, so pay attention

Lisa Goldman

Not sure if you’re getting enough fibre in your diet? Worried about ingesting too much salt or too many fatty foods? If you’ve ever scrutinized the Nutrition Facts table on a box of cereal or a can of tuna and discovered you don’t know how to use the information listed, you’re not alone. While there are some labels we all understand (Dry Clean Only; Warning: Cigarettes Cause Lung Cancer!), most people don’t comprehend the numbers on a nutrient label.

“People are happy there’s a label on food products, but it doesn’t mean they know what to do with the information,” says Gina Sunderland, a registered dietitian in Winnipeg. The good news is that once you know what to look for, the nutrition facts are really easy to use. And they can help you make healthier purchases at the grocery store.

As of December of this year, all prepackaged-food manufacturers will be required to label their products  with the per-serving calories they contain, as well as 13 key nutrients in a balanced diet — components identified by scientists, health professionals and consumers. The six simple steps below will help you make more informed decisions and fill your cart with more wholesome products next time you’re schlepping through the supermarket aisles.

1. Survey the serving size

The sering size is indicated in amounts (two slices, four crackers, 12 pieces) or in household units and metric measurements (teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, millilitres, grams). If you follow the serving size on the package, you’ll consume the amounts of calories and nutrients listed on the label. But be honest now. Do you really just eat 10 chips at a time? If you generally eat more than the listed serving size, take account of the extra calories, fat, sodium and carbohydrates.

2. Count the calories

The number of calories tells you how much energy you’ll get from one serving. If a serving of cereal and milk contains 200 calories, say, and you’re trying to stick to around 2,000 calories a day, then this obviously represents 10% of your daily energy target.

3. Check the daily value percentages (% DV)

The DV refers to the daily recommended daily intake (RDI) of nutrients in a 2,000-calorie diet. The percentage shows whether there’s a lot (a high % DV) or a little (a low % DV) of each nutrient in a serving and helps you keep track of the good and not-so-good nutrients you consume. “If you’ve already consumed 100% of the DV of a nutrient — say vitamin C — it’s OK to consume foods that don’t contain much of that nutrient for the rest of the day,” says Montreal-based registered dietitian Kim Arrey. “If the product doesn’t have much of another nutrient — say, calcium — it’s necessary to look for other foods with a higher % DV.”

4. Beware of the first three nutrients listed

These items — fat, cholesterol and sodium — are ones most people need to limit. Eating too much fat (especially saturated and trans fats), cholesterol and sodium increases the risk of health problems, ranging from weight gain, high blood pressure and diabetes to heart disease and perhaps some cancers. A good target is no more than 65 grams (13 teaspoons) of fat each day. Some experts suggest limiting saturated fat to less than 7% of total daily calories and trans fat to less than 1%. If the cholesterol and sodium per serving have % DVs of 5% or less, the product is considered low in these items. For saturated fat, a food that has a % DV of 10% or less is generally considered low in that nutrient.

5. Scrutinize the carbohydrates, fibre, protein, vitamins A and C, calcium and iron

Some of us don’t consume enough of these dietary essentials. Carbohydrates give us energy, but watch out for the sugars listed in the carbs section. Sometimes sugar is added to foods that have a decreased fat content or an increased fibre content. Fibre is desirable because it promotes good bowel function and healthy blood sugar levels. Protein renews the cells of muscles, tendons and ligaments, and helps maintain bones (no % DV is listed for protein, as needs vary).

Calcium keeps bones and teeth strong and protects against osteoporosis. Iron helps carry oxygen to all body cells, promotes brain growth and function and aids in fighting infection. Vitamin A maintains healthy skin and eyes, while vitamin C boosts our immune system and protects against oxidative damage from rogue oxygen molecules. Food servings that have a % DV of 15% or more are deemed high in these nutrients.

6. Inspect the ingredients list

All ingredients in a product must be listed in descending order, starting with the item the product contains most of. So obviously you want to watch out for lists that start with sugar, fat and salt. And be on the lookout for other words used to describe these three nutrients. Fat also appears as shortening, butter, lard, margarine, hydrogenated vegetable oil (trans fat) and coconut oil (saturated fat).

Sugar can be listed as maple and corn syrups, molasses, honey and any words ending with -ose, such as fructose, glucose, sucrose and dextrose. Salt can be present as sodium or as an ingredient in monosodium glutamate (MSG), brine, baking soda and baking powder.

Here’s the place, too, to check for potential allergens. “People who are allergic to milk, for example, should steer clear of whey and casein,” Sunderland says. And those with celiac disease must avoid products containing gluten, wheat and/or wheat derivatives, barley and oats.

But forget about finding nutrient information on the following foods, as they are exempt from nutrition labelling: unprocessed raw fish, meat and poultry, fresh fruit and vegetables and alcoholic beverages, as well as foods sold at farmers’ markets, flea markets and fairs.

Nutritional Claims

Wondering what fat-free and low-fat really mean? Here’s how to decipher the nutritional claims made on packaged foods.

Free
Foods that are labelled free of certain nutrients contain such a small amount per serving that their presence is considered nutritionally insignificant.

Fat-free
Contains less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving.

Sodium- or salt- free
Contains less than five milligrams of sodium.

Cholesterol-free
Contains less than two milligrams and is low in saturated fat.

Low
Foods that are labelled low in certain nutrients contain a very small amount per serving.

Low-fat
Contains no more than three grams of fat per serving.

Low in saturated fat
Contains no more than two grams of saturated fat and trans fat.

Reduced or lower
These foods have at least 25% less of a certain nutrient per serving than a regular version of the product.

Source labelling
Identifies foods containing significant amounts of essential nutrients.

Source of
Contains an amount equal to or greater than 5% of the current recommended daily intake (RDI) per serving.

Good source of
Contains an amount equal to or greater than 15% of the RDI. A good source of calcium, for example, will have at least 165 milligrams; a good source of vitamin C will have 18 milligrams or more.

Excellent source of
Contains an amount equal to or greater than 25% of the RDI.