Food Labels: Making it Easier to Shed Pounds : Part 2

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 2 of 3)

The calorie level also provides more appropriate dietary reference numbers for one of the groups most often targeted for weight control — older women — he says.

Brewer acknowledges that not everyone needs 2,000 calories a day, especially people trying to lose weight. They often need to eat fewer calories to lose weight. But whatever their calorie intake, dieters still can use the Daily Values to get a general idea of how high or low a food is in the major nutrients.

She advises people interested in losing weight to see a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist first. These professionals, she says, can help individuals determine appropriate calories and fat levels that will allow them to lose weight and still receive adequate nutrition.

Looking at the Nutrition Facts labels of the two products below — chocolate ice cream (left) and chocolate yogurt (right) — shows how easy it is for dieters to compare the fat content of similar products. Serving sizes for similar products must now be about the same.

Focus on Fiber

In addition to fat, Brewer suggests that dieters also check the label for a food's fiber content. Fiber can be an important aid in weight maintenance, she says, because eating enough of it can help make a person feel full and thus not eat as much.

FDA and USDA's reference amounts are set at 11.5 g fiber per 1,000 calories; thus, the Daily Value for fiber is 25 g. This Daily Value is based partly on the National Cancer Institute's recommendation that Americans eat 20 g to 30 g fiber a day. For most people, dieters included, a fiber intake of at least 25 g a day — 100 percent of the Daily Value — is desirable.

Alternatives to High-Fat Foods

If you find yourself constantly eating more than 100 percent of the Daily Value for fat each day, consider these low-fat and nonfat alternatives. For labeled items, check the Daily Value for fat; try to select those foods that provide 5 percent or less per serving.

Front Label Info

Dieters should begin their search for fat, fiber and calorie information on the front of the food package. This is where food manufacturers often place statements about the nutritional benefits of their products. Some of these, like "fat-free," "low-calorie" and "high-fiber," will be of particular interest to weight-watchers.

Brewer advises caution, however, when choosing foods that are labeled "fat-free" and "low-fat." Some of these foods, like "low-fat" cakes and cookies, still may be high in calories because of added sugars. So dieters should always check the Nutrition Facts panel to get complete information, she says.

Daily Values

The column headed "Daily Value" is the place to start under "Nutrition Facts." The numbers in this column can quickly tell if a food is high or low in the nutrients listed. For dieters, the %Daily Values for fat and fiber will be especially important to look at. If the %Daily Values are 5 or less, the food is considered low in that nutrient. So, the goal for dieters should be to select, as much as possible, foods that have a %Daily Value for fat of 5 or less and for fiber, 5 or more.

The overall goal should be to select foods that together add up to about 100% of the Daily Value for each nutrient.

"Dieters may occasionally select a higher fat item, such as a slice of pound cake that provides about 15 percent of the Daily Value for fat," FDA's Brewer says, "but they should monitor the other foods they eat that day and try not to go over 100 percent of the Daily Value for fat."

The idea, she says, is to give dieters some flexibility in making food choices, while enabling them to restrict their total daily fat intake and increase their total daily fiber intake.

Serving Size

Serving size information is important, too. It tells the amount of the food that will give the calories and nutrient levels listed. It is stated in both common household and metric measures.

Under the new regulations, serving sizes better approximate the actual amounts most people eat, although they are not necessarily the amounts recommended by various health groups. So, instead of being misleading, serving sizes offer a more useful measure for assessing a food's nutrient composition.

Also, the serving size must be about the same for like products — for example, different brands of potato chips — and for similar products within a category of foods — for example, potato chips, pretzels, and corn chips within the category of snack foods. This makes it easy to compare the nutritional qualities of related foods.

Here's an example: Ice cream and frozen yogurt are considered similar foods, so they have the same serving size — one half cup. A half cup of many brands of chocolate ice cream provides 7 g fat — 11 percent of the Daily Value for fat. The same amount of frozen chocolate yogurt may yield 4 g fat, or 6 percent of the Daily Value for fat. If a person's goal is to reduce fat intake, the frozen yogurt would be the product to buy.

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.