May is celebrated as National Mediterranean Diet Month. As a Family and Consumer Sciences agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension, one of our program offerings is a program highlighting the mediterranean pattern of eating. We’re celebrating the month of May by sharing a few of the highlights of the Mediterranean diet or key takeaways from past participants. Last week we shared about whole grains. This week, we’re taking a deeper look at the nutrition facts label.

The nutrition facts label is an excellent tool for us to use as consumers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that almost all packaged foods have a nutrition facts label and standardization across items. While the format may change a bit especially on smaller or oddly shaped items (for example a can of tuna may have a more condensed version), the basics are the same across the food label. If you’re reading the newspaper I’m thinking you might be home or somewhere you have access to a package of food. Pause and go grab a food item with a nutrition label (if you’re out and about, come back and do this activity). 

Since we talked about whole grains last week, I’m opting to look at a box of whole wheat crackers. What’s the serving size of your item? This is one of the first listed items on our nutrition facts label. It can help us get a standard serving size which is helpful when comparing similar products. How many servings per container are in your item? This helps us determine the quantity of food/drink we’re getting from a product. If I’m prepping for a taste test or class at our office this tool comes in handy. 

The calories are listed next. In the most recent revision to the food labeling system this number is now listed larger and in a bold font. One thing to keep in mind here is that the calories listed are for the recommended serving size. If you eat more than that, the calories and all other numbers would change as well. How many calories would your item have if you doubled the serving size? 

There’s so much we could dive into on the rest of the label, but I’m going to hit just a couple highlights for time. How many grams of added sugar does your item have? My crackers don’t have many, but this is an area of the label I’d want to be mindful of when shopping for beverages, yogurt, salad dressings, etc. where more added sugar may be common. 

We’ll close for today with the % Daily Values (DV). These are the percentages off to the right side of the label. What nutrient in your item has the highest %DV? The %DV are based on the Daily Value recommendations for key nutrients for a 2,000 calorie diet. We can use this number as a tool to determine if a serving of food is high or low in a nutrient. If the Daily Value is 5% or less, we consider the food low in that nutrient. If the Daily Value is 20% or more, then the food is a good source of that nutrient.

Have more questions on reading a Nutrition Facts Label? Contact Rachel Ezzell at 910.296.2143 or email rachel_ezzell@ncsu.edu. 

Sources: 

FDA