Check It Out! The Food Label, The Pyramid, And You U.S. Department of Agriculture Home and Garden Bulletin Number 266 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human services' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have revamped food labels to make planning a healthy diet easier for you and your family. By law, most foods are required to display a Nutrition Facts panel. The law also requires that label claims such as "lite," "low fat," and "high in fiber" not be just advertising hype - that they actually be true. The Food Guide Pyramid was developed to help you make healthy food choices. The pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day. It helps you follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans - seven basic principles representing the best, most current advice from health and nutrition experts. Together, the new food label and the Food Guide Pyramid are powerful tools for building a healthy diet. This brochure will help you use these tools while you're at the grocery store. What Does Healthy Eating Mean? Healthy eating means following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans - advice for healthy Americans 2 or more years of age. Nutrition experts agree that following these seven principles will help you enjoy better health and reduce your chances of getting certain diseases, such as heart disease and some forms of cancer. The Guidelines are: Eat a variety of foods Maintain healthy weight Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products Use sugars only in moderation Use salt and sodium only in moderation If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation Action, Action...Read the Food Label Eat a Variety of Foods Keep the Food Guide Pyramid in mind when you choose foods. Almost everyone needs at least the minimum number of servings from each of the five major food groups. Look for the products with the words good source or high used to describe the vitamin, mineral, or fiber content per serving. Foods labeled good source must contain 10%-19% of the Daily Value for the nutrient per standard serving. Foods labeled high must contain at least 20% of the Daily Value per standard serving. Check labels for a claim about diet and osteoporosis to find foods that are good sources of calcium. Be on the lookout for nutrition information that is on display in many stores for the most popular fresh vegetables and fruits and meats, poultry, and seafood. Total Carbohydrate 31g 10% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 5g Protein 5g Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 2% Calcium 15% Iron 4% Remember, you don't have to pick foods that contain 100% of the Daily Value for vitamins and minerals to get the amounts you need. All the foods you eat add up to your total for the day. Use Sugars Only in Moderation The Food Guide Pyramid recommends limiting foods at the Pyramid tip and choosing foods lower in added sugars from the other food groups most of the time. This advice is most important for people who have lower calorie needs. Look for words like free or reduced to describe the amount of sugars in a serving of a food. Total Carbohydrate 31g 10% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 5g Check Nutrition Facts for the amount of sugars (in grams) in one serving of the food. This number includes both added sugars and those naturally present. Foods with natural sugars, such as milk and fruit, are also good sources of other nutrients like vitamins and minerals. INGREDIENTS: BLEACHED FLOUR, SUGAR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE SHORTENING, FRUCTOSE, WATER, CORN SYRUP, COCOA, WHEY BLEND, CORN STARCH, SALT, SODIUM BICARBONATE, LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORINGS, AND ARTIFICIAL COLORS. Look for terms such as sugar (sucrose), fructose, maltose, lactose, honey, syrup, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, or fruit juice concentrate in the ingredient list. If one of these terms appears first, or if several are listed, the food is likely to be high in added sugars. Maintain Healthy Weight The Food Guide Pyramid recommends choosing foods lower in fats and added sugars most of the time. Remember that fats and added sugars add calories, but few nutrients, to foods. Check the label for claims such as low, reduced, light, or less that describe the calorie content per serving. Read the fine print next to the claim. For example, a reduced-calorie salad dressing label might tell you that regular salad dressing contains 140 calories per 2-tablespoon serving, while the reduced-calorie version contains 105 calories per serving. Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 cup (228g) Servings Per Container 2 Amount Per Serving Calories 260 Calories from Fat 120 % Daily Value* Total Fat 13g 20% Saturated Fat 5g 25% Compare the amount you usually eat to the serving size shown on the label. If the labeled serving size is 1/2 cup and you eat 1 cup, you have to double the amount of calories and other nutrients listed. Use Salt and Sodium Only in Moderation The Food Guide Pyramid recommends making lower sodium choices from all food groups most of the time. Health experts recommend that sodium intake not be more than 2,400-3,000 milligrams (mg) a day. One level teaspoon of salt contains about 2,300 mg of sodium. % Daily Value* Total Fat 13g 20% Saturated Fat 5g 25% Cholesterol 30mg 10% Sodium 660mg 28% The %Daily Value tells you whether the food is higher or lower in sodium. For example, a product with 5%DV per standard serving is low in sodium. A product with 40%DV in a serving is relatively high in sodium. Try to limit your total sodium consumption to 100% or less of the Daily Value. Look for products where the words free, low, or reduced are used to describe the sodium content of the food. Check labels for health claims about diet and high blood pressure to find foods that are low in sodium. Choose a Diet Low in Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol The Food Pyramid recommends limiting foods in the Pyramid tip and making choices within the other food groups that are lower in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. The label shows you how fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol in packaged foods add up, so you can keep your intake under 100% of the Daily Values. % Daily Value* Total Fat 13g 20% Saturated Fat 5g 25% Cholesterol 30mg 10% Look for the words free, low, light or reduced to describe the fat, saturated fat, or cholesterol content in a food. If a food has a low cholesterol claim, it must also be limited in saturated fat. Check labels for health claims to quickly find products that are low in fat, saturated fat, or cholesterol: -If the label has a claim about the relationship of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet to heart disease, the food must be low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. -If the label has a claim about fat and cancer, the food must be low in fat. Choose lean and extra lean meat, poultry, and seafood. Top round beef, pork tenderloin, and salmon are examples of products that can use the lean claim. Ocean perch, haddock, or skinless chicken are examples of extra lean products. % Daily Value* Total Fat 13g 20% Saturated Fat 5g 25% Cholesterol 30mg 10% Sodium 660mg 28% Total Carbohydrate 31g 10% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 5g Protein 5g Look at the %Daily Value (%DV) to see how a food fits into your daily diet. A food that has 3 grams of fat in a serving gives you 5%DV (that is, it's low in fat). A food that contains 32 grams of fat in a serving gives you almost 50%DV- it's high in fat. If You Drink Alcholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation The Food Guide Pyramid recommends that alcoholic beverages be consumed in moderation, if at all. Adults who choose to drink should have no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men. Like other foods in the Pyramid tip, alcoholic beverages provide calories but little else nutritionally. Count as a drink: A 12-fluid ounce (fl. oz.) serving of beer, a 5 fl. oz. serving of wine, or a 1 1/2 fl. oz. serving of liquor. Beer labeled light contains fewer calories than the same brand of regular beer, but just as much alcohol. Wine labeled light contains about one-third less alcohol and, therefore, fewer calories than regular wine. Choose a Diet with Plenty of Vegetables, Fruits, and Grain Products Remember that the Food Guide Pyramid recommends that everyone should eat at least three servings of vegetables, two servings of fruits, and six servings of grain products each day. Choose whole-grain products, such as whole wheat or cracked wheat breads, oatmeal, popcorn, whole cornmeal, or brown rice, often. They usually have more fiber than enriched products do. Don't go by dark color alone-not all dark breads are wholegrain. Sometimes the dark color comes from caramel coloring. Check label for claims to quickly find foods that are good sources of vitamins, minerals, or fiber: -If the label has the words good source of or high in on the front, the food must contain at least 10% of the Daily Value for the nutrient mentioned per standard serving. Good Source of Fiber -If the label mentions the relationship of fruits, vegetables, and grains to heart disease or cancer, the food must be a good source of fiber or of vitamins A or C. Total Carbohydrate 31g 10% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 5g Protein 5g Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 2% Calcium 15% Iron 4% Check for the amount of fiber, vitamins, and minerals a product has. Many vegetables, fruits, and grain products are good sources of these nutrients. Use These Tools To Build a Healthy Diet Food Guide Pyramid A Guide to Daily Food Choices Fats, Oils, & Sweets USE SPARINGLY Milk, Yogurt, & Cheese Group 2-3 SERVINGS Vegetable Group 3-5 SERVINGS Key Fat (naturally occurring and added) Sugars (added) These symbols show fat and added sugars in foods. Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, & Nuts Group 2-3 SERVINGS Fruit Group 2-4 SERVINGS Bread, Cereal, Rice, & Pasta Group 6-11 Servings Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services The Food Guide Pyramid helps you put the Dietary Guidelines into action. The Pyramid shows you the food groups and the number of servings from each group to eat each day. The number of servings that's right for you depends on how many calories you need. That depends on your age, sex, size, and how active you are. To get needed nutrients, almost everyone should have at least the lowest number of servings recommended. Within the five major food groups below the Pyramid tip, try to choose foods that are lower in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, added sugars, and sodium. Go easy on foods at the tip of the pyramid-the fats, oils, and sweets group. These are foods such as salad dressings, oil, cream butter, margarine, sugars, soda, candy, and sweet desserts. These foods add calories but few nutrients. Whether a specific food fits into your diet depends on what other foods you eat during the day. Remember, it's your total diet that counts. If some of your choices during the day are relatively high in fat, cholesterol, sugars, and sodium (for example, a rich dessert for dinner or a salty snack), try to choose foods that are lower in fat, cholesterol, sugars, and sodium the rest of the day. Let the Label Work for You The new food label can help you compare foods within Pyramid food groups and help you decide which to choose. On the label front you might find some terms defined by the Government that can be used to describe a food's nutrient content. These are free, low, lean, extra lean, high, good source, reduced, fewer, less, light, and more. For the first time, foods that meet certain standards will be allowed to carry health claims about the link between certain foods or nutrients and specific diseases. For example, the label of a food that is low in fat may carry a claim about the relationship of a low-fat diet to reduced risk of cancer. Meat and poultry products have not yet been approved to carry such claims, but may do so in the future. The food package provides a Nutrition Facts panel that contains information that will help you fit the food into your overall daily diet. Nutrition Facts must tell you how much saturated fat, cholesterol, fiber, and certain nutrients are contained in each serving. Serving sizes must now be based on standards set for similar kinds of food. That makes it easier to compare the nutritional value of similar products. Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 cup (228g) Servings Per Container 2 Amount Per Serving Calories 260 Calories from Fat 120 % Daily Value* Total Fat 13g 20% Saturated Fat 5g 25% Cholesterol 30 mg 10% Sodium 660mg 28% Total Carbohydrate 31g 20% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 5g Protein 5g Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 2% Calcium 15% Iron 4% *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs: Calories 2,000 2,500 Total Fat Less than 100 80g Sat Fat Less than 20g 25g Cholesterol Less than 300mg 300mg Sodium Less than 2,400 mg 2,400mg Total Carbohydrate 300g 375g Dietary Fiber 25g 30g Calories per gram: Fat 9 Carbohydrate 4 Protein 4 %Daily Value (DV) shows how a food fits into your overall daily diet. Higher percentages mean greater amounts of nutrients. Whether or not the food fits into your diet depends on what other foods you eat. For most people, the goal is to choose foods that add up to about 100% of the Daily Value for total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Daily Values that have been set for certain nutrients are listed on larger packages for both a 2,000- and a 2,500- calorie diet. (A 2,000-calorie diet is about right for many women, teenage girls, and less active men. A 2,500-calorie diet is about right for many men, teenage boys, and very active women.) INGREDIENTS: BLEACHED FLOUR, SUGAR, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE SHORTENING, FRUCTOSE, WATER, CORN SYRUP, COCOA, WHEY BLEND, CORN STARCH, SALT, SODIUM BICARBONATE, LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORINGS, AND ARTIFICIAL COLORS. A list of ingredients in now required on almost all foods, even standardized ones such as mayonnaise and bread. I ingredients are listed from most to least by weight. If you have food allergies, the ingredient list can help you identify products that might pose a problem for you. For More Information USDA has published The Food Guide Pyramid (HG-252), a booklet that explains the Pyramid and its relationship to daily food choices, and Dietary Guidelines and Your Diet (HG-253), a set of pamphlets, each of which focuses on one of the Dietary Guidelines with practical tips on how to make changes in your diet. For information on ordering these publications, contact: U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Consumer Service Public Information Staff 3101 Park Center Drive Alexandria, VA 22302 USDA's Meat and Poultry Hotline - Home economists and dietitians answer questions on safe handling and storage of meat and poultry products and provide information a out the basic nutrition of meat and poultry products and the labeling of these items. Their telephone number is 1-800-535-4555 (toll-free outside Washington, DC, area); 202-720-333 (Washington, DC, metropolitan area). To ask for a free copy of Read the Label, Set a Healthy Table: An Introduction to the New Food Label, write to: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 5600 Fishers Lane, HFE-88 Rockville, MD 20857 or call: FDA's Food Labeling and Seafood Hotline, 1-800-FDA-4010 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA Office of Communications at 202-720-5881 (voice) or 202-720-7808 (TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, or call 202- 720-7327 (voice) or 202-720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity employer. September 1994

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