Label Reading the Healthy Way

Using food labels Ingredient list

Food labels give you information to help you The ingredient list on food
compare similar foods and make healthier choices. packages tells you what’s
in the food.
Nutrition information is found in 3 different places  Ingredients are listed by
on food labels: weight from most to
 Ingredient list least.
 Nutrition Facts table  The first few ingredients are those in the highest
amounts.
 Nutrient content claims and health claims
 All added sugars are grouped together in
brackets, after the word Sugars.
What about foods without a label?
It is the law in Canada that most foods have a label. Example: Breakfast cereal
Foods that don’t need a label are: Ingredients: Whole grain oats, Whole grain
 fresh vegetables and fruit wheat flour, Bran, Sugars (brown sugar,
 raw meat and poultry (ground meat and ground corn maltodextrin, barley malt extract), Salt,
poultry must have labels) Sodium bicarbonate, Caramel colour blend,
 raw fish and seafood BHT (preservative).
 pre-packaged meat and poultry barbecued,
In this ingredient list, whole grain oats, whole grain
roasted, or broiled in the store
wheat flour, and bran are listed as the first 3
 baked goods made in the store ingredients. This means that the cereal has more of
 alcoholic drinks these ingredients than the rest of the ingredients
 bulk foods listed.
 foods sold at farmers markets and craft shows,
when sold by the person who made them
 individual portions of food or condiments not for
re-sale, such as ketchup packets and coffee
creamers

Developed by Registered Dietitians

Nutrition Services
404222-NFS
Nutrition Facts table
The Nutrition Facts table on the food label gives you information on serving size, calories, and at least 12
different nutrients. Use the Nutrition Facts table to compare similar foods.

Check Serving Size

The serving size is listed at the top of the Nutrition Facts table. All the information in the table is based on this
amount of food. If you eat more or less than the listed serving size, you will be getting more or less of the
nutrient amounts listed.

For example, if the serving size of a cereal is ¾ cup (175 mL/45 g) and you ate 1 ½ cups (350 mL/90 g), you
would get double of all the nutrients listed on the label.

Example: Breakfast cereal

Read Nutrition Facts Nutrition Facts Check % Daily Value

Per 1 cup (30 g) (DV)
Calories 180 % Daily Value*
Compare similar foods. Fat 2 g 3% A 5% or less DV means it has a
Saturated 0.4 g 2% little, a 15% or more DV means
Choose foods with: + Trans 0 g it has a lot.
Carbohydrate 35 g
Little or no trans fat per Fibre 4 g 15 % When comparing products,
serving Sugars 7 g 7% you can use % DV to choose
Protein 5 g products that are higher in
2 g fibre or more per serving Cholesterol 0 mg nutrients you may want
Sodium 120 mg 5% more of:
Less than 15% DV of sodium Potassium 450 mg 10 %  fibre
and/or sugar Calcium 30 mg 2%  vitamins
Iron 8 mg 45 %
*5% or less is a little, 15% or more is a lot  minerals
* 5% ou moins c’est peu, 15% ou plus c’est beaucoup

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Making healthier choices
Whole grains Fats

Whole grains provide fibre, and many nutrients that Fats found in food can be unsaturated, saturated, or
work together to promote good health. trans fats.
 Choose unsaturated fats. In the ingredient list
Look for whole or whole grain in front of the grain look for: canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil,
(for example: whole grain barley or whole rye). sunflower oil, soft non-hydrogenated margarine,
or nuts and seeds.
Some whole grains don’t need the words whole or  Limit saturated fat such as lard, butter, or
whole grain in front of the name, as they’re used coconut oil.
only as whole grains (for example: oats, oatmeal,  Avoid trans fats. Products that may have trans fat
bulgur, and millet). include shortening, hard margarine, and partially
hydrogenated oils.
Salt (sodium)
Sugars
Sugars are found naturally in fruit, milk, and some
vegetables. It can also be added to foods such as
baked goods, candy, and soft drinks.

Look at both the ingredient list and the Nutrition

Facts table to help you choose foods with less added
sugar.

Ingredient list: Read the ingredient list to know if a

Sodium is found in salt. Most of the sodium we eat food has added sugar.
comes from processed food containing salt or
sodium. To reduce your intake: Nutrition Facts table: On the Nutrition Facts table
 Choose fewer processed and packaged foods. the Sugars includes both natural and added sugar.
 Look for unsalted, low salt, and no-added salt Compare brands and choose foods with a lower %
foods. DV for sugar.
 Read ingredient lists on packages. Limit foods
with salt, sodium, or soda as one of the first 3 Limit foods with 15% or more DV for sugar.
ingredients.
 Compare brands. Choose foods with 15% or less
DV for sodium.

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What is a nutrient content
claim?
This is a statement on a package about a nutrient
like fat, salt, or fibre. Always check the Nutrition
Facts table when there is a claim on a package. For
example something that is “low in saturated fat”,
does not mean it is low in total fat.

Free, No, Zero, Without: The amount of the

nutrient in the food is so small that it is not
counted. Some examples include calorie-free,
sugar-free, fat-free, or sodium-free.
Low, Little, Few: Product has a very small
amount of the nutrient. Examples include low
calorie, low saturated fat, low cholesterol, low
sodium/salt, and low protein.
Reduced, Less, Lower, Fewer, Light: Product
has at least 25% less of the nutrient compared to a For more information
similar product. May be used for products that are
reduced in calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, Visit HealthyEatingStartsHere.ca and search Label
cholesterol, sodium/salt, or sugar. Reading.

Lightly: Product has at least 50% less of the To learn more about reading food labels go to
added nutrient compared to a similar product. Canada.ca and search understanding food labels.
May be used for products that are reduced in
sodium/salt.
No added, Without added: Product has none of
the added nutrients such as fat, sugar, and
sodium/salt.
More, Higher, Higher in: Product has 25% more
of the nutrient (may be used for products with
more calories, fibre, and protein) compared to a
similar product.
Source: Product has a large amount of the
nutrient. For example a food with fibre could
have one of the claims below:
Fibre claims Amount of fibre per serving
Very high source 6 grams or more
High source 4 grams or more
Source 2 grams or more

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This is general information and should not replace the advice of your health professional. Alberta Health Services is not liable in any way for actions
based on the use of this information. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License.
Contact [email protected]  Alberta Health Services (Jul 2019)