5 Mistakes of Label Reading
We are excited to present 2 new posters on label reading.
The 5 Mistakes of Label Reading
This poster and matching handout set sum up the 5 most common mistakes made when shopping for packaged foods in the grocery store. How many times do people ignore Nutrition Facts Labels, choose packages and bottles that look like one serving but are really more, buy items that contain way too much sodium, or imagine they can munch all day on lowfat or sugar free items? Here are these 5 mistakes as featured in the fun illustrations on the posters:
1. Ignore the label
2. More than one serving in a package that looks like a single serving
3. Too high in sodium
4. Sugar free or fat free is not calorie free
5. Package sounds healthier than the facts
These mistakes are based on many new food reports over a period of 15 years in our newsletter Communicating Food for Health, plus a survey of hundreds of foods for a game we made for nutrition facts label reading. If you have tips on teaching label reading add them below and we will give the top 5 responses a free set of posters.
Examine the Facts
Examine the Facts teaches 3 basic steps to evaluate a product quickly based on its nutrient analysis. Label reading is as easy as 1-2-3. AND an example is given that shows why it is better to compare a label – you save a lot of fat by choosing skim milk. PLUS handy reminders show the total nutrients needed for a day.
1. Calories – what is the total number of calories in this package? What is a serving size? How many servings in this package?
2. Heart healthy – how much saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium does this package contain?
3. Nutritional value – how much fiber? How many other nutrients?
Label Reading 2 Poster Set – you can get both posters and save over 20%
- Examine the Facts
- The 5 Mistakes of Label Reading
These two posters, by Food and Health Communications are designed to really teach everyone just what they need to know about label reading and the Nutrition Facts Panel.
Add a tip about teaching label reading below and we will award the top 5 tips with a free poster set plus 3 months membership to Communicating Food for Health newsletter and resource service.
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Hi to all – thank you for your wonderful comments. Here are the results of our contest:
http://communicatingfoodforhealth.com/From-the-Kitchen/Best-Label-Reading-Tips
I use real labels to distribute among participants, I like the cereal labels, that way people can see how depending on their needs,(i.e., need less sugar, or less salt, some type of disease, like diabetis or high blood pressure), is the kind of cereal they should choose. Also it is interesting to see how the serving size varies on the different cereals depending on weight and not by cup. People emjoy having the label in front of them and discussing about which one is the best choice for them.
I love the lesson on label reading and have found that my class participants get the best understanding of what they are eating by seeing it, instead of just reading the information. I use a king size reeses peanut butter cup and a participate to demonstrate what 40 grams of sugar looks like and what 12 grams of fat looks like. They are shocked to actually see what they are putting in their bodies, and after washing their hands they can still feel the film from the fat. It is easy for class members to understand how saturated fat gradually builds up in their arteries to cause clogged arteries and other heart disease. Reading labels has a new meaning.
What suprises them the most that we are talking per serving amounts.
I like to have my students compare the food labels from two similar food items to see that small changes in the serving size or a lower-fat version of a food can make all the difference when it comes to the nutritional value. They are amazed!
One of my favorite tips on label reading is best suited for those with healthy bones top of mind. Rather than being confused with the %DV, simply add a zero to the calcium %DV and you know exactly how many milligrams of Calcium the item will provide towards your daily goal :)
When reading food labels and teaching about the calcium content of foods, I take my audiences to the %calcium on the label. Since the percentages are based on 1000 mg, I tell them to drop the % sign and add a zero. This will give them the number of milligrams of calcium in a serving of the product. For example, if a serving has 30% of the calcium needed for the day, that’s 300 mg. Really helps when considering food items that have 10%, like cereal bars, orange juice and foods that are fortified with calcium. And they can better understand if they need, say, 1200 mg of calcium daily. They get it!
Debbie
Debbie Melvin, M.S., C.F.C.S.
Extension Agent (Nutrition)
My tips:
- I like to take a label from a popular product that might not seem high in sugar (e.g. vitamin-enhanced water that’s made with sugar) and read through the label. I’ll get a participant to be my assistant. We’ll measure out the number of teaspoons of sugar in a bottle of that product into a clear jar.
- When leading a label reading class, I hand out actual food labels/empty packaging. I find that clients learn better from hands-on experiences. I ask them if they look at the label/nutrition facts panel, and if they do, what do they part do they look at? I also like to quiz the group (assess comprehension): e.g. how much fibre is in a serving of your product? How much sodium?
- We’ll often compare the nutrition fact panels of two related products, e.g. 1% milk vs. whole milk. I’ll ask the participants which product would they choose and why.
My favorite “ah ha” moment is teaching consumers how to interpret the added sugar content in terms they understand. Once they learn 4 grams sugar is equivalent to 1 teaspoon sugar, they simply don’t look at their favorite soda and candy bars the same way. It’s hard for them to ignore the fact that their 16-oz bottle for soda is simply water, coloring and 11 teaspoons of sugar. Learning this really opens their eyes for how the Nutrition Facts label can be helpful when shopping for their favorite foods.
Healthy Wishes,
Carrie
Carrie Taylor, RD, LDN
Lead Registered Dietitian
Living Well Eating Smart Program
I really like your “5 mistakes of reading the food label” poster! It hits the major mistakes that most people make (especially the mistake of assuming that the package is one serving). I also like to talk to my students about trans fat and how even if the label lists 0 grams, you still need to look at the ingredient list to determine if the product contains trans fats. Also, I have found that using the %DV of nutrients as a way to determine how the food fits in their overall diet for the day is very helpful to most people.
If a package claims it is made with whole grain, make sure a whole grain is listed in the top three ingredients and not near the bottom of the list.
You included my favorites.
Read the serving size. What looks like a single serving size in a container may actually be several servings.
I always recommend to use the %DV as a comparison tool. If looking for a food that is a good source of the nutrient (fiber, Ca, Vit/MIn) you want to aim close to 20% DV, if you want to limit the nutrient (fat, cholesterol) – aim for 5% DV. Common sense to us, but amazing how helpful it is to clients!
I love the top 5 mistakes of reading the food label. It is clever and it gets the message across in a light-hearted way. I work for FDA and truly appreciate what you’ve done with this. Thanks