Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Extension
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1571
Healthy Heart Beats
January-March 2007
Vol 28, Issue 1
Did You Know?....
Q: I am interested in making healthier food choices to help manage my weight. How do I compare food products to determine which ones are more nutritious?
A: Almost all food labels carry a Nutrition Facts panel, which lists the amount of calories and nutrients, such as fat, cholesterol, sodium, fiber and certain vitamins and minerals, contained in a single serving of the food. Reading and understanding the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels allows consumers to make quick, informed choices concerning the nutritional content of one serving of that food as well as to compare calories and nutrients in similar foods. Using the Nutrition Facts panel can help consumers choose foods that meet their nutrient requirements without exceeding their caloric needs.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services announced the availability of two new learning tools, a web-based learning program entitled Make Your Calories Count and a new Nutrition Facts Label brochure to help consumers use and understand the Nutrition Facts label in an effort to help them choose nutritious food and maintain a healthy weight.
According to the FDA, Make Your Calories Count is an interactive online learning program that is also available in a downloadable format. It is designed to help consumers understand and use the Nutrition Facts label to plan a healthy diet while managing calorie intake. The program guide features an animated character called "Labelman" who expertly leads the viewer through a series of exercises on the food label. The program includes exercises to help consumers explore the relationship between serving sizes and calories, while they learn how to limit certain nutrients and get enough of others. For simplicity, the program presents two nutrients that should be limited (saturated fat and sodium) and two nutrients that should be consumed in adequate amounts (fiber and calcium). Consumers can use the Nutrition Facts label to take control of their caloric intake and weight and to make healthy food choices, if they know how. This program explains what serving sizes, percentages, and daily values mean and shows consumers how to use them. It's available for online use at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/labelman.
In addition, the FDA has created a new downloadable Nutrition Facts Label brochure specifically designed for consumers. The brochure describes how consumers can use the Nutrition Facts label to help them shop and plan meals. Also included in the brochure is information to help consumers understand the relationship between calories and serving size, which may help them use the label to manage their intake of calories. This brochure is available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/lab-gen.html.
Source: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01508.html
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