Trans Fat 1g. Cholesterol 30g 10% Sodium 470mg 20% Total Carbohydrate 10%

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1 As we continue to focus on the many facets of our work during National Public Health Week, today we take a closer look at our healthy eating and active living initiatives. Our work focuses on obesity prevention, reducing hypertension, and promoting healthy nutrition through policy and environmental changes. One way we ve worked to promote healthy eating is through education: understanding product packaging and labeling has made a large impact on our community s ability to choose healthy foods for themselves and their families. *Percent Daily s are based

2 Start Here The Serving Size tells you the amount of calories and nutrients for a specific portion of food. Remember, one package may contain more than one serving! Figure it Out! Checking the serving size and serving per container labeling makes all the difference! To truly understand how many calories and nutrients you are consuming, multiply the calories or specific nutrients by the Serving Per Container. Calories & Nutrients in the entire package: Calories: 500 Calories from fat: 220 Total Fat: 26g Trans Fat: 6g Sodium: 940mg Saturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 60mg Total Carb: 62g *Percent Daily s are based Sugar: 10g Protein: 10g Why is this Important? Serving size makes all the difference! We often eat more than the serving size listed on the package. Use this handy chart as a guide to visualize what appropriate serving sizes.

3 Calories -Provide a measure of how much energy you get from a serving of food. Remember, when comparing foods PER SERVING: 40 calories = Low 100 calories = Moderate 400+ calories = High Why is this Important? When reviewing a nutrition label, consumers can make the mistake of assuming the product is based on a single serving. This common oversight not only affects nutritional decisions, but over time, can affect your waistline, as serving sizes can be based on only a fraction of the product. FOR EXAMPLE: An individually packaged blueberry muffin s label shows 200 calories. But, on closer inspection, the muffin contains 400 calories because, the there are TWO servings for the one item. You may chose not to buy it, or eat only half, if you fully understand the caloric content. The Food Label *Percent Daily s are based Did you know? Solid fats and added sugars make up slightly more than 1/3 of the calories currently consumed by Americans. Solid fats and added sugars add calories to many Americans diets each day and contribute very little to nutritional value. If you don't stop to really look at your nutrition label, you may be consuming more calories than you think. Americans are consuming too many sources of non-nutritious food items which leads to overweight and under-nourishment.

4 Daily s (DV) Helps determine if a food is high or low in a nutrient based on a 2,000 calorie diet: 5% DV = low 20% DV = high Why is this Important? DVs, developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), help consumers determine the level of various nutrients in a standard serving of food in relation to their approximate requirement for it. The label provides the percent DV so that you can see how much a serving of the product contributes to reaching the DV. DV interpret the number of grams or milligrams by showing the percent of a nutrient that is provided per serving based on an intake of 2,000- calories. 25% *Percent Daily s are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Did you Know? Not all nutrients add up to 100%. Each nutrient has it s own daily requirement. For example: Total Fat Saturated Fat s Dietary Fiber Sodium = less than 65 grams = less than 20 grams = 300 grams = 25 grams = 2,300 mg Nutrients to keep low per serving: 5% Daily or Lower Total Fat Saturated Fat Cholesterol Sodium Nutrients to keep high per serving: 20% Daily or Higher Fiber Vitamins Minerals

5 Total Fat equals all the fat within the product. You should limit saturated fat to 3 grams or less per serving. Trans Fat should be limited to 0 grams. Others fats are often not listed on packaging, such as mono and poly unsaturated fats - and are healthy for you! The recommended daily allowance of cholesterol is less than 200 milligrams (mg). Cholesterol Recommended to consume less than 200 milligram (mg) a day Why is this Important? Eating an excessive amount of saturated fats and Trans fats can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and increase the development of type 2 diabetes. Eating more monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) acids in your diet will not contribute to heart disease. Evidence shows that a 5% decrease in saturated fats, replaced by monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, decreases risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in healthy adults and improves insulin responsiveness in insulin resistant and type 2 diabetic individuals. (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 Report) 25% *Percent Daily s are based Did you Know? Some food manufacturers opt to list monounsaturated (MUFAs) and Polyunsaturated(PUFAs) to give credibility to their healthy food product. If MUFAs and PUFAs are not listed, simply subtract saturated and trans fats from the total fat grams. Any remaining grams of fat come from healthy unsaturated fats.

6 You can lower your blood pressure by decreasing your sodium/salt intake. Examine labels and choose the lowest sodium available in processed and pre-packaged foods. It is recommended to consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. This is equal to one teaspoon of salt. On nutrition labels, look for products containing Percent Daily s that are 5% or less of sodium - 20% or more is too high for a daily intake. Why is this Important? Eating an excessive amount of sodium may increase your blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Eating fewer foods with high sodium can lower your blood pressure and reduce risk of disease! *Percent Daily s are based Did you know? Most sodium comes from processed, pre-packaged, or restaurant foods. The food industry uses salt in every food category to enhance flavor, condition dough, preserve foods, and retain moisture. It can be very difficult to know how much sodium is in prepared foods. Because most of this sodium is invisible in foods we would not consider salty, consumers needs to read labels closely, taking control over the amount of sodium in their diets..

7 Natural sugars are sugars that occur naturally in foods, like the fructose found in fruit. Added sugars are sugars added to food items to sweeten the product. These sugars are a source of empty calories with little- to- no nutrients! Total carbohydrates include all types of carbohydrate found in the foods and beverages, such as dietary fiber, sugars and starches. Why is this Important? Sugary drinks are the largest single source of added sugars in the American diet. There is a direct link to consuming sugary drinks and development of type 2 diabetes. Did you know? 4 grams sugar equals (=) 1 teaspoon sugar. Divide grams of sugar by 4 to find out have many teaspoons of sugar you are eating or drinking. *Percent Daily s are based

8 Look for products containing the most soluble and insoluble fiber. Slowly increase your consumption of fiber, with the goal of consuming 25g to 30g per day for maximum health. Why is this Important? Dietary fiber from fruits, vegetables and whole grains can protect against many chronic diseases, obesity and some forms of cancers. Fiber also promotes healthy digestion. 25% *Percent Daily s are based Did you know? Most individuals do not get enough fiber. Good Source of fiber = 2.5 g per serving Excellent Source of fiber = 5g per serving

9 Vitamin A Vitamin B Vitamin C Vitamin D Iron Calcium Found in Beta- carotene Promotes good eyesight, growth, and healthy skin and tissue B3 (Niacin) - helps release energy B9- (Folic Acid) Important for pregnant women Protects body from infections. Helps in absorption of calcium and iron Helps heal wounds Helps absorption of calcium for healthy teeth and bones Forms part of hemoglobin Gives blood cells red color Lack of iron leads to anemia Needed for strong teeth and bones Lack of calcium can lead to brittle bones ( Osteoporosis / Rickets) Serving Per Container 2 Trans Fat 3g 25% The Food Label *Percent Daily s are based Why is this Important? Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients. Acting in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body, helping to fortify bones, heal wounds, and bolster your immune system, especially during the cold and influenza season. Did you know? Fortified forms of vitamins and minerals, such as supplements, is healthy. However, getting the natural form of these nutrients through a variety of foods is best for your body. Vitamins and minerals also convert food into energy and repair cellular damage.

10 Read the Ingredients List THE FIRST 2-3 INGREDIENTS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT Choose foods that do not have unhealthy fats or sugars as one of the first three ingredients The ingredients list shows what is used to make the product. All ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight, including added water, on the side of the packaging alerting the consumer to the health benefits to what they are eating. When selecting a food and reading its ingredient label, pay special attention to the first 1-2 items listed. These items are most prominent in your selection. If unhealthy fats or sugars are listed first, make another choice! Try to avoid these added sugars : Look for these ingredients which can be high in Saturated fats and Trans Fats: Choose these healthier oils, mono and poly unsaturated: Choose more whole grains: Corn syrup Fruit juice concentrates Honey Molasses Brown sugar Corn sweetener Dextrose Fructose Glucose High-fructose corn syrup Invert sugar Maltose Malt syrup Raw sugar Sucrose Sugar Syrup Partly hydrogenated oils Butter Lard Coconut oil Cocoa butter Palm kernel oil Palm oil Meat Fat (pork, beef, poultry, etc) Cream Whole-milk solids Egg Yolks Vegetable shortening Hydrogenated vegetable oil Olive oil Canola oil Safflower oil Sunflower oil Sesame oil 100% Whole wheat Whole oats Brown rice Bulgur Graham flour Oatmeal Whole grain corn Whole rye

11 Nutrition Label Symbols Here are some symbols on food products that help consumers make smarter choices. In 2010, the Facts Up Front symbol was de veloped by the General Manufacturing Association in response to the obesity crisis. Here, all important nutrition information is summarize from the Label in a clear, simple and easy-to-use format. The new icon and label changes adhere to current U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines, giving consumers information on the front of the package. The icon informs consumers on four fronts: calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugars, represent key nutrients for which dietary guidance recommend limiting consumption in the diet. The four basic icons are usually presented together - however note that calories are sometimes excluded on some products. The Whole Grains Stamp, developed by the Whole Grain Council, allows consumers to find and chose healthier whole grains more readily. 1. Basic Stamp: contains 8 grams whole grain for half a serving % Stamp: all grains are whole grains The Heart Healthy symbol, developed by the American Heart Association, alerts consumers to foods that meet the AHA criteria for cholesterol and saturated fat levels, for individuals over the age of two. Note that products still may be high in sugar.