Decoding Nutrition Facts Labels
Learning Objective
deceptive food labels
Key Concepts
The serving size listed on a Nutrition Facts label is based on the amount of food someone is likely to eat at one time and is not a recommendation of how much to eat.
The percent daily values (%DV) tell you what percent of the daily amount of a nutrient is in one serving; aim for at least 20% DV for beneficial nutrients and no more than 5% DV for nutrients to limit.
The nine most common allergens that must be listed on an ingredients label are milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and soybeans, and sesame.
Practice Questions
This lesson includes 10 practice questions to reinforce learning.
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1. Where on the Nutrition Facts label can you find the serving size of a food?
2. A food label states that a serving contains 10% of the Daily Value for Vitamin D. Is this considered a low or high source of Vitamin D?
3. Why are ingredients listed in descending order by weight on the ingredients label?
...and 7 more questions
Educational Video
Reading Food Labels: What the Nutrition Facts label Tell Us
CSUExtension