Reading Food Labels

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Reading Food Labels

• By Sam Dorrance, 9/30/2004

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What Is That?

• You may have looked on the back of your favorite
  snack and seen a small chart that looks somewhat
  like this. Most people dont pay much attention
  to food labels, but those who are on diets or are
  health-conscious do.

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A Food Label

• A food label is a small chart on the back of most
  food item packages labeled Nutrition Facts that
  tells you what nutritional value the food has.
  Every food has a unique nutritional value.

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What Does It Mean?

• Using the food label, you can decide what you
  should and shouldnt eat. The FDA recommends that
  you stay away from foods that contain lots of
  fat, cholesterol and sodium, and that you get
  plenty of foods that contain vitamins, calcium,
  and dietary fiber. You should also get a certain
  amount of each nutrient every day. The food label
  tells you what percentage of that allowance the
  food gives you. All these percentages are based
  on a diet of 2,000 calories a day.

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Serving sizes

• Sometimes reading a food label can be tricky.
  Some food labels are broken up into serving
  sizes, so when you are reading the nutrition
  facts you are reading them for a portion, not the
  whole carton.

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So What About Me?

• In conjunction with the food guide pyramid, the
  food label is designed to help you eat healthy
  and understand what is in the food you eat. Your
  food choices can affect everything from your
  height to your mood.

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So What About Me? (Cont.)

• As a teenager, you need good nutrition now more
  than any other time in your life. How well you
  eat now will affect you for the rest of your
  life. During this time in your life, getting
  enough Vitamins and Calcium and staying away from
  foods high in fat and cholesterol is important.

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So, What Do I Do Now?

• Next time you pick up that favorite snack, turn
  over the bag and look on the back. Does it have a
  lot of fat or calories in it? Does it have any
  nutritional value? Consider changing what you eat
  as a snack. It will benefit you greatly.

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The End