by Jane Grimshaw

Created on: October 13, 2008   Last Updated: October 20, 2008

At one time it was very difficult for the public to ascertain the nutritional value and health implications of individual food products. In 1994, however, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) came to the rescue, by making it standard practice to provide all food offered for sale with a "Nutrition Facts" label. This label has now made it possible for people to check the quality, quantity, calorific value, and vitamin/mineral content of a wide range of food products.

These labels may seem rather complicated to understand on first inspection, but they are actually quite easy to decipher once you understand the general layout. Let's take a look:

Serving sizes - this is at the top of the list and may be indicated by a number or cup measurement. It is very important to follow this guide if you are counting your calories, otherwise you will not be able to keep track of your daily calorie intake.
Calories - Your calorie intake will automatically increase as you eat more food, and is therefore determined by the number of servings you consume - forty calories or less per serving is considered to be a low calorie product; one hundred or less to be moderate, and four hundred or more is considered to be in the high calorie bracket. This is calculated on an average adult requiring around 2,000 calories per day, but this quantity can obviously vary depending on age, size, gender, amount of daily exercise taken, health, etc.
Percentage daily value - This is sometimes referred to as DV. It displays the quantity of nutrients found in each serving, and applies to calories, sodium, fat, cholesterol, vitamins, etc.
Total fat - this is usually listed in grams and should be limited, as too much fat can lead to obesity, heart disease and cancer. For example, a diet consisting of 2000 calories per day should not include more than 65gms of fat.
Saturated fat - these are more commonly known as "bad fats" and also refer to trans fats which have been added to labels since 2006. These fats should be avoided as much as possible, as they are a major contributor to heart disease - this is why they are listed separately from other fats.
Cholesterol - this is also related to fat, and is present in animal products such as dairy produce and red meat. This is another major contributor to heart disease and other associated problems; so it is recommended that you do not exceed more than 300 milligrams of it per day.
Sodium - this is commonly known as salt and can cause high blood pressure in some people.

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>