Reading Food Labels
There are many food products in Canada that currently display a food label with nutrition information, like the following one found on a package of gingerbread cookies.
Canada has developed new regulations for providing nutrition information on food labels. The new guidelines have made a nutrition fact label mandatory on most prepackaged food items. The nutrition information is presented in a consistent format and includes details on calories and 13 core nutrients. Also listed are the percentage daily values which will help you to assess if a food has a lot or a small amount of a nutrient. Some products will also carry nutrition claims such as sodium-free and low in saturated fat.
Serving Size
The nutrition information listed on the label is for the given amount per serving, usually given in gram weight.
Calories/Kilojoules
Calories and kilojoules are units of energy and are listed per serving. (You can multiply calories by 4.2 to get the equivalent kilojoules or divide kilojoules by 4.2 to get the equivalent calories.) Foods with less than one third of their calories/kilojoules from fat are good fat choices.
As you can see this gingerbread cookie contains less than one third of its calories/kilojoules from fat. (One gram of fat provides nine calories/37.8 kilojoules) Therefore, one gingerbread cookie provides eight calories/34 kilojoules from fat.
% Daily Value
% Daily Value shows the percentage of the suggested daily intake provided by one serving for a 2000-calorie/8400-kilojoule daily diet.
Total Fat
The Total Fat lists the grams of fat per serving and consists of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Foods containing less than three grams of total fat per serving are considered low-fat foods. A higher intake of monounsaturated fat versus saturated- or polyunsaturated-fat grams may be beneficial to your good cholesterol.
Cholesterol
Dietary cholesterol is found only in animal foods and 300 mg or less per day is recommended. A food is considered cholesterol-free if it has less than two mg of cholesterol per serving and is low in saturated fat. A gingerbread cookie is cholesterol free.
Sodium
Sodium intake of no more than 2400 mg a day is suggested. If you have high blood pressure, sodium intake may need to be limited to less than 2400 mg of sodium a day. A food is considered sodium free if it contains less than five mg. A gingerbread cookie would easily fit within these daily recommended values. Another thing to know is that five ml (one teaspoon) of salt contains 2300 mg of sodium.
Total Carbohydrate
Carbohydrates includes starch, sugar and dietary fibre. When counting carbohydrates, use the grams given as total carbohydrate. The listed sugar grams are only part of the total amount of carbohydrate that affect blood glucose.
Dietary Fibre
Eating a diet high in dietary fibre is recommended for a healthy meal plan. Twenty-five to 35 grams per day of dietary fibre is suggested. When increasing the amount of fibre in your daily intake, be sure to do it gradually. An increase in fibre should be accompanied by an increase in fluid to avoid constipation. A food is considered a source of fibre if it contains four grams of fibre or more per serving. Fibre does not raise blood glucose and therefore should be subtracted from the total carbohydrate on a label.
Protein
Protein is needed for growth and maintenance of body tissues. The average intake of protein is 15% to 20% of calories/kilojoules. Animal products are rich sources of protein but do contain saturated fat and cholesterol. Including legumes such as lentils and kidney beans as a source of protein can decrease fat and increase fibre in your diet.