Fitness & Performance Nutrition Series: Topic 4

Understand food labels!

Are you getting the most out of your food labels? Check out these useful tips!

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE FOOD LABELS ON YOUR SHOPPING LIST

How to read food labels
Nutrition facts table: includes serving size, calories, certain nutrients and % daily values (% DV). The % DV represents if the serving size has a little (≤ 5%) or a lot (≥ 15%). Ingredient list: lists all of the ingredients in a food product by weight, the first ingredient weighs the most and the last ingredient weighs the least.
Nutrition claims: nutrient content claims and health claims. All foods with a claim must meet certain Health Canada criteria to make sure that they are consistent and not misleading. Food allergen labelling: information to help you avoid specific food allergens or sensitivities.
Date labelling: how long your unopened food product will last, such as “best-before,” “packaged on” and “expiration” dates Do you understand food labels or just read them?
Benefits of using food labels
Food labels provide information you can use to make informed choices about foods and drinks at the grocery store and at home. Food labels allow you to 1. Compare and choose products more easily, 2. know what ingredients a food product contains, 3. choose products with a little or a lot of the nutrient s that are of interest to you based off you needs.
If comparing 2 similar items, make your choice based off two criteria: more of the stuff you want (protein & fiber) and less of the stuff you don't want (i.e. excess sugars & salt) Comparing two bars
Ask yourself: how and why am I choosing this food?  
Nutrient content claims
Nutrient content claims describe the amount of a nutrient in a food. For example, saying a food product is "a good source of iron". A nutrient content claim can help you choose foods that contain a nutrient you may want more of. Look the following words: source (e.g., source of fiber ), high or good source (e.g., high in vitamin A or good source of iron), Very high or excellent source (e.g., excellent source of calcium).
A nutrient content claim can also help you choose foods that contain a nutrient you may want less of. Look for words such as: Free (e.g., sodium free or trans-fat free), low (e.g., low fat), reduced (reduced in calories). Nutrient claims are optional and only highlight one nutrient. It is still beneficial to refer to the Nutrition Facts table to make food choices that are better for you​​​​​
Do nutrition content claims impact what food products you purchase?  
Food label shopping tips
Keep it real - If you're concerned about what's in your food, stick to whole minimally processed food. Not only will this cut down on plastic packaging trash but it also saves you time and effort from reading labels and you're not left trying to pronounce lengthy ingredients. Prioritize ingredients over calories - It doesn't matter much what the calories, fat, sugar, and salt contents are if the ingredients are rotten. The more ingredients there are in a packaged food item the more likely it is to be highly processed. Try to avoid food products containing ingredients a third grader cannot pronounce.
Go beyond the numbers - don't get caught up in calorie counting. If you want to feel your best and be able to perform throughout your day, move beyond calorie counting and start paying attention to how food makes you feel! Use common sense - if a package has a nutrition claim on the front cover and this appeals to you, turn the package over and check out the ingredient list. Do the ingredients match the nutrition claim on the package?
How much of what you eat comes with a food label attached to it?