Reading a nutrition label: Then and now

Do you read the Nutrition Facts label before you buy or enjoy a food or beverage? If you answered “No,” don’t feel guilty; half of the population doesn’t read them either.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which standardizes and reinforces the Nutrition Facts label, is concerned that more consumers aren’t reading labels — not because they aren’t interested, but because the labels can be complicated to read. Which is why for the first time in 20 years, the FDA has proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts label.

Nutrition Facts labels are easy to use once you understand what to look for. The following are helpful components of the Nutrition Facts label, including highlights of the proposed changes to these sections which will hopefully make reading them even more useful:

Serving Size, Servings Per Container and Calories

Serving size is perhaps the most important line to review when reading a Nutrition Facts label. Current serving sizes on a label illustrate the amount of food that you should be eating. This becomes complicated with items such as a bottle of soda or bag of trail mix where it is easy to consume the whole product in one sitting even though they contain multiple servings. In order to accurately read and decipher today’s label, you must multiply each item on the label by the number of servings in the container to have an accurate understanding of the nutrient contributions for the entire package.

Proposed changes to the label suggest that serving sizes be adjusted to more realistic portions (i.e., the entire bottle of soda) to eliminate confusion. Other proposed changes to this section include eliminating the “Calories from Fat” portion of the label and focusing more on “Total Fat” and the types of fat. This proposal comes in response to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation that Americans reduce the calories they consume from added sugars and saturated fats (since these foods tend to fill you up so you are not hungry for nutrient-rich foods).

Sugar

Sugar is an important component to pay attention to on a label. The current label lists sugar as a total of both naturally occurring and added sugars in a product. Total sugar is included in the Total Carbohydrate amount listed and is a popular line considered by athletes.

Many Americans consume too many foods with added sugars, so the proposed changes suggest that a separate line for added sugars be added to the label. This change would make it easier for people to determine how much sugar is added to foods such as sodas, sports drinks, candy and fruits packed in syrup to help them make better decisions and lower their intake. This proposed change will also help consumers recognize nutrient-rich foods such as white milk, which has naturally occurring sugar in the form of lactose, but does not have any added sugar.

Vitamins and Minerals

Current requirements are that the recommended percent daily value (%DV) of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron be listed on every nutrition label based on a 2,000-calorie diet. In this section, vitamins and minerals that have %DV greater than 20% are considered a good source and less than 5% are considered a poor source of that nutrient.

Proposed changes to the label would require that all nutrients of public health concern (the nutrients that Americans consume the least) including calcium, potassium, vitamin D and fiber are included on every label.

Ingredient List

It is likely that the ingredient section will continue to list all ingredients in the product in descending order from most prevalent by weight. Using the ingredient list can help you determine whether a product is a “whole grain,” has added sugar or contains healthy bacteria, like those in yogurt.

Athletes specifically, benefit from making informed choices about what they put into their bodies. By understanding how to read the Nutrition Facts label, you can more adequately choose nutrient-rich foods which will support your ability to perform at your best.

Athletes can train harder and perform better with proper nutrition. Visit WesternDairyAssociation.org to read more about milk as an exercise recovery beverage and learn how to eat for peak athletic performance.