Nutritional Information on Food Labels: What it All Means By spending a few additional minutes in the supermarket to read product labels, you can help ensure a nourishing, well-balanced diet for your youngster. The specific information provided on labels can vary, but by carefully reading the amounts of fat, cholesterol, sodium, vitamins, and minerals, and the percentage of calories from fat, you will find that products on the store shelves differ greatly in their contents. When reading this nutritional information, pay close attention to portion sizes, which can sometimes cause confusion. Also, keep in mind that because these listed portion sizes are arbitrary, they may not be equivalent to the portions actually consumed by your own family. When comparing different products, make sure the portion sizes on the labels are equal, or do some quick refiguring of your own. The carbohydrate listing is a combination of fiber, sugars, and complex carbohydrates; if the manufacturer made a claim about the fiber on the cereal package, the precise amount of fiber would have to be listed. Individuals on a low-sodium diet should compare labels to find a cereal with a reduced amount of sodium. Also, while this label provides information for a serving with half a cup of no-fat (skim) milk, fat and cholesterol levels will be greater if low-fat or whole milk is used. Last Updated 11/1/2013 Source Adapted from Caring for your School-Age Child: Ages 5 to 12 (Copyright © 2004 American Academy of Pediatrics)
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 15:02:57 +0000