Mini Med Blog #13: Food Labels – Do you know how to read them?

Food labels are found on all packaged food and include a Nutrition Facts Table and an Ingredient List so that you can make informed choices. In this blog I will highlight the most important aspects of food labels and provide a quick approach on how to read them.

Nutrition Facts Table
1- Start by looking at the serving size. The serving size reflects the amount Canadians eat of that food product in one sitting. The serving size is consistent for easy comparison. For example, serving size for bread will always be 2 slices and for yogurt always 175 g.

2- Next look at the calories per the serving size. It is bold and in larger font so that it stands out. While the science of weight gain is complicated, calories are still the most important factor when making healthy decisions.

3- Look at the right-hand column showing ‘% Daily Value’. Percent (%) daily value is a very helpful and quick way to see if the food product has a little (5%) or a lot (15%) of a nutrient. The table shows all macronutrients (Carbohydrates, Fats, and Protein) and important micronutrients (Sodium, Calcium, Potassium and Iron).

4- Now look at ‘Sugars’ under Carbohydrates. After calories, the next most important line on the table is Sugars. You want to choose foods that contain less than 5% Daily Value of Sugars.

Ingredient List
Underneath the Facts Table will be a list of all ingredients in the packaged food product. Ingredients are listed in order of weight, beginning with the ingredient that weighs the most and ending with the ingredient that weighs the least. This list is helpful to get a complete picture of what you are consuming and helpful to those with certain food intolerances.

“Contains” section directly follows the ingredients list and details any of the Health Canada priority food allergens such as peanuts, gluten, and sulphites. “May Contain” section is a voluntary declaration in cases where the manufacturer can not guarantee cross contamination with one of the priority food allergens.

Hope this quick blog helps you feel comfortable looking at labels. In future posts I will do an depth review on the new Canada Food Guide and discuss the emerging science of obesity and weight management.

Wishing you happy holidays and a healthy 2020!
Dr. Matin