Nutrition Facts Labels

Nutrition Facts Labels

• Packaged foods are required by law to carry a nutrition facts label.
• Nutrition facts labels show the nutrient content and ingredients in the food.
• Reading nutrition facts labels can help choose foods that are high in nutrients such as protein and low in nutrients such as fat.
• Nutrient density is the ratio of nutrient content to total energy content in kilocalories.
• Nutrient-dense foods help get enough of each nutrient without taking in too many kilocalories.
• Reading the ingredients list can also help choose healthful foods.
• Top of the list ingredients such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits are needed the most in a balanced diet.
• Processed foods supply fewer nutrients than whole foods, even when they have been enriched or fortified with added nutrients.
• Micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, do not provide energy.
• Adequate amounts of micronutrients are essential for good health.
• Many people do not eat enough of the right foods to meet their requirements.
• Vitamins are organic compounds that are needed by the body to function properly.
• There are 13 vitamins that humans need.
• Vitamins play many roles in good health, ranging from helping maintain vision to helping form red blood cells.
• Many vitamins are components of enzymes, and several vitamins act as antioxidants.
• Some vitamins, including vitamin B6, are produced by bacteria that normally live in the intestines, where they help digest food.
• Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin when exposed to UV radiation in sunlight.
• Good food sources of vitamins are whole grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, and nuts.
• Consuming inadequate amounts of vitamins can cause deficiency diseases.
• Consuming too much of some vitamins can also be dangerous.
• Vitamins are either fat-soluble or water-soluble.
• Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble and can accumulate in the body and lead to overdoses.
• Vitamin C and all the B vitamins are water-soluble and are excreted in the urine.
• Recommended daily intakes not established; figures given are adequate daily intakes.
• Minerals are essential for the body's metabolism, growth, and repair.
• Minerals are divided into two groups: macrominerals and microminerals or trace elements.
• Macrominerals are needed in larger amounts than trace elements.
• The seven macrominerals are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur.
• Good food sources of macrominerals are milk, yogurt, cheese, leafy vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and lean meats.
• Trace elements are needed in smaller amounts than macrominerals.
• The nine trace elements are iron, zinc, copper, selenium, iodine, chromium, fluoride, molybdenum, and manganese.
• Good food sources of trace elements are seafood, organ meats, lean meats, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes.