Reading the Nutrition Facts Label

The Nutrition Facts label helps you make healthy food choices. Check the label to compare similar products. Make sure you always read the Nutrition Facts label and not just the claims on the packaging. The Nutrition Facts label can also help you compare brand name products to non-brand products.

Each label includes:

• Serving size
• Calories (energy) per serving size
• 13 Core Nutrients: total fat (saturated and Trans fat), sodium, fibre, iron, calcium,
  vitamin A and C.
• Percentage Daily Values: tells you the amount present in the food for most of the core nutrients.

Percentage daily values are listed for average adults. It is found by dividing the amount of each nutrient in the food by the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) and multiplied by 100%. This makes it easier to understand when the nutrient is shown as a percentage of what is recommended. Here is a quick guide for choosing foods based on percentage daily value:

• Fat: Choose foods with a low percentage daily value. Healthy diets should provide about 20 to 35% of calories from fat.
• Cholesterol: Like fat and saturated fat, cholesterol also adds to the risk of heart disease for most people. Choose foods with lower percentage daily values
• Sodium: The Heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that Canadians eat no more than 2,300 mg a day, which is found in as little as 1 tsp (5 mL) of salt
• Fibre: A high percentage daily value of fibre is recommended in a healthy diet. Dietary fibres help reduce the risk of heart disease
• Sugars: percentage daily value for sugars is not provided as there are no recommended guidelines for how much sugar is part of a healthy diet
• Protein, Vitamins and Iron: Proteins are listed by the amount in a serving because most diets allow for a reasonable amount of protein intake. The percentage daily value for vitamins and iron are provided for consumers to understand the relative amounts in the food

Ingredient list:

• Identifies the ingredients that make up the food.
• Ingredients are listed in order of weight with the heaviest first.
• Helps to determine if there are culturally appropriate ingredients or the presence of food allergens e.g. peanuts.

“Produced in” or “Product of”:

• Tells you where the product is grown or produced.
• Fresh vegetables and fruits often have a label to show the country they come from.

Nutrition Labelling and Quiz

To help you learn more about the label, Health Canada provides an interactive tool called the Interactive Nutrition Label: Get the Facts. Explore the guide and test your knowledge with the Interactive Nutrition label Quiz.

Interactive Label Guide

The Heart and Stroke Foundation has a brief description of all the details found on the Nutrition Label.

For more information on label reading contact your local public health unit or www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca

• Check out some great ideas for healthy meals and snacks.
• Canada’s Food Guide has been translated into 10 different languages in addition to English and French. Canada's Food Guide will help you and your family know how much food you need, what types of foods are better for you and the importance of physical activity in your day.
• My Food Guide is an interactive tool that will help you personalize the information found in Canada's Food Guide.

• Questions & Answers about Trans Fat Standards Regulation in Ontario Public Schools
• General Questions and Answers on Trans fat from Health Canada