using the nutrition facts label senior guide

7/31/2019 Using the Nutrition Facts Label Senior Guide

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A How-To GuideforOlder Adults

Using the Nutrition Facts Label


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Good Nutrition Can Help You Avoid or

Manage These Common Diseases:

certain cancers

type 2 diabetes

heart disease

Why Nutrition Matters For You

Good nutrition is important throughout your lie!

It can help you eel your best and stay strong. It can help

reduce the risk o some diseases that are common among

older adults. And, i you already have certain health

issues, good nutrition can help you manage the symptoms.

Nutrition can sometimes seem complicated. But the good

news is that the Food and Drug Administration has a simple

tool to help you know exactly what youre eating.

Its called the Nutrition Facts Label. You will nd it on all

packaged oods and beverages. It serves as your guide ormaking choices that can aect your long-term health.

This booklet will give you the inormation you need to start

using the Nutrition Facts Label today!

high blood pressure

obesity

osteoporosis

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For more on nutrition or older adults, visit:

www.da.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/Seniors

Why Nutrition Matters For You ....................................1

At-A-Glance: The Nutrition Facts Label .......................2

3 Key Areas o Importance .........................................4Your Guide To a Healthy Diet ......................................7

Dietary Salt/Sodium ................................................9

Fiber ....................................................................10

Total Fat ..............................................................13

Cholesterol ..........................................................16

Calcium ...............................................................18

Glossary ..................................................................20

Inside


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2 Amount of CaloriesThe calories listed are or one serving o the ood.

Calories rom at shows how many at calories there

are in one serving.

Remember a product thats fat-free isnt necessarily

calorie-free. Read the label!

Percent (%) Daily ValueThis section tells you how the nutrients in one serving o

the ood contribute to your total daily diet. Use it to chooseoods that are high in the nutrients you should get more o,

and low in the nutrients you should get less o.

Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. However,

your nutritional needs will likely depend on how physically

active you are. Talk to your healthcare provider to see what

calorie level is right or you.

Limit these NutrientsEating too much total at (especially saturated at and trans

at), cholesterol, or sodium may increase your risk o certain

chronic diseases, such as heart disease, some cancers, or

high blood pressure.

Try to keep these nutrients as low as possible each day.

Get Enough of these NutrientsAmericans oten dont get enough dietary ber, vitamin A,

vitamin C, calcium, and potassium in their diets. These

nutrients are essential or keeping you eeling strong

and healthy.

Eating enough o these nutrients may improve your health

and help reduce the risk o some diseases.

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Serving SizeThis section shows how many servings are in the package,

and how big the serving is. Serving sizes are given in amiliar

measurements, such as cups or pieces.

Remember: All o the nutrition inormation on the label is

based upon one serving o the ood.

A package o ood oten contains more than one serving!

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The Nutrition

Facts LabelUnderstanding what the Nutrition

Facts Label includes can help you

make ood choices that are best

or your health.

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At-A-Glance:


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Percent Daily Value (%DV)

The %DV is a general guide to help you

link nutrients in one serving o ood to

their contribution to your total daily diet.

It can help you determine i a ood is high

or low in a nutrient: 5% or less is low,

20% or more is high.

You can also use the %DV to make

dietary trade-os with other oods

throughout the day.

%DV: Quick Tips

You can tell i a ood is high or low in a particular nutrient by taking

a quick look at the %DV.

I it has 5% percent o the Daily Value or less, it is low in that

nutrient.

This can be good or bad, depending on i it is a nutrient you

want more o or less o.

I it has 20% or more, it is high in that nutrient.

This can be good or nutrients like ber (a nutrient to get more

o) . . . but not so good or something like saturated at

(a nutrient to get less o).

Using %DV

Once you are amiliar with %DV, you can use it to compare

oods and decide which is the better choice or you. Be sure to

check or the particular nutrients you want more o or less o.

Using %DV inormation can also help you balance things out

or the day.

For example: I you ate a avorite ood at lunch that was high

in sodium, a nutrient to get less o, you would then try to

choose oods or dinner that are lower in sodium.

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Serving SizeThe top o the Nutrition Facts Label shows

the serving size and the servings per

container. Serving size is the key to the rest

o the inormation on the Nutrition Facts Label.

The nutrition inormation about the ood

like the calories, sodium, and ber is

based upon one serving.

I you eat two servings o the ood, you

are eating double the calories and getting

twice the amount o nutrients, both good

and bad.

I you eat three servings, that means three times the calories

and nutrients and so on.

That is why knowing the serving size is important. Its how you know

or sure how many calories and nutrients you are getting.

Check Serving Size!

It is very common or a ood package

to contain more than one serving.

One bottled sot drink or a small bag

o chips can actually contain two or

more servings!

of ImportanceAs you use the Nutrition Facts

Label, pay particular attention

to Serving Size, Percent Daily

Value, and Nutrients.

3 Key Areas

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I you eat two servings . . .


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Use this chapter as a guide or those

nutrients that could impact your own

health. Each nutrient section discusses:

What the nutrient is

What it can mean or your health

Label-reading tips

Watch or nutrients to get less o

(the ones that you should try to limit),

and nutrients to get more o (the ones

that are very important to be sure to get

enough o).

You also might want to talk to your healthcare provider about

which nutrients you should track closely or your continued health.

And remember the Nutrition Facts Label is a tool that is

available to you on every packaged ood and beverage!

to a

Healthy DietThe Nutrition Facts Label can

help you make choices or

overallhealth. But some

nutrients can also aect certain

health conditions and diseases.

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Your Guide

Test your Nutrition Facts Label knowledge with

Label Man, FDAs online label-reading tool!

www.da.gov/LabelMan

NutrientsA nutrient is an ingredient in a ood that provides nourishment.

Nutrients are essential or lie and to keep your body

unctioning properly.

Nutrients To Get MOREO:

There are some nutrients that are especially

important or your health. You should try to get

adequate amounts o these each day. They are:

calcium vitamin A

dietary ber vitamin C

potassium*

Nutrients To Get LESS O:

There are other nutrients that are important, but

that you should eat in moderate amounts. They

can increase your risk o certain diseases.

They are:

Total at (especially saturated at)

Cholesterol

Sodium

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* Note: The listing o potassium is optional on the

Nutrition Facts Label.


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Dietary Salt/Sodium

What It Is:

Salt is a crystal-like compound that is used to favor and preserve

ood. The words salt and sodium are oten used interchangeably.

Salt is listed as sodium on the Nutrition Facts Label.

What You Should Know:

A small amount o sodium is needed to help certain organs and

fuids work properly. But most people eat too much o it and theymay not even know it! Thats because many packaged oods have

a high amount o sodium, even when they dont taste salty. Plus,

when you add salt to ood, youre addingmore sodium.

Sodium has been linked to high blood pressure. In act, eating

less sodium can oten help lower blood pressure . . . which in

turn can help reduce the risk o heart disease.

And since blood pressure normally rises with age, limiting your

sodium intake becomes even more important each year.

Salt/Sodium

Read the label to see how much sodium is in the ood you

are choosing.

5% DV or less islowin sodium

20% DV or more ishigh in sodium.

When you are deciding between two oods, compare the

amount o sodium. Look or cereals, crackers, pasta

sauces, canned vegetables, and other packaged oods

that are lower in sodium.

LabelReadingTips

NUTRIENT

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On the ollowing pages, youll nd specic inormation about

certain nutrients.

Some are nutrients to get less o;

others are nutrients to get more o.

All o them can have an impact on your long-term health.

In addition, here is an example o how the Nutrition Facts Label

can guide you in making good decisions or long-term health

and nutrition.

Example

Heart disease is the number one cause o death in the U.S.

today. You can use the Nutrition Facts Label to compare oods

and decide which ones t with a diet that may help reduce the

risk o heart disease. Choose oods that have ewer calories

per serving and a lower %DVo these nutrients to get less o:

Total at

Saturated at Cholesterol

Sodium

To lower your risk o heart disease,it is also recommended that you

eatmore ber.

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NUTRIENTS AND YOUR NEEDS

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Soluble v. Insoluble Fiber:

Where To Get It, and What It Does

Fiber comes in two orms insoluble and soluble. Most plant

oods contain some o each kind.

Insoluble fberis mostly ound in whole-grain products, such

as wheat bran cereal, vegetables and ruit. It provides bulk

or stool ormation and helps wastes move quickly through your

colon.

Soluble fberis ound in peas, beans, many vegetables and

ruits, oat bran, whole grains, barley, cereals, seeds, rice, and

some pasta, crackers, and other bakery products. It slows the

digestion o carbohydrates, and can help stabilize blood sugar i

you have diabetes. In addition, it helps lower bad cholesterol.

This, in turn, reduces the risk o heart disease.

Check the Nutrition Facts Label to see which oods have a

higher %DV o ber.

Fiber also aids in the regularity o bowel movements and

preventing constipation. It may help reduce the risk o

diverticulosis, a common condition in which small pouches

orm in the colon wall. This condition oten has ew or no

symptoms; people who already have diverticulosis and do have

symptoms oten nd that increased ber consumption can

reduce these symptoms. Its also important to note that i the

pouches caused by diverticulosis rupture and become inected,it results in a more severe condition called diverticulitis.

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Fiber

What It Is:

Fiber, or dietary ber, is sometimes called roughage. Its the

part o ood that cant be broken down during digestion. So

because it moves through your digestive system undigested,

it plays an important role in keeping your system moving and in

working order.


Fiber is a nutrient to get more o. In addition to aiding in digestion,

ber has a number o other health-related benets. These benets

are especiallyeective when you have a high fber diet that is

also low in saturated at, cholesterol, trans at, added sugars,

salt, and alcohol.

Eating a diet that is low in saturated at and cholesterol and

high in ruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain some

types o dietary ber, particularly soluble ber, may help lower

your cholesterol and reduce your chances o getting heart

disease, a disease associated with many actors.

Healthul diets that are low in atandrich in ruits and

vegetables that contain ber may reduce the risk osome

types o cancer, including colon cancer, a disease associatedwith many actors. In addition, such healthul diets are also

associated with a reduced risk otype 2 diabetes.

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NUTRIENT

Total Fat

What It Is:

Fat, or dietary at, is a nutrient that is a major source o

energy or the body. It also helps you absorb certain important

vitamins. As a ood ingredient, at provides taste, consistency, and

helps you eel ull.


Eating too much at can lead to a wide range o health challenges.

The total amount and type o at can contribute to and/or increase

the risk o:

heart disease

high cholesterol

increased risk o many cancers (including colon-rectum cancer)

obesity

high blood pressure

type 2 diabetes

It is important to know that there are dierent types o dietary at.

Some have health benets when eaten in small quantities, butothers do not.

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LabelReadingTips

Fiber

Read ood labels. The Nutrition Facts Label tells you the

amount o dietary ber in each serving, as well as the %DV

o ber that ood contains.

When comparing the amount o ber in ood, remember:

5% DV or less islowin ber

20% DV or more ishigh in ber

The label wont indicate whether ber is insoluble or

soluble, so its best to try to get some o both.

(See inormation on previous page)

Compare oods and choose the ones with higher fber.

Look or and compare labels on whole-grain products such

as bulgur, brown rice, whole wheat couscous or kasha and

whole-grain breads, cereals and pasta. In addition, compare

dierent styles/types o canned or rozen beans and ruit.

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LabelReadingTips

Total Fat

When comparing oods, check the Nutrition Facts Labeland choose the ood with the lower %DV o total at and

saturated at, and low or no grams otrans at.

5% DV or less o total at islow

20% DV or more o total at ishigh

When choosing oods that are labeled at-ree and

low-at, be aware that fat-free doesnt mean calorie-free.

Sometimes, to make a ood tastier, extra sugars are added,

which adds extra calories. Be sure to check the calories

per serving.

Trans Fat On the Label

There is no recommended total daily

value or trans at, so you wont nd

the %DV otrans at on a oods

Nutrition Facts Label. However, you

can still use the label to see i a ood

contains trans at and to compare two

oods by checking to see igrams o

trans at are listed. I there is anything

other than 0 grams listed, then the ood

contains trans at.Because it is extremely dicult to eat

a diet that is completely trans at-ree without decreasing other

nutrient intakes, just aim to keep your intake otrans at as low

as possible.

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Good Fat: unsaturated ats (monounsaturated and

polyunsaturated)

These are healthul i eaten in moderation. In act, small amounts

can even help lower cholesterol levels!

Best Sources: plant-based oils (sunfower, corn, soybean,

cottonseed, and safower), olive, canola and peanut oils, nuts,

and sot margarines (liquid, tub or spray).

Undesirable Fat: saturated and trans ats. These can raise

cholesterol levels in the blood which in turn can contribute to

heart disease.

Common Sources: meat, poultry, sh, butter, ice cream, cheese,

coconut and palm kernel oils, solid shortenings, and hard

margarines.

Meat (including chicken and turkey) and sh supply protein,

B vitamins, and iron. When selecting and preparing meat, poultry,

sh and milk or milk products, choose those that are lean,

low-at, or at-ree. Doing this, along with removing the skin rom

sh and poultry, are good strategies or limiting undesirable at

rom your diet. In addition, dry beans, which can be used as a

meat substitute, are a good source o protein and are non-at.

UnderstandingTrans

FatTrans at is one o the newest additions to the Nutrition FactsLabel, so you may be hearing more about it. Heres what you need

to know:

Most trans at is made when manuacturers hydrogenize

liquid oils, turning them into solid ats, like shortening or some

margarines. Trans at is commonly ound in crackers, cookies,

snack oods, and other oods made with or ried in these solid oils.

Trans at, like saturated at and cholesterol, raises your LDL

(bad) cholesterol. But unlike these other nutrients, trans at also

lowers your HDL (good) cholesterol. This urther increases

your risk o coronary heart disease.

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good

cholesterol

LDLbad

cholesterol

High-density lipoprotein (HDL): This good

cholesterol is the orm in which cholesterol

travelsback to the liver, where it can be

eliminated.

HDL helps prevent cholesterol buildup

in blood vessels. A higher level o this

cholesterol is better. Low HDL levels

increase heart disease risk. Discuss your

HDL level with your healthcare provider.Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): This bad

cholesterol is carriedinto the blood. It is the

main cause o harmul atty buildup in arteries.

The higher the LDL cholesterol level in the blood,

the greater the heart disease risk. So, a lower level

o this cholesterol is better.

LabelReadingTips

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a nutrient to get less o. When comparing

oods, look at the Nutrition Facts Label, and choose the

ood with the lower %DV o cholesterol. Be sure not to

go above 100% DV or the day.

5% DV or less o cholesterol islow

20% DV or more o cholesterol ishigh

One o the primary ways LDL (bad) cholesterol levels

can become too high in the blood is by eating too much

saturated at and cholesterol. Saturated at raises LDL

levels more than anything else in the diet.

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HDL

Cholesterol

What It Is:

Cholesterol is a crystal-like substance carried through the

bloodstream by lipoproteins the transporters o at. Cholesterol

is required or certain important body unctions, like digesting

dietary ats, making hormones, and building cell walls.

Cholesterol is ound in animal-based oods, like meats and dairy

products.


Too much cholesterol in the bloodstream can

damage arteries, especially the ones that supply

blood to the heart. It can build up in blood vessel

linings. This is called atherosclerosis, and it can

lead to heart attacks and stroke.

However, its important to know that not all cholesterol is bad.

There are two kinds o cholesterol ound in the bloodstream.

How much you have o each is what determines your risk o

heart disease.

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Its true that many dairy products, which contain high levels o

calcium, are relatively high in at and calories. But keep in mind

that at-ree or low-at types o milk products are excellent

calcium sources. Nutritionists recommend that you try to get

most o your calcium rom calcium-rich oods, rather than rom

calcium supplements. The Nutrition Facts Label can help you

make good high-calcium choices.

Other good sources o calcium are: canned salmon (with bones, which are edible)

calcium-ortied soy beverages

tou (soybean curd that is calcium-processed)

certain vegetables (or example, dark leay greens such as

collards and turnip greens)

legumes (blackeyed peas and white beans)

calcium-ortied grain products

calcium-ortied juice

LabelReadingTipsCalcium

Read the label to see how much calcium is in the ood

you are choosing.

5% DV or less islowin calcium

20% DV or more ishigh in calcium

Select oods that are high in calcium as oten as possible.

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NUTRIENT

Calcium

What It Is:

Calcium is a mineral that has a lot o uses in the body, but it is

best known or its role in building healthy bones and teeth.


Lack o calcium causes osteoporosis, which is the primary cause

o hip ractures. In act, the word osteoporosis means porous

bones. It causes progressive bone loss as you age, and makes

bones ragile so that they can break easily. Its extremely

important (especially or women) to get enough calcium

throughout your lie, especially ater menopause. Women are

at much higher risk or osteoporosis, but men can get it too.

A Note About Vitamin D

For calcium to be properly absorbed by the body, you also

need to get enough vitamin D. Many milk products and

cereals are ortied with vitamin D; also, vitamin D is produced

by the body when exposed to sunlight.

I you arent exposed to outdoor sunlight on a regular

basis, ask your healthcare provider whether you

should take vitamin D supplements.

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The web links provided in this booklet were current at time o publication. In the

event that they change, please visit www.da.gov and search by topic, such as

Seniors or Labelman.

Glossary of Key Nutrition Label Terms

Calcium: a mineral that builds and maintains strong bones. Calcium

helps prevent osteoporosis.

Calories: the energy provided by ood/nutrients. On the label,

calories shown are or one serving.

Calories rom Fat: Fat calories shown on the label are or one serving.

Cholesterol: a necessary nutrient rom animal-based oods that is

carried in the bloodstream. LDL cholesterol is bad and HDL

cholesterol is good.

Daily Value: the amount o certain nutrients that most people need

each day.

Nutrient: an ingredient in a ood that provides nourishment or

nutritional benet.

Nutrition Facts Label: the black-and-white box ound on ood and

beverage packages.

Percent Daily Value (%DV): the percentage o a nutrient ound in

one serving o ood, based on the established standard o 2000

calories per day.

Saturated Fat: a type o at that is solid at room temperature. It is

usually animal-based. This type o at is associated with certain

health risks.

Sodium: dietary salt that is important in the diet. However, too much

sodium can lead to high blood pressure and risk o heart disease.

Total Fat: the combined ats that provide energy to the body. Some

types o at are healthier than others.

Trans Fat: a type o at that is created when liquid at is turned into

solid at during manuacturing. Trans at has no daily value, and

should be replaced with unsaturated at in your diet whenever

possible.

Unsaturated Fat: a type o at that is liquid at room temperature; can

be plant-based or animal-based. These are usually good ats.

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and theNutrition Facts Label

using the nutrition facts label senior guide

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