Learn To Read The Nutrition Facts Table #FocusontheFacts
Understanding health has always been critical to me, especially when it comes to what is going into the mouths of my babes. I try to make homemade meals from scratch, although I do “cheat” sometimes.
My passion towards health and fresh foods has worn off on our four children. They are always sitting at the breakfast bar in the morning comparing labels of cereal or condiments. Which one has more vitamins and which label has the healthier ingredients at the top of the list. I find it super cute that at a young age our children are already Focus on the Facts regarding the food they are putting in their mouth.
I find it super cute that at a young age our children are already Focus on the Facts regarding the food they are putting in their mouth.
With that being said there is still so much we all can learn from reading the Nutrition Facts table on foods in Canada. Good thing there is an important campaign moving across Canada that will benefit both our families. This campaign will help Canadians make informed food choices by Focusing on the Facts in the food we consume.
Focus on the Facts
Focus on the Facts is designed to increase Canadians awareness, use and understanding of the Nutrition Facts table (NFt), helping them make informed food choices for their families. It is a joint initiative of the Food and Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) and Health Canada. This campaign encourages Canadians to start with the Serving Size and then use the % DV to choose the nutrients you want a lot or a little of in your diet.
You can learn more about reading the NFt by going to Canada.ca/NutritionFacts
Learn To Read The Nutrition Facts Table
I’ve compiled a Focus on the Facts quick list:
Serving Size
Serving size is an essential tool when reading the NFt. Serving size doesn’t mean it is the suggested size of the food you should consume. It is product amount that the label was calculated based on.
If the serving size is based on 2 slices of bread and you eat 4 slices of bread, you then have to double the calculations on the NFt.
%DV (Percent Daily Value)
It shows you if the serving size has a little or a lot of a nutrient:
- 5% DV or less is a little
- 15% DV or more is a lot
Calories
Calories are the amount of energy in the food you consume. Nutrients that provide calories are carbohydrates, fat and protein.
Your body uses the energy from calories to do all of your daily activities – from working out to sleeping. It is important that we eat healthy foods to replenish the calories that we use daily. However, if you eat more calories than you need, you may gain weight.
How many calories do women need?
This chart is from Health Canada and is a quick guide to how many calories a Canadian female requires.
Nutritional Value
Now that you know how to read serving size and what %DV means, it’s time to learn about nutritional value on the NFt.
Each NFt label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients, such as; fat, saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.
For an example, you want more %DV of nutrients such as; fibre, calcium and iron and less of saturated and trans fats when choosing your foods.
Ingredient list
This is where my kids like to compare. The ingredients at the top of the list are the ones that weigh the most or are the main ingredients in the food product. The ingredients at the bottom of the list are the lightest and the food product contains less of these.
I like to make my rule of thumb when buying food products to avoid foods with sugar products in the top two of the ingredient list. You’d be surprised just how many of these foods you may be serving your family daily.
Now that you can, it is time to enter a giveaway!
One lucky In R Dream reader will win a $100 Grocery Gift Card.
Open to Canadian residents, excluding Quebec. Contest ends, March 25th, 2016.
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This post was a sponsored post. The opinions are completely my own.
A good thing to learn from an early age, I still have a bit of trouble
I figure if I cant pronouce I ingredients on the label, then I shouldnt be eating or feeding to my family!!
I teach my son to always read the labels. He understands about looking for the amount of sugar in products now.
Looking at the portion size will determine how much in take we are actually getting.
I have taught my children to check the sugar and salt levels on the nutrition label. and to pick ones low in salt and sugar
I have learned a lot about reading labels because I’m working on losing weight – this article really spells things out well for people who aren’t used to it though…knowing what you’re eating is so important!
kids need to understand that healthy food can taste just as good if not better than things full of all sorts of unnecessary fillers and garbage. We do often compare labels to show them what they’re really eatin
I teach my kids a lot about sugar and how to recognize it on food labels. I think it’s so dangerous how much they consume these days.
I learned that anything over 15% DV is considered to be “a lot”
I learned that it’s very important is for people to read the size of serving the company is using to calculate the info on the nutrition facts table.Thanks so much for this valuable information. I do read the labels but missed that very important point.
The sugar is straight up an easy one and kids can learn that! I will watch labels for sugar more readily now to see where it rates on the list.
I always read the labels on products.This article reinforces the need to educate others into being alert about their nutrition and calorie intake.
We’re trying to educate our kids about ingredients and products, but we have little ones who can’t read so we use the terms healthy, sort of healthy and treat to let them know what they are eating and how often they should eat it.
understanding and reading what exactly is a portion size according to the package
I always read the labels when shopping.
I would have to say reading the label before eating
We read the nutrition facts when we prep meals and talk about what should not be in the top ingredients of a product
I learned to look out to make sure sugar isn’t in the top 2 ingredients! Yikes
I think this would take a while to explain but so worth it
Portion size is important
i learned i need to read labels more, and teach my children to do so as well. I like to avoid foods that are laden with sodium, sugar and fats. There is a lot of information available, it is up to us to make the right decisions with a quick look at the label before bringing an item home to our table.
I learned how to read the table properly and giving the right portion size
I learned to take portion size into account.
The caloric intake chart is interesting
I’ve made it a habit to read labels with my kids (and now my granddaughter) since they were little. We especially pay attention to sugar and sodium content.
I want to teach my kids to understand when a food has a little or a lot of a nutrient by reading labels and looking at the DV
I think I will teach my kids to read the labels and to fully understand what they are eating so that they can make the right choices.
I would make reading the label fun for my kids, like reading their story books.
The caloric intake chart is interesting- I’ve never seen one based on energy levels.
It’s important to look at portion size
For the kids to learn to read the labels to find out the portion size and what vit’s are in the food.
It is important to look at portion size for which the nutritional values are given.
I learned that companies have to provide the 13 core nutrients – never knew that. This is something I will start looking at with my kids.
I learned to read the serving size along with the contents in the products. we just started reading labels a month ago after finding out all the extra stuff that was added to some of the foods we were buying
My son is 8 yrs old and makes me laugh cause I guess he sees me look at labels and I once explained to him how it works and now he checks all sorts but is hung up on iron. wants things to have lots guess he thinks most important for strength
We are teaching our kids how to read labels to get the nutrients then need
i learned that every label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients.
I learned how to read the label properly!
I can lead by example. I read the label and tell her why we can or cannot buy a product. By seeing me do it, I hope that she too will become a label reader.
I learned to always read serving size. Sometimes it doesn’t seem so bad until you read the serving size and you “accidentally” ate 4 serving sizes!!
I learned that the companies are required to provide information on 13 core nutrients and it’s good to teach our kids to read labels
I learned that I can really compare nutritional values.
I learned that the each NFt label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients, such as; fat, saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.
I learned that the companies are required to provide information on 13 core nutrients
I put the cereal box infront of the children while they are eating and they always read the facts.
I learned that companies must include 13 core nutrients on the NFT label.
I learnt the %daily value which 5 and under is a little less and more than 15 % is a lot. good to know about the sodium for that
I learned that the companies are required to provide information on 13 core nutrients
I learned to read the labels ever since joining WW it’s a good thing to learn and to teach the kids to read the labels!!
I learned that the ingredients are listed in order of their weight in the product.
I learned that companies are required to provide information on 13 core nutrients
Serving size is an essential tool when reading the NFt. Serving size doesn’t mean it is the suggested size of the food you should consume. It is product amount that the label was calculated based on!! i MYself have never paid attention to labels. I grab food that I like to eat, make it and basically thats it. (or what I can afford) Ever notice how the stuff you can afford is all sugar?
I learned each label must contain information on 13 core nutrients.
I learned that ingredients are listed in order of how much is in the package (the first ingredient is the most, with the last ingredient being the least)
I will let my kids look at the labels in the store and help decide what is better for them to eat
I learned that 15% is a high DV. I will be watching that column more closely now.
I learned that 13 core nutrients must be included in the NFt label.
Whenever my child grab a box or a bag of process goods, I would ask and test them of the nutritional value of that box or bag of food and if it’s right for them or not. For example, if it’s high in sugar, it’s probably something that you should snack as a treat or not have at all.
I learned that each NFt label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients, such as; fat, saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.
I learned that they have to provide information on 13 core nutrients
My son knows more about labels than I do! They teach them really well in school and now we always read the labels together to know what we are consuming
I learned that each “NFt label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients, such as; fat, saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, fibre, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.” I wasn’t aware that they must list all of these components. I knew they had to do the basics but really never knew these were all required.
I show them
I learned that each of these labels must contain information on the 13 core nutrients.
I love the calories chart you provide! thank you for that.
the NFt label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients.
Teaching them to read labels and understand them is one way to teach our children to #focusonthefacts
Thank you! I’m going to teach my kids to avoid foods with sugar as one of the first two ingredients.
the kids love planting the veggie garden, harvesting and then finding recipes. so important to know where your food comes from.
I learned that 15%DV in a serving is considered a lot!
While my kids are still young we are more focused on the discussion of the ingredients lists and how it should have simple, easy to read list for us to choose or even consider that product. The oldest seems to be getting it 🙂
I learned that each NFt label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients (and what those core ingredients are!)
I learned that calories are the amount of energy in the food you consume & that I should check the NFt for this amount based on serving size. Now that I know my calorie requirement amounts for the day with my age & activity level, this will come in handy.
learned that 15% DV or more is a lot,
I have learned to read labels and over 15% dv is alot.
I learned what is a little vs. A lot for the %DV.
I learned that 15% DV or more is a lot,
I learned that 15% DV or more is a lot, keep my eyes open to it.
Each NFt label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients
I learnt that maybe I should be reading the labels of the food that I purchase. I just eat whatever and now that I am not a spring chicken should probably consider eating better.
I think while we are grocery shopping it is a good way to get the kids to look for items and have fun figuring out the label.
I have taught my son to look for whole food first. If we buy packages we count the number of ingredients. Anything over 5, we put back on the shelf. I also made a little card with all the secret words for sugar. We keep it in our grocery bag, and always look for the hidden sugar!
What have you learned in this post about NFt?
i always read the side of boxes of food,but i dont have children thanks
I learned more about the Nutritional Daily Value amounts. For some reason that was always confusing to me.
Labels must contain information on the 13 core nutrients.
I learnt that you want more %DV of nutrients such as; fibre, calcium and iron and less of saturated and trans fats when choosing your foods.
I have been checking labels for years. I didn’t know there was a web site for it though, so that I learned.
each nutrition label must contain information about 13 core nutrients, we have been reading our labels lately as we are counting calories and watching out fat intake
I have picked up a lot from this article. My girl’s class went to the local grocery store and was taught about budgeting. I think it is vital that they are also taught about reading the label.
I learned that above 15% DV is a lot
I know but was a very good reminder about checking serving sizes, some of them are just rediculious
I learned that reading the labels is important and that each label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients.
I learned how to better read a nutrition label and how important it is.
The serving size as listed on the label is not the same for everyone of that product.
I had no clue that the first ingredients are the ones that weigh the most..wow good to know for sure, we do read the ingredients because my husband is diabetic, I wonder if he knows..wow
I have always read nutrition labels and know how to read them. One of the facts that I find very important is for people to read size of serving the company is using to calculate the info on the nutrition facts table.
I learned not only about the 13 core nutrients but also I didnt realize that the serving size isn’t usually the amount one would eat. Just never thought about it, thanks for the education!
I learned labels need to contain info about 13 core ingredients
I didn’t know that the ingredients at the top and bottom of the list make up the most and least of the ingredients.
I learned that serving size as listed on the label is not necessarily the amount that you should be eating of that product.
The Nutrition Facts table helps them make informed food choices for their families.
I learned that each nutrition label must contain information about thirteen nutrients which are important
I learned that reading the labels is important and that each label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients.
Serving size is an essential tool when reading the NFt. Serving size doesn’t mean it is the suggested size of the food you should eat.
That the serving size isn’t the same as what you should eat. I always thought it was.
Serving size doesn’t mean it is the suggested size of the food you should consume.
Serving size is an essential tool when reading the NFt. Serving size doesn’t mean it is the suggested size of the food you should consume. It is product amount that the label was calculated based on.
I learned that each label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients.
I always teach them to avoid foods with too much sugar content.
I learned my Sedentary Lifestyle Carb intake
I learned that they need to contain 13 nutrients
Learned that each label must contain information on the 13 core nutrients.
I did not realize that the nutrition label must contain information about 13 core nutrients until I read that here
I learned what DV percentages are considered not enough or a fair/good amount
I’ve been teaching my kids about food labels and how to check for less sugar and salt content.The
labels can show them foods that have high fibre, iron and vitamins, so it makes it easier to choose
healthier foods.
I learned that they must contain information on the 13 core nutrients.
it is important to read the ingredients closely, especially to foods they are allergic to
I learned that each nutrition label must contain information about 13 core nutrients.
My eldest one likes to read the food labels and we have talked about the different vitamins and minerals.
I learned how to understand the Percent Daily Value – what is considered a small amount and what is considered a large amount.
I learned that calories for me should be around 1850 a day.
We have always used the sugar information on labels, very important to look.
Having the kids read the ingredients list to see what they consume is good for them to realize what they are eating and is good for their reading/speaking skills.
I learnt that 15% DV or more is a lot in a serving.
Best to aviod foods with sugars in the first few ingredients as the highest proportions of ingredients are listed first,
I’ve been teaching my kids about food labels for a few years now, mostly the sugar/carb amounts in their foods.
I have learned how many calories in a day I should be consuming. I already had a good idea on the rest.
I learned that 5% DV or less is a little.
We teach our children to Focus on the Facts by reading labels of foods we eat
I learned that I have to really have to pay attention to the serving size! I notice this on products sometimes — for example, a 500 ml container of chocolate milk gives you the information for a 250 ml serving, not the whole container!
I learned I should pay more attention to labels and compare facts before purchasing products.
We always read labels and always are aware of serving sizes!
I teach my son to take a look at the nutritional labels since he needs to count his net carbs for all of his meals. With type 1 diabetes we always have to totally aware
A good way to teach kids is to practice looking at the label at the grocery store when making purchasing decisions.