Minds On
Nutrition facts
By law, all prepackaged foods in Canada must have a nutrition facts table and an ingredient list.
Nutrition facts tables provides information on:
- serving size
- calories
- daily value percentage (DV)
It also provides information for 13 different nutrients:
|
fat |
sugars |
|
saturated fat |
protein |
|
trans fat |
vitamin A |
|
cholesterol |
vitamin C |
|
sodium |
calcium |
|
carbohydrate |
iron |
|
fibre |
The ingredient list lists all the ingredients in a food product. The ingredients are listed in order by weight. The list starts with the ingredient that weighs the most and ends with the ingredient that weighs the least.
Examine the following food labels, one for a whole orange and the other for orange juice.
- Which food product has more ingredients?
- Which food do you think is a more nutritious choice?
Explain your thinking.
Food label # 1:
Description
This is a food label for a whole orange. The serving size stated for this orange is 1 medium(140gram).
The nutrients list is as follows: calories, fat, sodium, potassium, carbohydrates, fibre, sugars, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.
The following is a list of the nutrients along with the amount per serving and the % DV; calories 70, fat 0g at 0%DV, sodium 0mg at 0% DV, potassium 230mg at 7% DV, carbohydrates 17g at 6% DV, fibre 3g at 12% DV, sugars 13g, protein 1g.
For vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron there is no amount per serving listed but it does list the %DV. The %DV goes as follows; vitamin A 0%, vitamin C 120%, calcium 4%, and iron 2%.
Food label # 2:
Description
This is a food label for orange juice. At the top of this food label, it says “Nutrition Facts” followed by “per 1 cup (250ml)”.
The next part of the food label says “Calories 120” underneath it lists the following: fats 0g and DV at 0%, followed by saturated 0g and DV at 0%, and trans 0g and DV at 0%.
The next part of the label says “Carbohydrates 28g” underneath it goes on to list fibre 0g and daily value at 0% and sugars 25g at daily value at 25%.
The next part of the label lists the following: protein 2g, cholesterol 0 mg and sodium 15 mg with daily value at 1%.
The final part of the label lists the following. Potassium 450mg with daily value at 10%, calcium 0 mg with daily value at 0%, iron 0 mg with daily value at 0%, vitamin C with daily value at 77%, thiamine 0.125mg with daily value at 10%, folate 70 g DFE with daily value at 18%, and last magnesium 25mg with daily value at 6%.
Action
Why do food labels matter?
The digestive system
Learning to read the information on the food label can help people make informed decisions about the foods they eat. It can also help them support different systems of the human body.
In this learning activity, we will focus on the digestive system.
As soon as food enters the body through the mouth, the digestive process begins.
Did You Know?
Fun fact
The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract. However, the first step in the digestive process technically happens before the first bite! The presence or smell of food sets off the salivary glands in the mouth which causes the mouth to water or salivate.
The body gradually moves the food through the digestive system, which breaks the food down into smaller pieces. Digestion is also important for breaking down food into nutrients that the body can use.
The digestive system superimposed on an outline of the human body. It includes the salivary glands, mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, small and large intestines, and rectum.
Let’s explore some ways which may help to support a person’s digestive health.
Healthy fat
Fat is an important nutrient for the body. It’s a source of energy, helps the body to grow and develop, and absorbs vitamins!
To support digestion, it is important to consider the type of fat as well as the amount of the fat.
Press the following tabs to learn more.
Nutrition fact labels indicate the type of fat as well as the amount of fat per serving.
The 3 different kinds of fat are:
- trans
- saturated
- unsaturated
Unsaturated fats are the healthiest type of fat. They can be found in:
- nuts and seeds
- fatty fish (e.g., salmon, trout, herring, mackerel)
- vegetable oils (e.g., olive, canola, soybean, safflower, sunflower)
Foods that are high in fat tend to slow down the digestive process because the body has to use special enzymes to break it down. When buying packaged foods, people can use the nutrition facts table on the food label to learn about the fat content.
The table shows the % daily value (% DV), the type and the amount of fat.
The % DV can be used as a guide that indicates if the serving amount has a little or a lot of a nutrient.
- 5% DV or less is a little
- 15% DV or more is a lot
According to Canada’s Food Guide, the % DV for both saturated and trans fat should be as low as possible.
The following nutrition facts table is for a food/drink with no fat content (0 grams of fat).
This food label is the same label for the orange juice mention earlier. The portion of the label that is highlighted to focus on is the following: per 1 cup (250ml) and fats 0g and daily value at 0%, saturated 0g and daily value at 0% and trans 0g and daily value at 0%.
Sugar content
Sugars are a type of carbohydrate, and they are found in fruit, vegetables, and milk.
They are also found in fruit juice, fruit juice concentrates, syrups, and honey.
Sugars are added to many foods during processing and can be used to preserve foods such as fruit jams.
Health Canada recommends that Canadians use the food label to understand the sugars content of their food. Consuming too much sugar can affect the body in different ways.
For example, in the digestive system, excess sugar is harder for the body to break down and absorb. It can end up sitting in the large intestine, which can lead to bloating and discomfort.
The ingredient list can help people understand the type of sugars added! Keep in mind, the ingredients are listed in order by weight.
This label shows us the sugars added. It also shows us that they’re in that there’s more fancy molasses by weight than brown sugar or sugar.
A list of ingredients in molasses. Ingredients: Sugars (fancy molasses, brown sugar, sugar), Flour, Vegetable oil shortening, Liquid whole egg, Salt, Sodium bicarbonate, Spices, Allura red. Contain: Wheat, Eggs.
When the list is complete the labels state it contains wheat and eggs.
Sugars added to food can include:
- white sugar, brown sugar
- agave syrup, honey, maple syrup
- sucrose, fructose, glucose, glucose-fructose (also known as high fructose corn syrup)
- fruit juice and purée concentrate that are added to replace sugars in foods
Press ‘Hint’ to access a clue.
Words ending in “ose” are usually sugars.
Adding fibre
A wooden table with various types of foods on the table. There are vegetables such as potatoes, spinach, and mushrooms. There are fruits such as strawberries and blueberries. There are whole grains such as brown bread and rice. There are different types of nuts such as almonds and walnuts.
Fibre is a carbohydrate that is found in plant foods.
Fibre can be found in:
- fruits
- legumes such as dried beans, lentils, peas, soybeans
- nuts and seeds
- vegetables
- whole grains such as whole grain bread, cereal, crackers and pasta, brown rice, oats
A diet that is high in fibre keeps things moving through the digestive tract, which makes people less likely to get constipated.
On the food label, fibre is listed under total carbohydrate. Dietary fibre itself does not have any calories.
Did You Know?
Fun fact!
Unlike other carbohydrates that are absorbed into our bloodstream (e.g., sugars), fibre is non-digestible. It simply passes through the digestive tract!
Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
In general, unprocessed, or minimally processed foods support healthy digestion. These are natural foods without added ingredients such as fat, sugar, and salt.
However, some processed foods can be part of a healthy diet. Processed food is food that went through a factory before it gets to the consumer. Processing can be used to help extend the life of unprocessed foods using methods such as drying, canning, chilling, freezing, and pasteurizing. Not all processed foods have added fat, sugar, and salt.
On the other hand, ultra-processed foods can go through multiple processes and contain many added ingredients including added sugar, fat, salt, and dyes. These are products that generally have a longer ingredient list and many of these ingredients are different from the original food or drink product.
Analyzing food labels
Return to the food labels in the Minds On to compare the nutrition facts of a whole orange and serving of orange juice.
Two teachers talking. The first teacher says: Let’s determine which of the two might support the digestive system. The second teacher responds: Great idea! We can start by identifying the amount of fat, sugar, fibre and level of processing.
Food label # 1:
This food label is the same label for the orange. There are three areas highlighted to focus on. The areas consist of the following: serving size of the orange which is 1 medium (140g), and the nutrients. The nutrients consist of the following: fat 0g at 0% DV, fibre 3g at 12% at DV, and sugars 13g.
Food label # 2:
This food label is the same as the previous label on orange juice. There are five areas that are highlighted. The first area focuses on the amount of orange juice; per 1 cup (250ml). The second area focuses on the calories which is 120. The third area focuses on the types of fat and their % of daily value; saturated 0g at 0% DV, and trans 0g at 0% DV.
The fourth area of focus is listed as follows; carbohydrates at 28 g, fibre at 0g at 0% DV and sugars at 25g at 25% DV. The fifth highlighted area of focus is the ingredients list for the orange juice; filtered water, and concentrated orange juice.
In a 1-cup serving size, orange juice contains 120 Calories, 0 grams of Fat, 28 g of Carbohydrates, including 25 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of Fibre. There is a total of 2 ingredients listed: filtered water and concentrated orange juice.
In a 140g service serving, an orange contains 70 Calories, 0 grams of Fat, 17 Carbohydrates, including 13 sugars and 3 grams of Fibre. There is no ingredients list. Whole foods do not have to have an ingredients list.
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
Now that we’ve examined the food labels, which food/drink item do you think might promote digestion?
Press ‘Let’s Check’ to reveal a possible answer.
The whole orange might support digestion more than a glass of orange juice because it contains 3 grams of Fibre. Fibre is a carbohydrate that helps to keep things moving through the digestive tract. The whole orange also has less sugar (13 grams) than the glass of orange juice (25 grams).
Both the whole orange and glass of orange juice have 0 grams of fat.
Consolidation
Let’s examine!
Examine each food label and determine which food contains more nutrients and ingredients that support the digestive system.
Consider the following:
- total fat
- type of fat(s)
- total sugars
- type of sugar(s)
- fiber
- level of processing
Food label # 1:
Description
The ingredient list for food label # 1 consist of the following: corn flour, sugar, oat flour, brown sugar, coconut oil, salt, sodium citrate, colour, malic acid, bht (preservative), natural and artificial flavour.
The nutrition facts for this product served dry per 1 cup at 36g are as follows: calories 140, fat 1.5g at 2% DV, saturated 1g and trans 0g both at 5% DV, cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 290mg at 12% DV, carbohydrate 31g at 10% DV. Fibre 1g at 4% DV, sugars 16g, and protein 2g.
The following is a list of vitamins and their %DV. The vitamins include the following: vitamin A 0%, vitamin C 0%, calcium 0%, iron 40%, thiamine 70%, niacin 8%, vitaminB6 15%, folate 10%, and pantothenate 10%
Food label # 2:
Description
The ingredient lists for food label # 2 consist of the following: whole grain wheat, sugar, salt, barley, and malt extract. The vitamins and minerals for this food item consist of the following: thiamine mononitrate(B1), niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride(B6), calcium pantothenate, folic acid, iron, bht is added to package materials to help maintain product freshness. This product contains wheat and barley.
The nutrition facts for this product served dry per 1 cup at 55g are as follows: calories 200, fat 1 g at 2% DV, saturated 0.2g and trans 0g both at 1% DV, cholesterol 0mg at 0% DV, sodium 200mg at 8% DV, carbohydrate 45g at 15% DV, fibre 6g at 24% DV, sugars 9g, and protein 6g.
The following is a list of vitamins and their %DV. The vitamins include the following: vitamin A 0%, vitamin C 0%, calcium 2%, iron 50%, vitamin D 0%, thiamine 80%, riboflavin 4%, niacin 15%, vitaminB6 20%, folate 15%, vitamin B12 0%, pantothenate 15%, phosphorus 15%, magnesium 30%, and zinc 15%.
Complete the “Examining Food Labels” in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use another method of your choice to record your findings.
Pause and Reflect
Pause and reflect
Use the following questions to reflect on your learning.
- Of the two products, which one do you think contains more nutrients and ingredients that might support the digestive system? Explain your thinking.
- Why is it important to be able to read and understand a Nutrition Facts label?
- Is the ingredient list just as important as the Nutrition Facts? Why or why not?
Record your responses using a method of your choice.
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.